“Infinitely curious, easily distracted, vain and vegetarian, Leonardo is brought to vivid life in this accomplished biography.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
This biography of one of the greatest minds and talents in the history of mankind is a brilliant work, filled with details of how Leonardo thought things out, his never ending quest for knowledge, and how, because he always sought to continue to improve everything he did, failed to finish many of his projects.
His study of the human anatomy would have led to discoveries two to sometimes three hundred years earlier than they actually were, but he never published his findings. His intricate drawings of motion, whether it be a machine, water or the human body were accomplished because of years of study, experiments and dissections which allowed him to be way ahead of his time in how he portrayed the things he drew or painted.
His study of the human anatomy would have led to discoveries two to sometimes three hundred years earlier than they actually were, but he never published his findings. His intricate drawings of motion, whether it be a machine, water or the human body were accomplished because of years of study, experiments and dissections which allowed him to be way ahead of his time in how he portrayed the things he drew or painted.
The book has many photos of the pages of his notebooks and of course images of many of his paintings. The chapters about his painting of The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, and the chapters about his association with Cesare Borgia, Machiavelli and Michelangelo are unbelievably interesting, but some of the chapters are so very detailed about his work that, in my opinion, they tend to slow the book down.
This book will not be for everybody, but the insight provided by the author into what made Leonardo who he was is well worth the read.
Reviewed by:
Richard Franco
Added 12th December 2017
