Homunculus. Alchemical processes were symbolically illustrated using images of humans and animals inside of vessels.
This contributed to the legend of the homunculus. (Pretiosissimum Donum Dei 15th century.) Homunculus (masculine, Latin for "little man", plural: "homunculi"; from the diminutive of homo) is a term used, generally, in various fields of study to refer to any representation of a small human being. Chantal deMontigny: Artist. Elements of Design: Proportion and the Golden Ratio (Fashion Over Forty) The “golden ratio” has been a subject of fascination for artists and mathematicians for millenia.
The golden ratio occurs in nature, and is a mathematical formula used by artists, designers, architects, and even musicians in creating beauty. What is this magic ratio? Technically it’s 1.1688. But for artistic uses it’s often simplified to this: 1:1.5, or a 2:3 ratio.