num_pages: 353
description: If ever the phrase "A man for all seasons" fit one individual, that person would be Leonardo da Vinci. He would be the first to object to being remembered only as a consummate artist. Leonardo's accomplishments were astonishing, and his writings on planetary motion, mechanics, and anatomy were centuries ahead of their time. Leonardo's inventive genius was remarkably parallel to that of Thomas Alva Edison, except that his drawings and manuscripts lay buried in disorganized notebooks until, in the twentieth century, scientists built actual working models of some of his inventions. His life exemplified the power of man to create what has not been seen or even visualized before. Professor Zukov has Leonardo speaking for himself, through quotations from his manuscripts. We see his approach to art from such analyses as, "Every shadowed body, whatever its shape, seems spherical at a great distance"--explaining the artist's depiction of trees as circles or spheres in his geometrical drafts. Leonardo the man, the planner, the engineer, the military man, all come alive. They give this exhaustive study of Leonardo's life, manuscripts, inventions, and formulae, translated from the Russian, permanent historical significance. Originally published by Harvard University Press. B&amp;W drawings.
language: English
title: Leonardo da Vinci
titlecomplete: Leonardo da Vinci
ratings_count: 1
publisher: Harvard University Press