Born in 1452, Leonardo da Vinci lived for 67 years, dying in 1519. Most people only think of him in the context of the Mona Lisa, but he gave the world so much more than just one of the world’s greatest paintings. His notebooks are stuffed full of so much amazing information, observations and inventions that we’re still learning from today, over 500 years later. Leonardo daVinci was a polymath in its purest form and embodied everything great about the renaissance. He produced art that was easily comparable and often better than Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello or Botticelli, whilst also being a leading intellectual making discoveries in so many different areas. Leonardo da Vinci was perhaps one of the greatest, most talented people ever to live. (53:44 min.)
Leonardo Da Vinci, Master Draftsman by
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) stands as a supreme icon in the history of Western civilization. With much of his work lost or unfinished, the key to his legacy is without doubt to be found in the enormous body of his extant drawings and accompanying manuscript notes. Famous for their beauty and technical virtuosity, Leonardo's drawings were avidly sought by collectors even during his lifetime. This handsome book offers a unified and fascinating portrait of Leonardo as a draftsman, integrating his diverse roles as an artist, scientist, inventor, theorist, and teacher. A chronological framework is also provided in order to shed light on his extraordinary life and career. The essays and entries--written by the world's leading Leonardo scholars--survey the wide variety of drawing types that Leonardo used and also examine a small group of works by artists critical to his artistic development in Florence and to his multifaceted activity in Milan. Published in association with The Metropolitan Museum of Art