The Golden Ratio or Divine Proportion
What do the following have in common: a pine cone, a sunflower, a soccer ball, the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the Parthenon in Athens, the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci, the Pentagon in Washington and cathedrals of the Middle Ages? The golden ratio (1.618…)! Also called the golden section or divine proportion, it is present in the human body and in nature and, according to some, symbolises beauty and harmony.
Plato, da Vinci, Fibonacci and Le Corbusier were also inspired by the golden ratio. But of all the theories that can be found in literature and on the internet, which are mathematically correct, what are the most far-fetched?
In collaboration with the House of Mathematics of Quaregnon, the Abbaye de Stavelot presents the golden ratio through a unique exhibition in Belgium! Discover it step by step, with the help of films, objects and games!
And have fun discovering the astonishing applications of the golden ratio. What better tool is there than one’s own body to understand the divine proportion? Try to measure yourself, manipulate geometric shapes, observe nature: the golden ratio opens itself up to you! Then apply your knowledge to various domains such as mathematics, architecture or even painting.