Leonardo

by Frank Zöllner

Renaissance Man: The unstoppable curiosity and invention of the da Vinci genius Filling notebook after notebook with sketches, inventions, and theories, Leonardo Da Vinci (1452 1519)not only stands as one of the mostexceptional draftsmenof art history, but also as amastermind and innovatorwho anticipated some of the greatest discoveries of human progress, sometimes centuries before their material realisation.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 enquiry and invention spannedphilosophy, anatomy, geology, and mathematics, from the laws of optics, gravitation, heat and light to the building of a flying machine.In his painting, Leonardo steered art out of the Middle Ages with works such asThe Last Supperand the world-famousLa GiocondaorMona Lisadepicting not only physical appearances, but acompelling psychological intrigue and depth which continues to draw crowds of mesmerized visitors to masterpieces in Paris, Milan, Washington, London, and Rome.This book collates some of Leonardo's most outstanding work to introduce a figure of infinite curiosity, feverish imagination and sublime artistic ability, often described as having not enough worlds for to conquer, and not enough lives for to live (Alan Woods). About the Series: Each book in TASCHEN s Basic Art series features: a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance a concise biography approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions "

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, Biography, History, Reference, Renaissance

96 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Frank Zöllner (born 26 June 1956 in Bremen) is a German art historian and professor.

Zöllner studied history of art from 1977 to 1981. In 1983-1985 he was an 'Aby Warburg Fellow' in the Warburg Institute, in London. After his 1987 graduation took place at the University of Hamburg he worked from 1988 to 1992 as a research assistant at the Bibliotheca Hertziana in Rome.

Zöllner has since 1996 been a professor of medieval and modern art history at the University of Leipzig.

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love art, and this is a wonderful collection of Da Vinci's works. The writer explains in detail about each painting and how he went about doing his work. I thought this was a wonderful find at a thrift store for my collection of art books!

[Leah Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth it! Reading this u feel like living da Vinci's life and feelings.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I need to read a full bio of da Vinci. At this point, I'm surprised by the limited number of paintings he completed. His use of the pointing finger has caught my attention. The obvious finger pointing to the heavens sends a clear message, but it's the more casual 'point' that I want to understand.

A couple quotes from p 86:

For centuries Leonardo's studies were the most precise anatomical drawings anywhere, admired by the few who were fortunate enough to see them, but so far ahead of their time that they were of no immediate use to medical practitioners.

[Leonardo] conducted a number of experiments that seemed rather strange to his contemporaries and which Vasari describes as follows: "Leonardo used to get the intestines of a bullock scraped completely free of their fat, cleaned and made so fine that they could be compressed into the palm of one hand; then he would fix one end of them to a pair of bellows lying in another room, and when they were inflated they filled the room in which they were, and forced anyone standing there into a corner."

[Aabha Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

My monthly art read. Leonardo’s work can give you the good kind of chills. This series gives a very brief introduction to Leonardo da Vinci’s and some interpretations of some oh his works. Don’t expect an engaging or witty writing style, but it manages to be accessible and not pretentious. The artwork is reproduced in stunning quality, the colours are perfect. Some of these works are mesmerising and I definitely am craving more details and commentary about them. So this book definitely did its job and piqued my curiosity.

[Aila Sako · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nje nga librat me magjik qe mund te kesh ne bibloteke 😍 Gjeniu i Rilindjes i permbledhir ne nje liber 😱 Eshte absolutisht nje kenaqesi e pa mase te lexosh mbi veprat me te famshme te tij. Historikun, metodat, perjetimet. Nje liber fantastike 😍 Eshte nje privilegj i madh te kesh nje liber te tille ne bibloteke. ☺️

[Kiran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this book only scratched the surface of the life of Leonardo Da Vinci. It is a real whistle stop tour of the main works by the artist, but it doesn't delve much into Leonardo as a person. I would have liked to read more about Da Vinci as a young artist struggling to secure a patron, or how much his life was changed by allegations of his gay relationships. A wider range of paintings also would have been good - the paintings were reproduced in fantastic quality in this book and I was glad to see famous ones like the Mona Lisa, Last Supper etc but more would have been appreciated.

[Monique Gerke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um bom resumo! Claro e sucinto!!

[David Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

A straight forward, well researched book about the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. Nothing extraordinary about the man himself but a good read if you're interested in reviewing his famous works. Pictures and analysis allow you to understand his thinking with each piece and the circumstances around their creation. Easy to read starter text to begin an investigation of one of the most famous artists of all recorded time.

[Sheelie Kittee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find art history is almost always connected to Christianity, at least regarding European art. This was a really good introduction to da Vinci's most famous works and I really want a pet ermine now!

I would be interested to know other's thoughts on this aphorism that surely da Vinci agreed with: the idea that beauty is virtue. What do you all think? When you see beauty do you almost instantly, impulsively associate the two?

[Mic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonardo Da Vinci ha sido un personaje sumamente importante en torno a sus obras artísticas e invenciones y en este libro cuenta un poco de su historia a groso-modo con ilustraciones sumamente bonitas de las pinturas y bocetos.

fue una lectura agradable, pero siento que faltaron muchas cosas de sus inventos.

[Urja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonardo almost never completed anything in his life. I'm in great company!

A really good book for someone who's new to art history and wants to learn more about Leonardo and how to look at his paintings.

[Gintarė Sereikaitė · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not easy to read the book if you do nit constantly analise art, but it was intersting. The book kept at the same professional level talking mostly about Da Vinci's works and what do they tell us and what do they tell about their creator.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

👍🏼

[Doris Raines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK.

[Tobias · Rating 4 out of 5]

LEONARDO. Part one of Taschen/Edipresse (Polska) series. Short, basic vie of his art and paintings. Good core beginners.

[Andoni Mv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nunca pensé que ver los bocetos de un hombre que procrastinaba mucho me daría tanta paz.

[Ash Harrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good and very enlightening but his life was not known much so its not as interesting to read about

[Oscar · Rating 2 out of 5]

He echado en falta mucho más contenido, especialmente fuera de la pictórica.

[Sarah Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book, both as an introduction and as a true reflection of Leonardo's life. Frank Zollner is an authority on da Vinci and dispells many myths attributed to Leonardo's work. The reproductions of paintings and drawings are of a high quality.

[ColleenaMareena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many lovely photographs of Da Vinci's works, but I think it was written for n audience that knows a bit more art history than I do. Being translated from German makes it slightly choppy--nothing major, but it felt slightly "off." Also, the author spent so much time talking about how terrible Da Vinci was at finishing things, that I'm not really sure if the author actually likes Da Vinci.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't beat the price!
I got the 2 volume set for a cheap price from The Strand. I carry this book with me everywhere!

[Lio Lio · Rating 5 out of 5]

مدخل مهم إلى حياة الـ"ليو" الفنيّة ..
ممتع جداً لدرجة لا تُتخيّل ..
جودة الطباعة تجعلنا نقول "جتنا نيلة في حظنا الهباب " وكده يعني ! xD

[Carlos1AC7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

i think this book is absolutly amazin.it has inspired me a lot in my art and i have learned teachniques and subjects of art.

[Beneficial Fangirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember when this book entered my home... I think something changed then, mostly in me :) Every art lover will love this and whole Taschen's series. Highly recomended.

[Dabiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

[Lucas]

(4,8/10)Esta bien, lo leí después de ver la serie y es muy muy cortito se centra en sus obras más importantes, está bien como aportación cultural pero no es un libro que se centre en su vida.

[Bryanzk · Rating 4 out of 5]

mysteries and genius~~