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October's Subject of the Month
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Leonardo da Vinci was active as a painter, engineer, scientist, sculptor, and architect. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and his most famous works include the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, and the Vitruvian Man. Da Vinci was also a prolific inventor and engineer. He is credited with designing a number of machines that were far ahead of their time, including a helicopter, a tank, and a flying machine. His notebooks are filled with sketches and drawings of his ideas, many of which have yet to be built.
Da Vinci's work had a profound impact on the development of art, science, and engineering. He was a true Renaissance man, and his genius continues to inspire people around the world.
eBooks
Leonardo Da Vinci : artist, thinker, and man of science by Not only was Leonardo da Vinci (1453-1519) an astonishing painter, but also a scientist, anatomist, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, inventor, and more. Even today, his works and writings are still studied by experts hoping to decipher the numerous secrets of this visionary artist. The archetypal Renaissance man is here explored by the engaging prose of Eugène Müntz who narrates how Leonardo da Vinci mastered a diverse range of fields, from painting to engineering, making him one of the most brilliant minds in human history and one of the most recognized artists in modern times.
The Young Leonardo by Leonardo da Vinci is often presented as ahead of his time. This book, however, attempts to understand him in the context of Renaissance Florence. Larry J. Feinberg explores Leonardo's origins and the beginning of his career as an artist. While celebrating his many artistic achievements, the book illuminates his debt to other artists' works and his struggles to gain and retain patronage, as well as his career and personal difficulties. Situating the artist within the political, social, cultural, and artistic context of mid- and late-fifteenth-century Florence, the author shows how this environment influenced Leonardo's artistic output and laid the groundwork for the achievements of his mature works.
Leonardo by This fascinating exploration of Leonardo da Vinci's life and work identifies what it was that made him so unique and explains the phenomenon of the world's most celebrated artistic genius. In tracing Leonardo's career in all its variety, we learn of his unfulfilled dreams, relationships with powerful patrons, and the truth about his views on God, humans, and nature. Bringing the story up to the present day, Martin Kemp considers what he means to us today, investigates the 'Leonardo industry', and speculates about what he would be doing if he were alive today.
Leonardo's Paradox : word and image in the making of renaissance culture by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was one of the preeminent figures of the Italian Renaissance. He was also one of the most paradoxical. He spent an incredible amount of time writing notebooks, perhaps even more time than he ever held a brush. At the same time, Leonardo was the Renaissance's most fanatical critic of the word. This book argues that the comparison between word and image fueled Leonardo's thought. The paradoxes at the heart of Leonardo's ideas and practice also defined some of Renaissance culture's central assumptions about culture and nature.
Leonardo da Vinci's Elements of the Science of Man by This book describes how Da Vinci integrates his mechanical observations and experiments in mechanics into his research in anatomical studies. Chapters deal with Leonardo’s scientific methods and mathematics, his observations on the human and animal movements, and the artist’s anatomical approach to the mechanisms of the human body.
Mona Lisa : the people and the painting by Read this book and the world's most famous image will never look the same again. For the world's greatest cultural icon still has secrets to reveal--previously unknown facts about the lives of Leonardo, his father, Lisa Gherardini, the subject of the portrait, and her husband Francesco del Giocondo. From this factual beginning we see how the painting metamorphosed into a "universal picture" that became the prime vehicle for Leonardo's prodigious knowledge of the human and natural worlds Above all, this book shows that the portrait is a product of real people in a real place at a real time. And the actual Mona Lisa, it turns out, is even more astonishing and transcendent than the Mona Lisa of legend.
The Lady Speaks by The famous Mona Lisa smile has mystified viewers and intrigued historians for centuries. Completed in 1515, Leonardo da Vinci's masterwork has hidden the lady's secret well. Now, after years of research and analysis, W. N. Varvel reveals the vital message her smile conveys: a secret too dangerous for the artist to acknowledge during his life but one which he hoped future generations would understand and embrace. Detailing how the artist wove a calculated fabric of clues, symbols, and images, Varvel establishes da Vinci's belief in Theological Gender Equality.
Notebooks by Most of what we know about Leonardo da Vinci, we know because of his notebooks. Some 6,000 sheets of notes and drawings survive, representing ~1/5th of what he actually produced. In them he recorded everything that interested him in the world around him, and his study of how things work. Through his notebooks we can get an insight into Leonardo's thoughts, his approach to work and life and his belief in the sublime unity of nature and man. This selection offers a cross-section of his writings, organized around coherent themes.
Learning from Leonardo by Not only did Leonardo invent the empirical scientific method over a century before Galileo and Francis Bacon, but the author’s study of Leonardo's fabled notebooks reveals that he was a systems thinker centuries before the term was coined. At the very core of Leonardo's science, lies his persistent quest for understanding the nature of life. Because he saw the world as an integrated whole, Leonardo always applied concepts from one area to illuminate problems in another. Capra describes seven defining characteristics of Leonardo da Vinci's genius and includes a list of over forty discoveries he made that weren't rediscovered until centuries later.
Books in Print
Leonardo Da Vinci : the marvellous works of nature and man by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library N 6923 .L33 K45 2006This masterly account of Leonardo da Vinci and his vision of the world has long been recognized as the classic treatment of the Renaissance giant, offering unparalleled insight into Leonardo's intellect and vision at every stage of his artistic career. Kemp, one of the world's leading authorities on Leonardo, takes us on a mesmerizing journey through the whole span of the great man's life, painting a fully integrated picture of his artistic, scientific, and technological achievements. Covering every aspect of Leonardo's achievement, this generously illustrated edition provides unparalleled insight into the mind of this central figure in western art.
Leonardo da Vinci : origins of a genius by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library Oversize ND 623 .L5 B78 1998This study looks at Leonardo's beginnings as an artist from his years in the Florentine workshop of sculptor, Andrea del Verrocchio, to his first paintings. The author scrutinizes Leonardo's works and brings them into relation to each other and to their sources.
Leonardo : discovering the life of Leonardo da Vinci by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library N 6923 .L33 B7313 1991Uses Leonardo's notebooks to discover clues to his universal genius and presents previously overlooked aspects of his personal life.
Leonardo : a portrait of the Renaissance man by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library Oversize ND 623 .L5 W45 1992In his own day, Leonardo was regarded as one of the greatest of all artists. His true genius has only been recognized with the discovery of his notebooks and their range of drawings, scientific, technical and engineering inventions, and writings on philosophy and medicine. This book is an introduction to Leonardo's life and work, giving full attention to the whole range of his notebooks.
Math and the Mona Lisa : the art and science of Leonardo da Vinci by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library N 6923 .L33 A4 2004Leonardo da Vinci was one of history's true geniuses, equally brilliant as an artist, scientist, and mathematician. Readers of "The Da Vinci Code" were given a glimpse of the mysterious connections between math, science, and Leonardo's art. "Math and the Mona Lisa" picks up where "The Da Vinci Code" left off, illuminating Leonardo's life and work to uncover connections that, until now, have been known only to scholars. The author examines the science and mathematics that underlie Leonardo's work, paying special attention to the proportions, patterns, shapes, and symmetries that scientists and mathematicians have also identified in nature. Following Leonardo's own unique model, Atalay searches for the internal dynamics of art and science, revealing to us the deep unity of the two cultures.
Fortune Is a River by Call Number: Purdy-Kresge Library DG 738.13 .M37 1998Telling of the friendship of Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli, this text explores how the pair joined together under the inspiration of da Vinci's dream in an attempt to build a system of canals that would make the Arno River navigable from Florence to the sea.
Videos
The Genius: Leonardo da Vinci Explained in 11 Minutes from Simply Explained. Leonardo da Vinci is widely regarded as one of the smartest persons in human history. His influence breaches time and space, and we can easily see many of his ideas and inventions in use today. Despite being long gone, his legacy still remains, and a lot of people appreciate him and his extraordinary influence that he had over our society. (11:32 mins.)
Da Vinci: A Man Of Science Or Of The Arts? from Perspective. 500 years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci's painting is still just as fascinating. And yet, there are only 16 surviving canvasses attributed to him, some of which are unfinished. Through analysis of infrared reflectography, a technique that reveals the drawing beneath the layer of paint, the film underlines the prowess of da Vinci's work and captures its meaning and emotion. (50:50 mins.)
Leonardo da Vinci: The Renaissance Man from Biographics. (19:40 mins.)
Leonardo da Vinci's Brilliant Mind by Interesting Engineering. Leonardo Da Vinci was an Italian artist and one of the most brilliant minds of all time. He was interested in painting, sculpture, architecture, engineering and much more. He even designed the early concepts of tanks, submarines, auto-firing guns, and three-wheeled automobiles. Watch this video to learn more about Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous paintings, scientific studies, and inventions. (6:54 mins,)
Streaming Video from the Collection
- Decoding da VinciNOVA(PBS)--Leonardo da Vinci was the quintessential Renaissance man, accomplished in engineering, fine art, and biology, among other disciplines. Today, his centuries-old "inventions" seem to predict our modern age: contraptions similar to parachutes, army tanks, hang gliders, and robots fill his notebooks. But the man and the techniques behind masterpieces like "Mona Lisa" remain a mystery. On the 500th anniversary of da Vinci's death, NOVA goes to Italy to explore his life and work. Then, in the basement of the Louvre, scientists and art restoration experts deploy cutting-edge technology to (digitally) peel back the layers of da Vinci's works. Ultimately, they'll reveal the impact of his science on his art and his art on his science.54 mins.
- The true face of Leonardo Da Vinci?TED Talk--Mona Lisa is one of the best-known faces on the planet. But would you recognize an image of Leonardo da Vinci? Illustrator Siegfried Woldhek uses some thoughtful image-analysis techniques to find what he believes is the true face of Leonardo. 4 min. 24 sec.
- Raiders of the lost art : Leonardo and the Mona LisaThe story of the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911 from the Louvre and how Pablo Picasso was accused of the crime. Plus the incredible tales of how many other of da Vinci's works were lost to history and had to be reclaimed. 48 mins.
Websites
- Leonardo da Vinci Paintings, Drawings, Quotes, BiographyA marvelously rich website showcasing Leonardo's paintings and drawings. It also provides biographical information and a selection of quotes for this "Renaissance Man".
- Da Vinci: The GeniusThis website from the Museum of Science in Boston explores Leonardo da Vinci as both a scientist and inventor. It contains plenty of information on these topics along with several suggested learning activities
- Leonardo da Vinci -- History ChannelA nice webpage with biographical information on this artist, scientist, and inventor.
- WSU Art & Art History Research GuideThis guide, prepared by WSU's Fine & Performing Arts Librarian, Serena Vacquilar, is an excellent source to embark on academic research on Leonardo da Vinci or any other topic in the area of art and its history.