Leonardo's legacy : how Da Vinci reimagined the world /
Klein, Stefan,1965-
Cambridge, MA : Da Capo Press,
2010.
This book explores the mind of Leonardo Da Vinci and explains the profound impact his ideas have had on our times, discussing his paintings, fascination with water, and dream of flying. Revered today as, perhaps, the greatest of Renaissance painters, Leonardo da Vinci was a scientist at heart. The artist who created the Mona Lisa also designed functioning robots and digital computers, constructed flying machines and built the first heart valve. His intuitive and ingenious approach, a new mode of thinking, linked highly diverse areas of inquiry in startling new ways and ushered in a new era. In this work, the author, a science journalist, deciphers the forgotten legacy of this universal genius and demonstrates that today we have much to learn from Leonardo's way of thinking. The author sheds light on the mystery behind Leonardo's paintings, takes us through the many facets of his fascination with water, and explains the true significance of his dream of flying. It is a glimpse into the complex and brilliant mind of this inventor, scientist, and pioneer of a new world view, with profound consequences for our times.
Originally published: Frankfurt am Main : S. Fischer Verlag GmbH, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
The mystery of the ten thousand pages -- The gaze. The artist as neuroscientist ; Noses from the construction kit ; Pyramidal law ; In the library of Her Majesty ; "How the scintillation of each star originates in the eye" -- Water. Remains of a lock ; Seeking employment from the tyrant ; Love nest in the mill ; Leonardo becomes a writer ; Water music ; Single file through an alley -- War. The physics of destruction ; Amorra, Ilopanna ; Pact with the devil ; Strangled at dawn ; The beast within man -- The dream of flying. Alone against gravity ; "Board up the large room above-- " ; "Leonardo complicated matters" ; The intrepid Judy Leden ; Flying does not mean flapping wings -- Robots. Handbags and water heaters ; The performance of the mechanical lion ; A life for Leonardo ; The bell ringer ; Leonardo's computer -- Under the skin. In the mortuaries of Santa Maria Nuova ; An x-ray view of sex ; Man is a machine ; Expeditions into the beating heart ; "A philosopher more than a Christian" -- Final questions. Shells on the mountain slope ; "How admirable Thy justice, O though first mover!" ; The soul of the fetus ; Visions of the end of the world -- The legacy.
This book explores the mind of Leonardo Da Vinci and explains the profound impact his ideas have had on our times, discussing his paintings, fascination with water, and dream of flying. Revered today as, perhaps, the greatest of Renaissance painters, Leonardo da Vinci was a scientist at heart. The artist who created the Mona Lisa also designed functioning robots and digital computers, constructed flying machines and built the first heart valve. His intuitive and ingenious approach, a new mode of thinking, linked highly diverse areas of inquiry in startling new ways and ushered in a new era. In this work, the author, a science journalist, deciphers the forgotten legacy of this universal genius and demonstrates that today we have much to learn from Leonardo's way of thinking. The author sheds light on the mystery behind Leonardo's paintings, takes us through the many facets of his fascination with water, and explains the true significance of his dream of flying. It is a glimpse into the complex and brilliant mind of this inventor, scientist, and pioneer of a new world view, with profound consequences for our times.
Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519.
Artists
Inventors
Renaissance