Leonardo Av Frank Zoellner

<p>Filling notebook after notebook with sketches, inventions, and theories, <strong>Leonardo da Vinci </strong>(1452–1519) not only stands as one of the most <strong>exceptional draftsmen</strong> of art history, but also as a <strong>mastermind and innovator </strong>who anticipated some of the greatest discoveries of human progress, sometimes centuries before their material realization.<br/><br/> From the smallest arteries in the human heart to the far-flung constellations of the universe, Leonardo saw nature and science as being unequivocally connected. His points of inquiry and invention spanned <strong>philosophy, anatomy, geology, and mathematics</strong>, from the laws of optics, gravitation, heat, and light to the building of a flying machine.<br/><br/> In his painting, Leonardo steered art out of the Middle Ages with works such as <em>The Last Supper </em>and the world-famous <em>La Gioconda</em> or<em> Mona Lisa</em> depicting not only physical appearances, but a <strong>compelling psychological intrigue and depth</strong> which continues to draw crowds of mesmerized visitors to masterpieces in Paris, Milan, Washington, London, and Rome.<br/><br/> This book brings together some of Leonardo’s most outstanding work to introduce a figure of infinite curiosity, <strong>feverish imagination, and sublime artistic ability</strong>, often described as having “not enough worlds for to conquer, and not enough lives for to live” (Alan Woods).</p>