Young Leonardo: The Evolution of a Revolutionary Artist, 1472-1499

by Jean-Pierre Isbouts, Christopher Heath Brown

Provocative and original, this fresh look at Leonardo da Vinci's formative years in Florence and Milan provides a radically different scenario of how he created his signature style that would transform Western art forever.

The traditional view of Leonardo da Vinci's career is that he enjoyed a promising start in Florence and then moved to Milan to become the celebrated court artist of Duke Ludovico Sforza. Young Leonardo presents a very different view. It reveals how the young Leonardo struggled against the prevailing style of his master Verrocchio, was stymied in his efforts to produce his first masterpiece in Florence, and left for Milan on little more than a wing and a prayer. Once there, he was long ignored by Duke Ludovico, and enjoyed only tepid Sforza support after his great equestrian project came to nothing. Meanwhile, all the major Sforza commissions went to artists whose names are now forgotten.

Isbouts and Brown depict Leonardo's seminal years in Milan from an entirely new perspective: that of the Sforza court. They show that much of the Sforza patronage was directed on vast projects, such as the Milan Cathedral, favoring a close circle of local artists to which Leonardo never gained entry. As a result, his exceptional talent remained largely unrecognized right up to the Last Supper. The authors also explore a mysterious link between the Last Supper and the fresco of the Crucifixion on the opposite wall, a work that up to now has fully escaped public attention. Finally, they present a sensational theory: that two long-ignored, life-sized copies of the Last Supper, now in Belgium and the U.K., were actually commissioned by the French King Louis XII and painted under Leonardo's direct supervision.

Young Leonardo is a fascinating window into the artist's mind as he slowly develops the groundbreaking techniques that will produce the High Renaissance and change the course of European art.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Art, Art History, Renaissance, 15th Century

240 pages, Hardcover

Published May 23, 2017

About the author

Jean-Pierre Isbouts was born in 1954. He is a humanities scholar and graduate professor in the doctoral programs at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. He has published widely on the origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including the bestseller Biblical World: An Illustrated Atlas; Young Jesus: Restoring the "Lost Years" of a Social Activist and Religious Dissident; From Moses to Muhammed; The Shared Origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam; and The Mysteries of Jesus. An award-winning filmmaker, Isbouts has also produced Charlton Heston's Voyage Through the Bible, The Quest for Peace, and Young Jesus.

Reviews

[Jerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Update: June 7, 2017- The author was kind enough to send me a copy of the finished book so that I could view the pictures in the final copy. My original review was of the Advance Reading Copy. Pictures in the final book are much improved. While many are still black and white, there is a section in the middle of color pictures of the important pieces discussed in the text. Additionally, the black and white photos are much clearer and shaper. This greatly improves the reading experience.
I received a copy of this book for free. This book looks at Leonardo's early work in Florence as a student/apprentice and then chronicles his time in Milan until the painting of The Last Supper fresco. My biggest issue with the book the pictures. The small black and white photos make it hard to see details discussed in the text. The last three chapters are the best part of the book. Here he author analyzes how the composition of The Last Supper was revolutionary at the time.

[David Eppenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially let me state that I was given this Advanced Reader's Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. With the formalities taken care of let me also state that this is a work of serious scholarship and not likely to appeal to the casual reader of history. If you have little or no interest in art history or the Italian Renaissance then you will probably find this book very boring. While I do not have a strong attraction for Renaissance art I do greatly admire the architecture of that period. This hardly makes me a good prospect for a learned review of a book like this but I was asked so I will do my best.

The book covers a very narrow period in the life of Leornardo da Vinci, his painting during the proscribed period, and his influence on the evolution of painting. While I found the author's analysis interesting I also have to say that he offered very little that hasn't been stated before. The writing is clear and very detailed but there is one fault I have with the book. Any discussion of a visual art, especially painting, must be accompanied by generous amounts of illustrations so the discussion can be properly followed. Talking or writing about a visual subject is never enough. In this book there were numerous illustrations but sadly they were all in black and white and in some cases very small. The quality of these photos was not very good and it made observing the authors points difficult. Of course my book was an ARC and I can hope that the final published book will have larger photos in color and they will all be much clearer. My appreciation of this book was affected by the quality of the illustrations and that is really my main criticism. The discussion otherwise was a good introductory history of da Vinci's influence on the evolution of art and would be useful to a new student of the subject.

Since writing this review I have been informed by Mr. Brown, one of the authors, that my primary criticism of the book regarding the illustrations has been addressed. As I suspected my difficulty was due to the fact that I was given an ARC to read and not a final finished copy. I have been assured that the final published book will be copiously illustrated with color illustrations. With that assurance I have amended my rating to 4 stars as this is a book of serious scholarship in the field of art history..

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not an art historian or have a specific interest in the renaissance yet this well written book captured my interest and kept it.

[Bonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very readable book. I have read books about da Vinci's life before but this book made it all a little more cohesive and enjoyable to read. I particularly like the comparison of styles and da Vinci's influence on other artistsof his time and beyond.

[Al Adducci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m working on a project, making a copy, an 4 foot by 2 foot, oil painting, on canvas, of The Last Supper Mural. I read four other number of books already, as preparation. To give me background and insight into Leonardo, the project, and the times. This book is full of interesting and helpful back stories. It was very logical and easy to follow. The many pictures in the book, save time from looking up references, as they are made. And added to the experience. I learned more than the other books I’ve read about Leonardo and The Cenacolo.

[Lori Tatar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Young Leonardo: The Evolution of a Revolutionary Artist, 1472-1499
by Jean-Pierre Isbouts and Christopher Heath Brown. It is a history of Leonardo Da Vinci with some speculation that can be added to previous theories about him and his art, ending with the world-famous Last Supper. It was an engaging and interesting read without becoming pedantic.

[William Dury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main lesson I got from this fine book was Leonardo's contribution to the progress of Western-Euro painting. I have a feeling that (or maybe the authors told me, not sure) if you look at Western-Euro painting before and after Leonardo you have two very different art forms. In portrait painting this results in an inner life for his subjects not tapped by previous painters. I think somewhere they may have made a comparison of pre-Leonardo portraits and those found on the heads of coins.

They explicate "Lady With An Ermine" wonderfully. The twisting torsos. The subtle smile. She really does seem to be listening to someone speak. The ermine looks intently at something. What? (The bizarre hand clearly influenced Brian De Palma when he made "Carrie." I don't know how these two (2!) fine authors missed that, frankly.) If art is human experience in media form, then representation of inner life is the goal of art. Leonardo did that, um, pretty good.

They also do a bang up job with "The Last Supper." After analysis of the individuals in the painting, it’s structure and the consequent drama, they theorize that two nearly full size copies were made under Leonardo's direct supervision by Andrea Solaris and Giovanni Pietro Rizzoli ("Giampietrino" for those of you keeping score). The copies were created for for Cardinal Georges d'Amboise and Louie XII respectively. Comparisons of what's left of Leonardo's original and Solario's copy make beautiful and instructive plates.

[Zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads Giveaway - This brief book focuses on the early stages of Leonardo’s life, his early career, culminating in his Last Supper fresco. Putting an emphasis on Leonardo as somewhat of a diva and a bit of a scatterbrain, more interested in innovation than creation. Isbouts makes some bold claims, some of which he doesn’t go to much length to back-up, but provide some interesting food for thought. If you dig biography, the Renaissance, or art criticism you may enjoy this book.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Leonardo is a fascinating examination of the development of Leonardo da Vinci from apprentice to a master of his craft who changed how art was created and perceived. It focuses on the creation of the Last Supper mural and the struggles that led up to its creation and the decisions made that ultimately destroyed most of the original work.
A good read for those with an interest in art history.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An educational read, and enjoyable with the ftesmhess of having seen some of Leonardo's work. Some parts are heavy with historical details, and I wasn't sure which ones to take special note of, but in general it is accessible and interesting.

[Davis Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written and Simply Brillant !!!

[Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will never displace Isaacson or Martin Kemp’s books, but it has some interesting insights into da Vinci’s works.

[Doris Raines · Rating 3 out of 5]

NICE BOOK,

[Zosi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Angel Llacuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the whole, it is an enjoyable read. But for some reason, the book does not discuss the work "Tobias and the angel", the first painting with contributions by Leonardo and the one that allowed master Verrocchio to see how good was his apprentice Leonardo was , and perhaps led to their collaborative effort "The Baptism of Christ".

Some of the illustrations in black and white don't complement well the text because of their low resolution. This is especially the case for "The Crucifixion" by
Giovanni da Montorfano, whose overcrowded nature requires a bigger photo in color to appreciate the details.

[Maureen Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can it not be wonderful learning the history of Leonardo