Leonardo Da Vinci
Published on 7. January 2020
144 pages
978-1-4463-5521-3 (ISBN)
Description
A collection of surprising revelations and quirky stories about one of the most amazing people who ever lived.
This engaging volume reveals Leonardo da Vinci's phenomenal accomplishments: mathematical discoveries, investigations of the secrets of the human body, the invention of a robot... and even a plan to divert Italy's Arno River.
Packed with fascinating facts, the book also covers biographical details, modern reflections on da Vinci's legacy, and historical insights-offering a new appreciation of just how remarkable this "Renaissance man" really was.
This engaging volume reveals Leonardo da Vinci's phenomenal accomplishments: mathematical discoveries, investigations of the secrets of the human body, the invention of a robot... and even a plan to divert Italy's Arno River.
Packed with fascinating facts, the book also covers biographical details, modern reflections on da Vinci's legacy, and historical insights-offering a new appreciation of just how remarkable this "Renaissance man" really was.
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Other editions
Additional editions
Cynthia Phillips | Shana Priwer
Amazing & Extraordinary: Leonardo Da Vinci
Book
10/2011
David & Charles
€32.39
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Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Contents
- Introduction
- Where it all began : Conflicting claims over birthplace
- Illegitimate son : Inauspicious beginnings for a genius
- Extended family : Leonardo's countless half siblings
- Flesh and blood : Greed amongst his father's offspring
- The call of the wild : Studying the natural world around him
- Leonardo the lefty : Left-handed artist in excellent company
- The apprentice : Development and innovation in his master's studio
- Off to a cracking start : Talent shines through on his first professional work
- Making his mark : Striking out on his own
- Leonardo's backdrop : High Renaissance's greatest exponent
- Hub of Renaissance : The momentous role of Florence
- Golden oldies : Revival of the classics
- Economic boom : A Renaissance in trade
- Find a sponsor : Earning an artist's daily bread
- A-list patronage: Early dealings with the Medici
- Militant Sforza : A fruitful period with the Duke of Milan
- Infamous Borgia : His genius turns lethal
- Father of the people : Head hunted for the position of court painter
- An exalted position : Reconciliation with the Medici
- François the friend : Last days in the lap of luxury
- Gold medal standards : Innovations towards realism
- Scene behind the scene : Another intriguing layer to his work
- Fine art of completion : An annoying tendency towards bad habits
- Architecture of the imagination : A bold step in the opposite direction
- It's all in the detail : The first modern portrait artist
- Lengthy lawsuits : Veering from the brief on The Virgin of the Rocks
- A chapter of accidents : Ill-fated life and times of The Last Supper
- That enigmatic smile : Lasting resonance of the Mona Lisa
- The riddler : Puns and symbolism in his paintings
- On his high horse : The vision for his own personal colossus
- Dream becomes reality : Modern-day completion of Leonardo's ambition
- Crowning glory : Significant plans for the Duomo
- Moving heaven and earth : Radical plans to move the Baptistery of San Giovanni
- Elegant living : Designing to extremes
- Urban aspirations : City designs in a class of their very own
- Observe, understand : The first modern scientist
- A pound of flesh : Anatomical exploration
- Life through death : Pioneer in corpse dissection
- Flora and fauna : Studying plants and animals
- Poster child : Icon of the Renaissance
- Solid as a rock : Leonardo the geologist
- The nature of fossils : Rejecting existing theories
- Reaching for the stars : Reflections on astronomy
- Divine proportion An obsession with geometry
- Hell and high water : A fascination for water
- Age of innovation : The father of invention
- Going against the grain : Contributing to the war effort
- Snakes and ladders : On the offense and defense
- War games : Military movements
- No ordinary weapon : Larger-than-life weapons of mass destruction
- Blue-sky thinking : A life-long passion for flight
- The whirlybird : Early helicopter designs
- On a wing and a prayer : Parachute proved flightworthy
- Leonardo's monster : His amazing mechanical robot
- Walking under water : Futuristic diving apparatus
- Control freak : Harnessing the power of water
- Order from chaos : An extraordinary record
- First edition : The tale of a treatise
- Notable notebooks : Pearls of wisdom to be found within
- Transfer of knowledge : Priceless treasures scattered
- Decoding the codices : Keeping the record straight
- Pretty as a picture : Celebrated portrait painter
- Mirror image : Self-portraits of the master
- To cut a long story short : Leonardo's fabled fables
- Singer songwriter : An outstanding performance
- School of Leonardo : Teaching his tricks of the trade
- Healthy competition : Rivalry with Michelangelo
- His own personal giant : Complementary Titian
- Fellow Florentine : Botticelli on a half-shell
- Literary prince : Machiavelli, friend and business partner
- The gentle man : Profile of an artist
- Personal accusations : A gross invasion of privacy
- Just good friends? : Long-term relationships
- Was he or wasn't he? : A debate on sexuality
- On the analyst's couch : Sigmund Freud on Leonardo
- Skill overload? : Polymath in good company
- Flawed genius : Everyone makes mistakes
- True believer : A devout Christian?
- Artistic license : Eccentricities enhance his mystique
- State of mind : A 20th century diagnosis
- In sickness and in health : An all-round healthy individual
- A man out of time : An enigmatic legacy
- Sincerest form of flattery : Imitation as an art form
- The real deal : The truth behind The Da Vinci Code
- Quintessential Renaissance man : A truly astounding individual
- Picture Credits
- Copyright
