Book Description
The life and work of the great Italian Renaissance artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci (1452- 1519) have proved endlessly fascinating for generations. In Leonardo da Vinci, SherwinNuland completes his twenty-year quest to understand an unlettered man who was a painter,architect, engineer, philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. What was it that propelledLeonardo's insatiable curiosity? Nuland finds clues in his subject's art, relationships, and scientificstudies—as well as in a vast quantity of notes that became widely known in the twentieth century.Scholarly and passionate, Nuland's Leonardo da Vinci takes us deep into the first trulymodern, empirical mind, one that was centuries ahead of its time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Of Most Interest to Doctors and Biologists
Leonardo was the prototypical "Renaissance Man," a fact that renders him remarkably difficult for any one biographer to encapsulate fully. Add to that the page limitations imposed upon writers of the Penguin Lives (the typical Life is roughly 165 pages long), and you have an impossible task, no matter how competent the author.

Sherwin Nuland is that rarest of all creatures, an articulate doctor (surgeon), who has written several popular books about his craft, including the very popular How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter. So he was the ideal choice to write about Leonardo's anatomical studies, which he does very well.

What he omits is any discussion of Leonardo's other accomplishments in art, mechanics, aeronautics,... But what modern writer could have written knowledgeably about those wide-ranging fields? Perhaps Isaac Asimov, but he died in 1992.

To Dr. Nuland's credit, he doesn't try, producing instead a fine book on those topics he does understand. Still, he doesn't capture the man.

For those who are interested, there is an excellent film, The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci, produced for Italian television in 1971,that provides a superb overview of Leonardo's life. A labor of love by the Italians, it is the definitive film on the subject.

Laborious read, focusing mainly on da Vinic's anatomical studies
Armed with a limited understanding of da Vinci's paintings, scientific research and anatomical studies, I picked up this book hoping to gather a better understanding of Leonardo's life and work.Unfortunately, I found this book to be a laborious read, focusing mainly on da Vinic's anatomical studies.

I wouldn't say this book is horrible, or that one shouldn't read it.Rather, it's just not the book for you if you desire a more traditional biography.Yet, I'm not certain a traditional biography could exist concerning da Vinci.Large gaps exist in our understanding of him, and much of what we do know is speculative - except where his anatomical work is considered, and which this book mainly covers.

Too Brief in Parts.Yet Some Parts Brilliant.
There can be little doubt that Leonardo da Vinci was a man of great intellect and skill.His impact upon society, however, has not been great.His inventions were never brought to fruition and his work in anatomy, while treasured today as being complex and far sighted, did little for the practice of medicine at the time of its publication.Yet, despite all this, it is a brave man who totally disregards Leonardo.

The author of this work on da Vinci, Sherwin B. Nuland, is a surgeon; an interesting choice for a biographer.Nuland brings a particular skill set to the work but not a complete skill set.The first portion of the book that deals in general with Leonardo's life is not strong.The reader is whisked through the years without ever feeling that he has gained any insights whatsoever.But, when Nuland turns to anatomy in the final chapters, the books takes a whole new turn.Clearly, the writer's knowledge shines and the reader sees in much greater depth the genius that was Leonardo.

At a time when there were no X rays, anesthesia or any real knowledge of the body's circulatory system, Leonardo's work was brilliant.Rather than describe the workings of the human body, Leonardo used drawings as his medium.Working with cadavers and having to work at great haste, Leonardo was a man ahead of his time.Nuland allows the reader to truly imagine the skill of the man.

Overall, Nuland's book is a work in two parts.The first, which is general biography, has only slight merit.His subsequent analysis of Leonardo's work in anatomy reads wonderfully.It is a great pity that the whole book could not have been of the same standard as the second part.

Anatomy of a biography

Because Leonardo da Vinci was so prolific and so ahead of his time in so many areas, the big temptation is for biographers to focus on one part of his biography -- both because it's easier and because most readers are likely drawn to him because of one particular part of his talents.

Ostensibly, this book does exactly that: it focuses Leonardo the anatomist, which, of all the great Tuscan's talents -- among his other talents he could have been renowned solely as a sculptor, painter, inventor, architect, designer, urban planner, philosopher, physicist, or mathematician -- is probably the least interesting to me. The focus of the book wasn't clear to me when I picked it up at an airport book store (which is a criticism, by the way), but it turned out to be an unexpectedly inspired choice, because Leonardo's study of anatomy was linked directly and indirectly to so many of his other pursuits.

Because of that, the first 2/3 of the book are background that touch on most of Leonardo's disciplines in chronological order, giving what amounts to one of the better overviews of the original Renaissance Man that I've come across (and I've read several). Only at the end does well-regarded author Sherwin B. Nuland tie it together by examining issues related to anatomy in more detail, at which point I admit I began to lose interest -- not because of any fault of the book's but simply because I get a bit queasy when the conversation turns to things like filling a human eye with different substances so it can be cut open and examined without it collapsing.

I give the book good marks for readability, no doubt inspired in part by Mr. Nuland's obvious passion for all things Leonardo. And the unusually thoughtful bibliography was a nice surprise.

But it would have been improved by an index and most of all by more illustrations, illustrations of all kinds: maps to show where places are relative to each other; examples of some of Leonardo's artwork which in parts is discussed and described at some length; perhaps a photo of Leonardo's unusual handwriting, which is examined and interpreted; reproductions of Leonardo's diagrams and drawings that illustrate the points being made, whether about the design of cities or war machines or of the anatomy so central to the end of the book. As it is, the book carries only four illustrations (all somewhat related to anatomy), and one isn't even by Leonardo.

So, how much do you want to learn about anatomy
This is a small book (166 pages) and it's focus is small also.Nuland really wanted to write a book only about DaVinci's facination with the human body and his accomplishments in describing his findings (some of which weren't proven until the middle of the twentieth century).It's a book totally about hero worship.But, Nuland does tell you this on the first page, you just have to realize it.

This is an eight chapter book, the first six read like cliff notes on DaVinci's life. The last two are totally turned over to a description of some of the contents of his notebooks, their history (as to who had them, and now has them) and of the number that have been lost or butchered over the last five hundred years.

There is one chapter almost completely turned over to Freud's psycho-sexual analysis of DaVinci and his paintings, and another to the history and speculation about and of the Mona Lisa.

Unless your a real Nuland fan, or a fan of anatomical historiography, you can skip this book, and read the biography by Charles Nichols. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Leonardo da Vinci hasn't worked on the fresco of the Last Supper in two years.His supporters are most unhappy with his progress. Payments for da Vinci have stopped, but that does not stop the da Vinci household from running up debts all over town.

The shopkeepers are starting to refuse more credit on his accounts.

The Duke of Milan and da Vinci have a history of playful disagreements.However, the Duke makes no secret that he's asked the rival artist Michaelangelo to town.With threats at his doorstep and the Pope coming to the chapel in the near future, da Vinci gets to work.

LEONARDO'S SHADOW shares the story of the creation of the Last Supper through the eyes of da Vinci's servant, Giacomo. Grey spins a wonderful tale of historical fiction for anyone who's interested in the Italian Renaissance.

Reviewed by:Jennifer Rummel

Why won't Da Vinci finish The Last Supper?
Giacomo is the servant of the great Leonardo Da Vinci. Several years ago, a mob was chasing him through the streets, convinced he had stolen someone else's possessions. That night, Da Vinci saved Giacomo's life. Ever since then, Giacomo has served Da Vinci faithfully and almost comically. Whenever anyone even hints that they are insulting his master, Giacomo is right there defending his honor, although it is most unsuitable for him to speak to his superiors.

His greatest ambition is to paint and learn from his master. But Da Vinci seems reluctant to teach him. Giacomo spends his days waiting on Da Vinci, hanging out with his small circle of apprentice friends, and bugging his master to finish the painting The Last Supper. Why won't Da Vinci finish the painting? The Da Vinci household has been buying food, clothing, and art supplies on a credit basis only, but the business owners are beginning to be impatient for actual money. More importantly, the Duke of Milan is most impatient for him to finish the work. Why, any day now, the Pope will visit. The Duke is hoping that the Pope will be impressed with the painting enough that he will remain an ally to the city of Milan against the French. But there may be no peace if the painting is not completed on time!

But Giacomo has much more on his mind. Who are his parents? What was in his knapsack that the mob was angry about? Is he, indeed, a common thief? Will he ever learn to paint? How will he and his master eat with no money? Is the master hiding secrets from him? Can Giacomo discover them?

Giacomo is no ordinary servant, you will soon see . . .

I loved this book! It was funny, educational, and fast-paced. Giacomo is a lively character that boys will relate to easily. It has just the right amount of details--enough for us to be able to enter Giacomo's world but not enough that it overwhelms the story. This tale is full of suspense, intrigue, and hidden secrets just waiting to be discovered. Once I started it, I just couldn't stop. This is unusual for me. To tell you the truth, it is hard for me to find time to read. During my lunch breaks at the library, I eagerly opened Leonardo's Shadow to see what trouble Giacomo would get into today.

With all of the interest in secrets societies and The Da Vinci Code, this book practically sells itself.

A Trip Back in time!
Giacomo has no recollection of his past since the day he fell from the top of Milan's Cathedral. Thank goodness Leonardo da Vinci was there to rescue him from the fall as well as the mob chasing him. That is how Giacomo came to be Leonardo's servant...pure chance.

Leonardo da Vinci is contracted by the Duke of Milan, to paint the most amazing mural that eyes will ever behold; The Last Supper. It has been almost two years since the first brush stroke, and not many more have been made since then. The Duke grows tired of waiting and warnes da Vinci that the painting must be done by Easter for the Pope, and if not then he will hire Michelangelo to finish the Last Supper. The Duke also lays threat to Giacomo, and if the information is not reported to the Duke within a week, who knows what lay in wait for poor Giacomo.

Giacomo seeks answers from his Master, regarding his past, his parents, and the three items he had the day Leonardo saved him. But to no avail his Master will not speak. There are secrets hidden that will surface all in due time. When the carriage bearing the same emblem as the medallion Giacomo has passes in front of him, he grows even more curious of his past.

Can Giacomo betray his Master to the Duke in hopes of saving himself from a beating as well as find the answers he most desperately seeks? Or will he be true to Leonardo da Vinci and suffer the consequences? Giacomo seeks many answers throughout this book, come and discover what secrets he may find.

Mr. Grey captivates me with the extraordinary characters painted in this book. Leonardo's Shadow was an experience in the life of Leonardo da Vinci's servant that I am sure not to forget. All through this book there were twists and turns that will keep you biting your nails and on the edge of your seat.

Mr. Grey deems Leonardo's Shadow: Or, My Astonishing Life as Leonardo da Vinci's Servant a fantasy book for Young Adults, but I enjoyed it very much. It could easily be enjoyed by adults as well. I think Christopher Grey deserves 5 hearts, because I know a lot of research and heart went into this book.

15th Century Milan, Italy comes alive for you
Giacomo is a servant boy without a past. But he's not just anybody's servant. He is Leonardo da Vinci's servant.

Master daVinci rescued Giacomo when he was only eight, and he as been a servant to the great painter since. But now it has been two years since da Vinci began work on The Last Supper, and as far as Giacomo can tell, virtually no progress has been made. While creditors come pounding on their door, the Duke of Milan harasses Giacomo and his master, and the great Leonardo da Vinci holes himself up to work on who-knows-what. Will Giacomo find the answers to the many questions that plague him?

This fascinating "historical thriller" gives life and breath to Milan at the end of the fifteenth century. Based on an obscure servant mentioned in Leonardo's Notebooks and plenty of gaps in Leonardo da Vinci's life, Grey weaves together a riveting story of what could have been in the years leading up to the completing of Leonardo's masterpiece, The Last Supper.

I know very little of this time period or of Leonardo da Vinci's works, but I now find myself wanting to know a great deal more. I couldn't quit turning pages from the first chapter. The only thing that made me want to put down the book was the continual references to art pieces. I need to find a picture of the piece so I really know what he wrote about.

One thing I especially enjoyed was that a reproduction of The Last Supper is on the hardcover of the book, without so much as a book title marring its surface so I could flip to it time and time again as he referred to aspects of the painting.

If you aren't into art, you will be.

Armchair Interviews says: Hands down, this is a great read for young and old alike.

BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK EVER
this is an AMAZING book.this is about the life of Leonardo da Vinci while he was painting the Last Supper.told through the eyes of Giacomo, his servant, this is a captivating story you won't want to put down.Its very intreguing, exspecially the ending.I actually read it in two days because it was so good!(but i didn't finnish all my work and got yelled at!) ... Read more

Book Description
This book captures the beauty and genius of Leonardo da Vinci's writings, which are accompanied by his evocative sketches and drawings.Discover the farsightedness and brilliance of the mind that brought us some of the greatest artwork and most incredible inventions from the Mona Lisa to the hot air balloon.The text is concentrated on four themes:

• Science—observations of the physical world
• Mechanics—looking at wheels and weight, swimming and flight
• Art—color, form, light, proportion, and more
• Life—tales and allegories, and the nature and meaning of life ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

'Light is the chasing away of darkness' Small excerpts from the work of 'Leonardo'
This book contains small passages from the writings of Leonardo.
There are quite good illustrations and reproductions of his work. Most of these are however so familiar, and available in so many other formats that there is no surprise in them. The quotations are in themselves by and large a pleasure to read. This with the exception of the concluding chapter on his 'Prophecies'. There are chapters on his writings on 'Light' and on 'Seeing' also 'On the Deluge'. There are also as it were practical passages in which he advises on how to draw, and paint.
This is a small popular section.
For the full range of Leonardo one should go to the 'Notebooks' in their more full form. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

he did better with Gradiva....
In this small book Freud takes a mistranslated childhood memory of Leonardo's--one in which a kite (Freud thought it a vulture) opens the baby's mouth with its tail feathers--and makes a case for a genius born out of wedlock left alone too much with his mother, and therefore prone to homosexuality.Lame.

As always, though, Freud at least arrives in the ballpark, even if he doesn't understand the game.Initial memories are often strangely prophetic, even when constructed out of fantasy; and so perhaps the fantastic kite--known for its interesting flight configurations--suckled the young Leonardo's latent inventive urges, or even symbolized their later expression.

Note:in this study first appears Freud's use of the term Eros, which he later makes such a fundamental part of his theory.

Sublimation, Eros and Vultures
Freud's attempt to apply the concepts and generalisations of psychoanalysis to the Universal Man, Leonardo da Vinci. The formulations reached in the book have now become "pop-Freudian" cliches: the subject was doted on by his mother, neglected by his father and therefore developed a homosexual streak. What occured exactly, according to Freud, was an inordinate Oedipal development in which the subject took his father's domination of the mother as a "de facto" domination (hence prohibition on the father's part) of *all* women and hence it triggered a shift from heterosexual to homosexual tendencies. Freud applies his doctrine of infantile sexuality to address other topics such as Leonardo's prodigious genius, his scientific pursuits and the fact that he left so many works unfinished. The study is speculative and tendentious and, which is more, it is marred by an egregious error in the translation of one of Leonardo's notebooks. Its major shortcoming is its rather reckless and overconfident attempt to reconstruct the psycholgy of a man dead for centuries. For zealous partisans of psychoanalysis only, or for those who have an academic interest in the subject.

If you're interested in Fine art and psychoanalysis? READ it
I'm a graduate student majoring art history.i'd read this essey at April at seminar on Freud i made.i wanna know the interpretation of art not by classical art historian but by psycho-analysis doctor. it's so curious andfantastic to meet this strange world.In that,Freud would explain ongenius of Leonardo Da Vinci. 'Passion on completeness made him (Leonardo)left his works unfinished. So to speak, if he is unsatisfied with his, heleft them unfinished.And He thoughtthe reason of Leonardo dispositiontoward homosexual was on his infant period accident.He was fed by Onlyhis mother without Father!to be Absentof Father.Andhis OedipusComplex not happen like normal case. He depenedon his mother withoutobstacle-his father.He identified himself with his mom.And when he grewup, he loved boys like him.He took the role of his mom which feed him!His Libido made his investigation on everythins stronger than normal !Sotospeak, His primal desire(il primo motore)is changed not as heterosexual desire but as investigation desire.Frequently, you'd think youmeet dogmatic explanation on Leonardo. It's no bad because there are not'ONLY' truth! ^^And why dont you check your condition out according toFreudian way? ... Read more

Product Description
Exquisite, very hard to locate. 1635 Illustrations,35 from the newly discovered MADRID CODEX. Well written and informative text. ... Read more

Book Description
Beautifully illustrated throughout, this book explores the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci.Organized chronologically, we are taken step by step through time to learn more of the man and his creations in relation to those of his time. ... Read more

Book Description
This is a comprehensive study of Leonardo in the dual role of artist/botanist. Culled from the enormous output of ideas and drawings in the many notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, Emboden's monumental work presents an unexplored aspect of the Renaissance genius. Published at $34.95 Our last copies available at $17.49 ... Read more

Book Description

Amazon.com
In this magnificent book, Pietro Marani, the director of the project to restore Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, presents all the artist's known paintings. The history and significance of each are analyzed at length: we read, for example, that "from a very early date, Mona Lisa was considered among Leonardo's most extraordinary accomplishments, one that made every other artist 'tremble and lose heart.'" Context is provided by a wealth of related paintings and sketches. The presentation is extravagant: double foldouts show frescoes in their entirety, and small areas are hugely expanded to give access to a world of sensuous detail. The intimacy of these extreme details--a tiny blue landscape glimpsed through a window, or the warm flesh of a baby's foot resting on its mother's arm--is unexpected, and one of the book's many successes.

Marani combines connoisseurship with the technological tools of art history, such as x-ray exploration of revisions in a painting's underdrawings. He has spent his life studying Leonardo's paintings firsthand, so closely that he can point to where the artist lightly blurred layers of paint with his fingertips to suggest the soft skin around the eyes of his portraits of women. A chapter is devoted to Marani's belief that Leonardo was profoundly influenced by ancient artworks rather than being exclusively the "modern genius" described by Romantic critics. The research is fully footnoted, with appendices including checklists of paintings and lost paintings and a collection of all known primary documents referring directly to Leonardo's life. From its enigmatic cover (the lips of the artist's exquisite portrait of Ginevra de' Benci) to its extensive bibliography, Leonardo da Vinci comes the closest this reviewer has seen to being the ultimate art book. --John Stevenson Book Description
This seminal book on the paintings of the great Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci, first published by Abrams in 2000, has now been reissued in a compact, portable paperback format. As in the earlier volume, fresh photography and advanced printing techniques allow these precious masterworks to be reproduced with unparalleled accuracy and clarity, and every one of Leonardo's paintings is included, along with a text by one of the world's leading experts on the artist.

Such beloved paintings as the Mona Lisa, The Madonna of the Rocks, and The Annunciation are all showcased in this magisterial book, and the restored Last Supper is seen in all its richness of detail and tone. Scholar Pietro Marani explores Leonardo's fertile and original intellect and his astounding capacity for imbuing the human figure with emotion, sublime beauty, and grace. Preparatory drawings and studies are accompanied by enlarged details that reveal the painter's extraordinary sense of light and shadow, color and atmosphere-the fugitive, intangible quality we call "Leonardesque." Here is a book that does justice to the magnificent accomplishments of this great artist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Check the Paperback Size!
No matter how other may rave about this book, you must beware the paperback size.It is so much reduced from the hardcover that the print is difficult to read.With my reading glasses it is possible, but without them, it is all a blurr.I would definitely recommend the purchase of the larger hardcover version.

beauty to impress on the marrow of your soul
I bought this book pretty much as an impulse buy. I was very glad I did! I love Leonardo's paintings, I've had the pleasure of viewing some in the Louvre. I think it is such an amazing gift to be able to reproduce observation, providing insight into an individuals sense of consideration and emphasis. These last two are a requisite for style, along with skill in execution, which almost like text must convey clarity with the gradual perfecting in time, we have something most profound. I often find myself contemplating the pictures in this book, and being a scientist more than an artist, I was curious as to how it affected me so. Our sense of achievement is in part appreciated on the point that we can follow a path to the point of completion with the appreciation of the process rather than the end point attained. Now to understand and appreciate anothers achievement would require a sound and deep empathy of anothers 'travelled path', with Leonardo and others I just cannot empathise and understand how one can attain to something so majestic and magnificent I'm literally in awe, hence the belief that it is something beyond the sum of its parts (its make-up) - a gift. This book presents the wonderful works of this man and what is conveyed in the art. It is a little understanding of the personality and character of a unique time and individual. A great book!

Nearly perfect in every way
I don't know how daVinci did it. His artwork is so fantastic and its all so well presented in this rather impressive tome. He was such an amazing man and this book beautifully shows every tiny facet of his array of experiences and talents.

Leonardo - my hero. This book - my bible.
My dear fellow artists, You, like myself, have been blessed (cursed (?)) with an ability to draw and to dream, in the quest for beauty. This is it! As artists, nobody can outdo Leonardo. On Leonardo, this one is the best, the most complete. Read as many books on Leonardo as you wish, but make sure to own this one!

What a beautiful book ! Worth every dollar. Don't miss it.
I have no words to describe what I felt enjoying this book. Worth every single dollar it costs. You will never regret buying it and browsing it whenever you wish to. Every Da Vinci's painting is displayed and explained in full details and colors. Starting with Leonardo's apprenticeship in Verrocchio's shop until his first autonomous works, Pietro Marani's book is a must buy not only for all Da Vinci's fans worldwide but to all people who love true art. Don't waste your time with gossip books andstuff... read this book, and you won't be sorry. Never. I assure you. In Brazil, where I live, you don't find such a book easily. Thank God there's Amazon.com to bring me such a treasure as this masterpiece. ... Read more

Book Description
For five centuries, Leonardo da Vinci has stood alone as the quintessential Renaissance man—the incomparable artist, writer, thinker, and inventor who most powerfully transformed his world. In this dazzling new intimate biography, award-winning author Charles Nicholl creates a portrait of the artist for our time—a biography that brings Leonardo to life as a complex man living in a fascinating, dangerous, quickly changing world.

Drawing freely on his own original translations of Leonardo’s notebooks as well as newly discovered contemporary accounts, Nicholl captures the very texture of Leonardo’s mind and the pungent visceral impressions he transmuted into art. Detail by brilliant detail, Nicholl reconstructs the life and times of the artist, from his troubled childhood as the illegitimate son of an established Tuscan family to his years of apprenticeship in the burgeoning art world of Medici Florence to his unrivaled achievements in a breathtaking array of disciplines and media. Here, too, are compelling new answers to the enduring mysteries of Leonardo’s sexual orientation, the true identity of the Mona Lisa, and the early experiences that inspired his lifelong obsession with human flight.

A writer of irresistible charm and quicksilver imagination, Nicholl takes us from the backstreet artists’ studios of Florence to the glittering palazzi of the Medici, Sforza, and Borgia families as he pursues the most extravagantly talented and maddeningly elusive artist of all time. The result is a biography of rare grace and penetration.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Reads like a text book
I was looking to learn more about this fascinating man.This book gave me details, but really no story.It was a laborious read.It read like a text book.It is filled with so many facts, that you lose track of what da Vinci accomplished.Really a waste of time.

Maybe it's just me
There are more life details in this book than I ever wanted to read.This made for a bit of a slow, boring read.I'm still looking for a good biography on Da Vinci.

A winner...!

It has been a long time since my survey of art history and architecture classes, and so, in preparation for a trip to Italy, it seemed like a good idea to read about the great Leonardo.This book served as a window in my planning as well as a way to gain greater understanding of the five-hundred years worth of tradition and scholarly debate surrounding da Vinci.

First of all it is important to say that Charles Nicholl has done a fantastic job of ferreting out obscure documents and records that give us facts and clues to untangle the misinformation about Leonardo da Vinci.One has a sense of being in the hands of a master of the art of separating wheat and chaff, as Nicholl sifts until we, the readers, are given only that which is worthwhile.The rest lightly falls away.

As a result, the reader gets to know much about da Vinci's family, his hometown and early years; much about his training and his methods of working; much about his likes and dislikes--in short, we get to know da Vinci the man as well as da Vinci the artist.Nicholl discusses the developmental impact of da Vinci's illegitimacy and its possible influence upon his subsequent choices in subject and themes as an artist.While not shying away from these or other details ofda Vinci's personal life, he does so in a way that these serve as windows into the man and his work.

The book is well-illustrated, especially so for what is not a coffee table book-it has two generous selections of color plates and a profusion of black and white photography as well, that helps the reader see the interrelationships between da Vinci's well known and lesser known works.While there is an excellent quantity of information about da Vinci's speculative explorations of anatomy and his work on machines ranging from warfare to flying, the book centers upon his brilliance in the art of painting and drawing.

There is a first-rate overview of each of the best known works, and much to help the reader appreciate the background of the Mona Lisa and Last Supper, as well as the Annunciation, the Adoration, the Madonna of the Rocks, and the different versions of the Virgin with St. Anne, et al.The antecedents, models, and borrowings from one work to another provide a harmony of understanding.Many of the less well known works are also brought to the fore so that the reader has a larger sense of da Vinci's oeuvre.

The account of the concealed fresco of the Palazzo Vecchio is gripping, with the research still-evolving; it is the kind of chronicle that sends the reader looking for supplementary information.Nicholl relates the friction between the two Florentine geniuses, da Vinci and Michelangelo, showing a clash of temperament that fleshes out the character of both men.

One comes away from the book with a profound sense that da Vinci, while adding beauty and wonder to the lives of many, and while exhibiting a boundless curiosity about all things, was nonetheless a man whose life was also fraught with a self-imposed distancing from others, and a measure of melancholy.

Throughout, the interrelationship between da Vinci and his contemporary Renaissance artists, as well as political leaders, is so well presented that the reader is given a large tapestry of the life and times of da Vinci.

If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

Wow
I haven't read many biogrpahies on Leonardo Da Vinci. In fact this is the first one but based on other reviews here and from what I've read in the book myself - this has to be one of the very best Biography book on Leonardo Da Vinci, so I would highly recommend it to all.

Flying above and beyond
Although lengthy enough to use as a satisfactory doorstop, it was worth the reading.Not only a biography of Da Vinci's life, the author traces the evolution (sometimes convolutions)of his thought processes, as well as the social background of his more famous artistic works. Nicholl's inclusion of information on the subsequent history and restorations of paintings helped to anchor it in the present. While Fruedian interpretations are always murky at best (as oft pointed out:sometimes a cigar is just a cigar) their inclusion was also entertaining.Highly recommended - an excellent launching into the 1400's. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The first Renaissance man
Nothing of Leonardo DAVinci's sketchbooks were published until the 20th century.These are some of the most important documents of the Renaissance, and they did not become known until the 20th century.There are still people who do not know how important this work was.His anatomical studies were a watershed moment, because they introduced visual diagrams as the standard for communicating knowledge of the body and self.This was no more and no less than the conviction that the true knowledge of the shape of any body could only be arrived at by seeing it from different aspects.The truth of the body, the truth of the human being can only be discovered by looking at the body from multiple aspects, like; level, motion, perspective, transformation and growth.He opened up the body, it had always been closed, now its open.Now, what goes on inside the body is going to give us the essence of what it means to be human.It is the internal struggle, the self with the self, within .you.When you look at his sketchbooks, you see just one place where the whole world opens up.

Leonardo DAVinci-- Leonardo DAVinci invented the modern self.He invented the modern self precisely in this way, through the perspective of disappearance.What he tells reality and us about the self is that it only exists by that which is perceived by the eye.Reality is a product of nature; reality is that which we perceive by the eye.Reality is only that by which we can see.Moreover, in his notebooks he gives us another foundational belief about the human subject and its form.That the sound rules are the issue of sound experience and observation.Experience and observation can only be our best teacher.Of course, this is also, what Voltaire is telling us to by the way.The challenge comes when we realize that we are both to the subject observing and the object that is observed.In our search for self, we experience a kind of division between our constitutions as objects and our constitution as subjects.However, when we look at the human form, when we look at the self we find that the body is in harmony with nature, and that it is in harmony within nature.How does DA Vinci make these kinds of claims?Alternatively, how does he ground these kinds of claims with the function of the eye or the power of the eye?Well, one of the ways he does it is thru the camera obscura.Earliest record of use of camera obscura is in DA Vinci's writings.The camera obscura gave birth to the science of optics, the science of seeing.It is with DA Vinci, that the science of seeing became the foundation of self-representation, a representation called the self, thus the representation of the human form.Now DA Vinci embodied his own concept of the painter, as philosophers.He saw painters principally as natural philosophers.To him, nature was all important, absolute, the image of the eternal.In one very significant passage of his notebooks, he defines the relationship of art to nature and its process of evolution."The painter will produce pictures of small merit, if he takes for his standard the pictures of others.If he will study from natural objects, he will bear good fruit, as was seen in the painters after the Romans always imitating each other until their art constantly declined from age to age.Therefore, this was paramount for him in some ways what he was doing, and thinking was very radical and revolutionary and in other ways, it was very traditional.He appears to be quite a traditionalist, he studied ancient sources, Greeks, medieval sources, he studied anatomy, and these traditions get him to compare the microcosm of the body and the macrocosm of the world.These analogies extend to everything that he attempted to trace, to record and to know about the human form.Comparisons between the arteries in the body and the underground rivers of the earth.The flow of blood to the head in relation to the circulation of water to the summits of mountains.How does blood get to your head?If you want to understand that then understand how water flows up to mountains.Blood when it bursts in the veins of your nose and water rushing out of a vein in the earth.Almost everything that occurs in the human body can be found in the natural world.His interest in these analogies becomes very evident in the notebooks and sketchbooks.Scholars argue that these microcosm and macrocosm analogies are more than outright comparisons that belong to a pre scientific age, they lead him to compare the study of the body and Ptolemy's study of the earth.Consequently to use Ptolemy's method in the geography as the starting point for his own systematic study of anatomy.Therefore, anatomy and geography here become one in DA Vinci's mind.The forms of the earth and those of the human body have a parallel. "Thus in 15 entire figures you will have set before you the microcosm on the same plan as was before me adapted by Ptolemy in his cosmology, and so I shall afterwards divide them into limbs as he divided the whole world into processes.Then, I will speak of the function of each part in every direction putting before your eyes a description of the whole form and substance of man as regards his movements from place to place by means of these different parts.Thus if it please our great author I may demonstrate the nature of men and their customs in a way I describe this figure."Therefore, within the human form and within the kind of intricate details of human anatomy he discovered a way of describing and recording, not only the geographical construction of the natural world, but of Divinity itself.And when you look more closely at the system he devised to study the body, the more carefully you look at his drawings of the human form the more clearly you begin to recognize how strikingly stunningly original it is.

Earlier authors had relied exclusively on verbal descriptions of the human body.The human body had been a verbal entity but he emphasis visual description and some of the illustrations he has to bring visual dimensions to the philosophy of Plato, Aristotle the descriptions put forward by these men he presents in visual terms in these kind of body scapes.In the course of 20 years, roughly from 1489 to the end of his life, he dissected about 19 corpses and became very much obsessed with dissection.He drew these parts of bodies in minute detail every part of the human anatomy, he would draw each piece separately, together and at different angles.He laid out bodies in his drawings to mime classical poses in painting.He is referencing the history of art with the poses and the visual representation of the human subject.It is presented to us that deeply challenge these values of human nature, of life and death of living form and the cadaver it really raises some profound questions.The problem is in order to get to those questions, in order to explore some of the deeper philosophical implications of his work you have to get past the gross factor and the moral and ethical questions that his work raises.He is an artist that works very consciously with the sense of the ethical lines that he is crossing; he is not an artist that wants to make you comfortable.He sees that blood gets in the way of his observations, so he advises that you make a model of the body part and then you draw it.Model making and scientific art go hand in hand for him.You have to reconstruct reality before you can represent it.Therefore, before you can draw what is real you have to make it yourself.One of the most striking features of the notebooks is the manner in which he presents his work to us.There are no criticisms of the shortcomings that he has discovered in earlier authors, he does not boast about his own accomplishments, his writing style is pedagogical, and he is writing a teaching manual with descriptions and advice.Therefore, if you want to draw a lung, here is how you should do it.What he is trying to do is to convey to a larger audience this method of presentation and by representing human form, he relies on diagrams, and his reliance apparently causes some serious problems for the printing presses of the day.It also caused real issues for publishers because of the graphic nature of the work.

This was very important for medicine.He shows us we can separate human emotions and passions from the human body in understanding human form, and what it means to be human.There is a purely clinical dimension and this other dimension of feelings and emotions, and they do not have to come together at all, this is radical.

Thus again, this inside outside, you see it everywhere in his work.Why are we fascinated with the painting of the Mona Lisa?Because of the question we always ask, what is going on inside?The study of the Mona Lisa, it seems to me has always been organized around precisely the question that drove DA Vinci in his research.All his sketches in this obsessive and fanatical devotion to drawing every part of the body in relationship to every other part of the body at multiple levels and multiple perspectives and in motion, outside inside.There is the outside, what is going on inside, isn't that why we are obsessed with this?This painting just demands that we try to find out what is going on underneath.The truth is underneath, behind her smile, something she is keeping from us.Yet she is revealing just enough of it to make us have to find out what is going on inside of her.It is that relationship once again between the inside and the outside.

I read this book for a graduate class in the Humanities.Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy, art, and science.
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An insight into Leonardo da Vinci and his world. ... Read more

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Detailed biography of Leonardo da Vinci, translated from the Russian. ... Read more

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Since the Tarot is really a product of the Italian Renaissance, it is only appropriate that a Tarot deck be based on the genius of the quintessential Renaissance man: Leonardo Da Vinci. The art is sophisticated in line, color, composition, and symbolism. Prepare to be intrigued, challenged, and delighted as you explore the depth and beauty of this deck. ... Read more

Book Description
The original "Renaissance Man" was a scientist, a painter, a sculptor, an architect, a military engineer, an inventor, and a musician. Although he died in 1519, he left a rich legacy of learning in scores of notebooks. These included the first detailed drawings of the human anatomy, pioneering notes on the structure and growth of plants, and even detailed diagrams of machinery from which modern-day engineers have constructed prototypes. His 15th century imagination envisaged tanks and helicopters, and he even used mirror (or backward) writing to protect his ideas. The genius of Leonardo da Vinci continues to inspire and to intrigue each new generation of students throughout the world. ... Read more

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is one of the most popular artists ever.Who, for example, has never heard of the "Mona Lisa"?But did you know he was also an inventor and engineer who made drawings of flying machines and helicopters - and this was centuries ago?Rich in ideas, delighted to experiment, and a keen observer, he was truly an all-around genius.In this book you can explore all these aspects and of course meet the real Mona Lisa as well! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

(Adventures in Art) Leonardo Da Vinci: Dreams, Schemes, and Flying Machines
You can call me StoryMaker and I can call this product great! This book tells you about some of Leonardo Da Vinci's ideas, pictures, and life. It tells you all about Leonardo's unfinished work. One of the best parts is, it explains Leonardo's pictures and unbuilt machine ideas. It explains the portrait of the Mona Lisa, including the Mona Lisa's real name. It also explains Leonardo's techniques and interests. However, the only pictures are Leonardo's work and models of some of his unfinished work made many years later. This isn't so bad, but hey, reviews are better when they mention bad parts. I also must say that if you're looking for a book all about Leonardo's life, this isn't the best choice. Overall, a nice book aboutLeonardo Da Vinci that, although it has its poor parts, is a great choice for learning about the renaissance period. Signed, StoryMaker. "Gotta trust the kid's review!"

QUICK STUDY OF LEONARDO
If you are looking for a quick study of Leonardo da Vinci, this book will detail some of the masters outstanding accomplishments achieved throughout the course of his life.Using a inquiry format, a variety of questions areposed and answered in brief about the inventions, paintings and techniquesemployed by da Vinci.This book highlights important works, and providesthe reader of an overview of the incredible lifetime achievements (andquirks) of the artist.I really liked this book, and will use it as aquick reference. ... Read more