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Суждения о науке и искусстве
Среди титанов Возрождения великий итальянец Леонардо да Винчи был, несомненно, самым разносторонним, отличаясь от других гениев Ренессанса поистине космическим масштабом интересов, знаний, поисков и открытий. Он остался в истории культуры в первую очередь как гениальный художник и скульптор, но его не обошла стороной и слава выдающегося ученого, обогатившего многими незаурядными наблюдениями почти все области знаний своей эпохи и намного опередившего время проницательными догадками. Ярчайший представитель нового, экспериментального естествознания, Леонардо оставил в математике, анатомии, механике, гидротехнике, военном искусстве и даже авиастроении не менее заметный след, чем в теории и истории искусства. Находясь в непрерывном диалоге с мирозданием, он рассматривал его как гигантскую лабораторию, а в науке, равно как и в искусстве, видел средство познания и преображения человеком окружающего мира. Свои оригинальные суждения на эти темы Леонардо высказал в многочисленных рукописных заметках, насчитывающих около семи тысяч страниц; часть этого грандиозного наследия включена в данную книгу.
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2009
240 people are currently reading
1583 people want to read
About the author
Leonardo da Vinci
935 books1,509 followersIt was on April 15, 1452, that Leonardo was born in the town of Vinci, Republic of Florence, in what is now in Italy, the illegitimate son of a notary and a barmaid. It is from his birthplace that he is known as Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo seemed to master every subject to which he turned his attention: he was a painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer, wrote poetry and stories: the prototype Renaissance man!
His Last Supper (1495-97) and Mona Lisa (La Gioconda, 1503-06) are among the most popular paintings from the Renaissance. He and his rival Michelangelo did great service to the medical arts by accurate paintings of dissections, which were only occasionally allowed by the Church. Yet, his artistry appeared to be an afterthought, as he frequently left his works unfinished, and only about fifteen of his paintings survive. His notebooks reveal that he was centuries ahead of his time in mechanics and physic, fortifications, bridges, weapons, and river diversions to flood the enemy, which aided Italian city-states in their many wars.
Leonardo was an early evolutionist regarding fossils. Through his careful observations he noted that “if the shells had been carried by the muddy deluge they would have been mixed up, and separated from each other amidst the mud, and not in regular steps and layers — as we see them now in our time.” Leonardo reasoned that what is now dry land, where these aquatic fossils were found, must once have been covered by seawater.
He was for a short time accused of homosexuality: there is no evidence Leonardo had any sexual interest in women. As he wrote in his notebooks, “The act of procreation and anything that has any relation to it is so disgusting that human beings would soon die out if there were no pretty faces and sensuous dispositions.”
And what of his religion? It is significant that at the end of his life he felt he had much spiritual negligence to atone for. His first biographer, Giorgio Vasari, wrote in 1550:
"Finally, …feeling himself near to death, [he] asked to have himself diligently informed of the teaching of the Catholic faith, and of the good way and holy Christian religion; and then, with many moans, he confessed and was penitent; and … was pleased to take devoutly the most holy Sacrament, out of his bed. The King, who was wont often and lovingly to visit him, then came into the room; wherefore he, out of reverence … showed withal how much he had offended God and mankind in not having worked at his art as he should have done."
There was much skepticism in Renaissance Italy at the time, and Leonardo was an intellectual genius, not just an artistic genius. While there was great intellectual freedom during the Italian Renaissance, there were limits as long as the Dominicans, the “Hounds of the Lord,” were active. This semblance of a deathbed conversion, by so critical a thinker and so great a genius as Leonardo, who would have nothing to lose by professing piety all his life, can only mean that during his prime years he was a secret freethinker.
Leonardo died quietly on the 2 of May, 1519, a few weeks following his 67th birthday.
His Last Supper (1495-97) and Mona Lisa (La Gioconda, 1503-06) are among the most popular paintings from the Renaissance. He and his rival Michelangelo did great service to the medical arts by accurate paintings of dissections, which were only occasionally allowed by the Church. Yet, his artistry appeared to be an afterthought, as he frequently left his works unfinished, and only about fifteen of his paintings survive. His notebooks reveal that he was centuries ahead of his time in mechanics and physic, fortifications, bridges, weapons, and river diversions to flood the enemy, which aided Italian city-states in their many wars.
Leonardo was an early evolutionist regarding fossils. Through his careful observations he noted that “if the shells had been carried by the muddy deluge they would have been mixed up, and separated from each other amidst the mud, and not in regular steps and layers — as we see them now in our time.” Leonardo reasoned that what is now dry land, where these aquatic fossils were found, must once have been covered by seawater.
He was for a short time accused of homosexuality: there is no evidence Leonardo had any sexual interest in women. As he wrote in his notebooks, “The act of procreation and anything that has any relation to it is so disgusting that human beings would soon die out if there were no pretty faces and sensuous dispositions.”
And what of his religion? It is significant that at the end of his life he felt he had much spiritual negligence to atone for. His first biographer, Giorgio Vasari, wrote in 1550:
"Finally, …feeling himself near to death, [he] asked to have himself diligently informed of the teaching of the Catholic faith, and of the good way and holy Christian religion; and then, with many moans, he confessed and was penitent; and … was pleased to take devoutly the most holy Sacrament, out of his bed. The King, who was wont often and lovingly to visit him, then came into the room; wherefore he, out of reverence … showed withal how much he had offended God and mankind in not having worked at his art as he should have done."
There was much skepticism in Renaissance Italy at the time, and Leonardo was an intellectual genius, not just an artistic genius. While there was great intellectual freedom during the Italian Renaissance, there were limits as long as the Dominicans, the “Hounds of the Lord,” were active. This semblance of a deathbed conversion, by so critical a thinker and so great a genius as Leonardo, who would have nothing to lose by professing piety all his life, can only mean that during his prime years he was a secret freethinker.
Leonardo died quietly on the 2 of May, 1519, a few weeks following his 67th birthday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
August 9, 2020
Li estas notas aquando da minha leitura da biografia "Leonardo" de Walter Isaacson no ano passado. Na altura nada aqui escrevi porque acalentei a ideia de aprofundar um pouco mais o meu conhecimento sobre Da Vinci. Contudo, como acabei utilizando o seu carácter como modelo para um dos fluxos de personalidade do livro que andava a terminar sobre Engagement, acabei por não sentir necessidade de dizer mais sobre Da Vinci. Aproveito agora este espaço apenas para deixar alguns excertos.
Dizer ainda que este livro é apenas um pequeno conjunto de notas selecionadas a partir dos milhares de notas deixadas. Da Vinci foi um dos espíritos mais criativos e inovadores de sempre, mas por isso mesmo acabaria por nunca ter tempo, nem vontade, para escrever algo mais organizado, estruturado, a sua obra falaria por si.
10 considerações da Pintura:
"luz, sombra, cores, volume, figura, localização, distancia, proximidade, movimento, repouso"
Considerações da Escultura:
"volume, figura, localização, movimento e o repouso. Não tem de se preocupar com a luz e a sombra."
A Literatura face ao Desenho:
"Com algumas palavras, escritor, igualarás na tua descrição a figura completa que o desenho restitui? Sem saberes, só tens uma descrição confusa e dás apenas uma ideia ténue da verdade forma das coisas; estás enganado se julgas que consegue satisfazer plenamente o ouvinte, se se trata de evocar coisas maciças envolvidas por uma superfície"
O empirismo do olhar
"Painting surpasses all human works by the subtle considerations belonging to it. The eye, which is called the window of the soul, is the principal means by which the central sense can most completely and abundantly appreciate the infinite works of nature; and the ear is the second, which acquires dignity by hearing of the things the eye has seen. If you, historians, or poets, or mathematicians had not seen things with your eyes you could not report of them in writing."
Origin of Knowledge
"The sense ministers to the soul, and not the soul sense; and where the sense which ministers ceases to serve the soul, all the functions of that sense are lacking in life, as is evident in those who are born dumb and blind."
Nature
"Nature is full of infinite causes which are beyond the pale of experience."
Law of Necessity
"Necessity is the mistress and guide of nature. Necessity is the theme and inventress of nature, her curb and her eternal law."
Physiological Inferiority of Man
"I have found that in the composition of the human body as compared with the bodies of {46}animals the senses are less subtle and coarser; it is thus composed of less ingenious machinery and of cells less capable of receiving the power of senses."
Prophecies
"Men will communicate with each other from the most distant countries, and reply."
"Men will pursue the thing which they most greatly fear; that is to say, they will be miserable in order to avoid falling into misery."
Dizer ainda que este livro é apenas um pequeno conjunto de notas selecionadas a partir dos milhares de notas deixadas. Da Vinci foi um dos espíritos mais criativos e inovadores de sempre, mas por isso mesmo acabaria por nunca ter tempo, nem vontade, para escrever algo mais organizado, estruturado, a sua obra falaria por si.
10 considerações da Pintura:
"luz, sombra, cores, volume, figura, localização, distancia, proximidade, movimento, repouso"
Considerações da Escultura:
"volume, figura, localização, movimento e o repouso. Não tem de se preocupar com a luz e a sombra."
A Literatura face ao Desenho:
"Com algumas palavras, escritor, igualarás na tua descrição a figura completa que o desenho restitui? Sem saberes, só tens uma descrição confusa e dás apenas uma ideia ténue da verdade forma das coisas; estás enganado se julgas que consegue satisfazer plenamente o ouvinte, se se trata de evocar coisas maciças envolvidas por uma superfície"
O empirismo do olhar
"Painting surpasses all human works by the subtle considerations belonging to it. The eye, which is called the window of the soul, is the principal means by which the central sense can most completely and abundantly appreciate the infinite works of nature; and the ear is the second, which acquires dignity by hearing of the things the eye has seen. If you, historians, or poets, or mathematicians had not seen things with your eyes you could not report of them in writing."
Origin of Knowledge
"The sense ministers to the soul, and not the soul sense; and where the sense which ministers ceases to serve the soul, all the functions of that sense are lacking in life, as is evident in those who are born dumb and blind."
Nature
"Nature is full of infinite causes which are beyond the pale of experience."
Law of Necessity
"Necessity is the mistress and guide of nature. Necessity is the theme and inventress of nature, her curb and her eternal law."
Physiological Inferiority of Man
"I have found that in the composition of the human body as compared with the bodies of {46}animals the senses are less subtle and coarser; it is thus composed of less ingenious machinery and of cells less capable of receiving the power of senses."
Prophecies
"Men will communicate with each other from the most distant countries, and reply."
"Men will pursue the thing which they most greatly fear; that is to say, they will be miserable in order to avoid falling into misery."
October 18, 2019
There are comparisons in here which compare different art forms with Vinci having an obvious soft spot for painting compared to other art forms. These comparisons didn't seem to do much for me.
But other than that when he is talking about paintings in general, or how to describe some of the scenes in particular like battle scenes for example, is brilliant and is giving advice on painting. The last part enquires into sciences - I think you already know he had a very scientific bent of mind objecting to such pseudosciences like palmistry and imaginative when it comes to real sciences, mostly physics, and is equally brilliant. You could see him make some of predictions invention of some of the machines for which he is famous.
Quotes:
“as a well-spent day gives, joy in sleep
so a well-spent life brings, joy in dying”
“I abhor the supreme folly of those who blame the disciples of nature in defiance of those masters who were themselves her pupils”
“sooner will there exist a body without a shadow than virtue unaccompanied by envy.”
“Man discourseth greatly, and his discourse is for the greater part empty and false; the discourse of animals is small, but useful and true: slender certainty is better than portentous falsehood.”
“Just as food eaten without appetite is a tedious nourishment, so does study without zeal damage the memory by not assimilating what it absorbs.”
“There will come a time when men look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.”
“Mathematics, such as appertain to painting, are necessary to the painter, also the absence of companions who are alien to his studies: his brain must be versatile and susceptible to the variety of objects which it encounters, and free from distracting cares.”
But other than that when he is talking about paintings in general, or how to describe some of the scenes in particular like battle scenes for example, is brilliant and is giving advice on painting. The last part enquires into sciences - I think you already know he had a very scientific bent of mind objecting to such pseudosciences like palmistry and imaginative when it comes to real sciences, mostly physics, and is equally brilliant. You could see him make some of predictions invention of some of the machines for which he is famous.
Quotes:
“as a well-spent day gives, joy in sleep
so a well-spent life brings, joy in dying”
“I abhor the supreme folly of those who blame the disciples of nature in defiance of those masters who were themselves her pupils”
“sooner will there exist a body without a shadow than virtue unaccompanied by envy.”
“Man discourseth greatly, and his discourse is for the greater part empty and false; the discourse of animals is small, but useful and true: slender certainty is better than portentous falsehood.”
“Just as food eaten without appetite is a tedious nourishment, so does study without zeal damage the memory by not assimilating what it absorbs.”
“There will come a time when men look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.”
“Mathematics, such as appertain to painting, are necessary to the painter, also the absence of companions who are alien to his studies: his brain must be versatile and susceptible to the variety of objects which it encounters, and free from distracting cares.”
March 18, 2012
I enjoyed these notes written by DaVinci himself. What an amazing mind. Everything from a discussion of the five senses and consciousness -- termed "common sense," by Da Vinci -- to a vivid description of how to paint a battle scene, to a discussion of science and flight. DaVinci claims that words are not as powerful or as long lived as a painting, but I sense his personality from reading his words, and he is able to describe as vividly as he paints. Truly one of the great human minds.
August 2, 2024
Fascinating read. Wasn’t aware that DaVinci had already surmised Newton’s Third Law, and had perhaps hundreds of inventions he refused to reveal for fear of them getting into the wrong hands.
Quotes
—————
“Men of worth naturally desire knowledge.”
“I do not consider that men of coarse and boorish habits and of slender parts deserve so fine an instrument nor such a complicated mechanism as men of contemplation and high culture. They merely need a sack in which their food may be held... they are lower than the beasts.”
“The fame of the rich man dies with him... Far greater is the glory of the virtue of mortals than that of their riches. How many emperors and how many princes have lived and died and no record of them remains and they only sought to gain dominions and riches in order that their fame might be ever-lasting...”
“Just as food eaten without appetite is a tedious nourishment, so does study without zeal damage the memory by not assimilating what it absorbs.”
“... So excellent a thing is truth that if it praises the humblest things they are exalted.”
“... Truth is the supreme nourishment of the higher intellects, though not of disorderly minds.”
“He who in reasoning cites authority is making use of his memory rather than of his intellect.”
“How by the aid of a machine many may remain for some time under water. And how and why I do not describe my method of remaining under water and of living long without food; and I do not publish nor divulge these things by reason of the evil nature of man, who would use them for assassinations at the bottom of the sea and to destroy and sink ships, together with the men on board of them; and notwithstanding I will teach other things which are not dangerous...”
“Man and animals are in reality vehicles and conduits of food, tombs of animals, hostels of Death, coverings that consume, deriving life by the death of others.”
“The water you touch in a river is the last of that which has gone, and the first of that which is coming: so it is with time present.”
“Thou, O God, dost sell us all good things at the price of labour.”
“Patience serves against insults as clothes do against the cold; since if you multiply your clothes as the cold increases, the cold cannot hurt you. Similarly, let thy patience increase under great offences, and they will not be able to hurt your feelings.”
“It is better to imitate ancient than modern work.”
“He who wishes to grow rich in a day will be hanged in a year.”
“Reprove your friend in secret and praise him in public.”
“He who fears dangers will not perish by them.”
“Be not false about the past.”
“Threats are the only weapons of the threatened man.”
“Ask advice of him who governs himself well.”
“He who thinks little errs much.”
“No counsel is more sincere than that given on ships which are in danger.”
“Let him who acts on the advice of the young expect loss.”
“He who walks straight rarely falls.”
“To speak well of a bad man is the same as speaking ill of a good man.”
“Truth ordains that lying tongues shall be punished by the lie.”
“He who does not value life does not deserve it.”
“The shuttle says: I will continue to move until the cloth is woven.”
“Everything that is crooked is straightened.”
“Fine gold is recognized when it is tested.”
“I do not yield to obstacles.”
“I have found that in the composition of the human body as compared with the bodies of animals the senses are less subtle and coarser; it is thus composed of less ingenious machinery and of cells less capable of receiving the power of senses.”
“He is a poor disciple who does not surpass his master.”
“Let no man who is not a mathematician read the principles of my work.”
“And it is truly the case that where reason is lacking it is supplemented by noise, which never happens in matters of certainty.”
“A weight seeks to fall to the centre of the earth by the most direct way.”
“Take pains to preserve thy health; and thou wilt all the more easily do this if thou avoidest physicians...”
“I wish to work miracles.”
.
.
Quotes
—————
“Men of worth naturally desire knowledge.”
“I do not consider that men of coarse and boorish habits and of slender parts deserve so fine an instrument nor such a complicated mechanism as men of contemplation and high culture. They merely need a sack in which their food may be held... they are lower than the beasts.”
“The fame of the rich man dies with him... Far greater is the glory of the virtue of mortals than that of their riches. How many emperors and how many princes have lived and died and no record of them remains and they only sought to gain dominions and riches in order that their fame might be ever-lasting...”
“Just as food eaten without appetite is a tedious nourishment, so does study without zeal damage the memory by not assimilating what it absorbs.”
“... So excellent a thing is truth that if it praises the humblest things they are exalted.”
“... Truth is the supreme nourishment of the higher intellects, though not of disorderly minds.”
“He who in reasoning cites authority is making use of his memory rather than of his intellect.”
“How by the aid of a machine many may remain for some time under water. And how and why I do not describe my method of remaining under water and of living long without food; and I do not publish nor divulge these things by reason of the evil nature of man, who would use them for assassinations at the bottom of the sea and to destroy and sink ships, together with the men on board of them; and notwithstanding I will teach other things which are not dangerous...”
“Man and animals are in reality vehicles and conduits of food, tombs of animals, hostels of Death, coverings that consume, deriving life by the death of others.”
“The water you touch in a river is the last of that which has gone, and the first of that which is coming: so it is with time present.”
“Thou, O God, dost sell us all good things at the price of labour.”
“Patience serves against insults as clothes do against the cold; since if you multiply your clothes as the cold increases, the cold cannot hurt you. Similarly, let thy patience increase under great offences, and they will not be able to hurt your feelings.”
“It is better to imitate ancient than modern work.”
“He who wishes to grow rich in a day will be hanged in a year.”
“Reprove your friend in secret and praise him in public.”
“He who fears dangers will not perish by them.”
“Be not false about the past.”
“Threats are the only weapons of the threatened man.”
“Ask advice of him who governs himself well.”
“He who thinks little errs much.”
“No counsel is more sincere than that given on ships which are in danger.”
“Let him who acts on the advice of the young expect loss.”
“He who walks straight rarely falls.”
“To speak well of a bad man is the same as speaking ill of a good man.”
“Truth ordains that lying tongues shall be punished by the lie.”
“He who does not value life does not deserve it.”
“The shuttle says: I will continue to move until the cloth is woven.”
“Everything that is crooked is straightened.”
“Fine gold is recognized when it is tested.”
“I do not yield to obstacles.”
“I have found that in the composition of the human body as compared with the bodies of animals the senses are less subtle and coarser; it is thus composed of less ingenious machinery and of cells less capable of receiving the power of senses.”
“He is a poor disciple who does not surpass his master.”
“Let no man who is not a mathematician read the principles of my work.”
“And it is truly the case that where reason is lacking it is supplemented by noise, which never happens in matters of certainty.”
“A weight seeks to fall to the centre of the earth by the most direct way.”
“Take pains to preserve thy health; and thou wilt all the more easily do this if thou avoidest physicians...”
“I wish to work miracles.”
.
.
April 14, 2022
If you had no preconception of Leonardo as a great genius and Renaissance man par excellence, you would not get that impression from this book.
At one point early on, I think he says "in the future, men will communicate with one another at great distances," which is pretty impressive, but for the most part, Leonardo's musings are no more brilliant (or right) than Leopold Bloom's.
At one point early on, I think he says "in the future, men will communicate with one another at great distances," which is pretty impressive, but for the most part, Leonardo's musings are no more brilliant (or right) than Leopold Bloom's.
July 27, 2011
Interesting and a good read, but Leonardo is a little too focused on explaining why painting is better than poetry, or sculpture, or other art forms.
January 28, 2024
“Bountiful nature has provided that, in all parts of the world, you will find something to imitate”
Philosophical little sonnets, fleeting thoughts... sort of like Nietzsche’s Gay Science. I think philosophy books are best when written in this musing kind of way. A way that makes you wonder if it was meant to be read, or meant to be heard amidst a dinner party.
Must read if interested in theories of art, nature, living, anatomy, mathematics, poetry, science… Interesting piece in time. He thought the Earth was a star. Many beautiful lines.
Philosophical little sonnets, fleeting thoughts... sort of like Nietzsche’s Gay Science. I think philosophy books are best when written in this musing kind of way. A way that makes you wonder if it was meant to be read, or meant to be heard amidst a dinner party.
Must read if interested in theories of art, nature, living, anatomy, mathematics, poetry, science… Interesting piece in time. He thought the Earth was a star. Many beautiful lines.
December 9, 2015
I'll level with you. I read this book because of Da Vinci's Demons. Don't think this a stab at culture or pretense or anything.
That said, the book was surprisingly engaging, considering its age, and the fact that, between the ciphers and the terse, rambling tone, it was obviously never intended for public viewing. It's divided into three parts: Views on Life, Views on Art, and Views on Science.
His views on life were easily my favorite. It was packed with pithy aphorisms of the kind that even big Ben Franklin would've nodded along in indulgent approval. They were generally optimistic, but with that shade of macabre cynicism that you only get from staying up late and cutting open corpses. Many of them pertained, in some way, to intelligence.
On death:
"A day well spent makes sleep seem pleasant, so a life well employed makes death pleasant. A life well spent is long."
On espionage:
"It is impossible either to hate or to love a thing without first acquiring knowledge of it."
On YOLO:
In the days of thy youth seek to obtain that which shall compensate the losses of thy old age. And if thou understandest that old age is fed with wisdom, so conduct thyself in the days of thy youth that sustenance may not be lacking in thy old age.
On not being a dumbass:
"Just as iron which is not used grows rusty, and water putrefies and freezes in the cold, so the mind of which no use is made is spoilt."
(The spiritual ancestor of Tyrion Lannister's "a mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone")
On changeability:
"The water you touch in a river is the last of that which ahs gone, and the first of that which is coming: so it is with time present."
Somebody read their Heraclitus.
On damage control:
"Threats are the only weapons of the threatened man."
"Not to punish evil is equivalent to authorizing it."
(A similar vein to Edmund Burke's "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing")
His next section, Views on Art, had a bunch of good advice for aspiring painters and exactly two quotes that I found worth highlighting.
On pride:
"The worst evil which can befall the artist is that his work should appear good in his own eyes."
This one especially spoke to me. If you think you're doing well, you're not gonna try as hard, and you just plateaued. Talkin' 'bout that hubris, son.
On introversion:
"If thou art alone, thou wilt belong to thyself only: if thou hast but one companion, thou wilt only half belong to thyself, and ever less in proportion to the indiscretion of his conduct; and if thou hast many companions, though wilt encounter the same disadvantage."
The rest of this section can be summarized as follows:
"A lot of poets say that poetry rules. This is acceptable, if you're a poet, as how else could you sleep? Consider this, however: poetry sucks, and is for nerds, whereas it is in fact PAINTING which rules, and is for cool guys, whom everyone like."
The third part, Views on Science, is intriguing enough but loses a lot of impact, considering most of what he was grasping at back then is now taught in primary school. Even in America.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is even though I only read this because of a serialized throwaway Renaissance drama (now cancelled!), I was real into it, and will probably be reading more about Da Vinci in an effort to convince myself he actually hooked up with that many prostitutes and got in that many swordfights.
That said, the book was surprisingly engaging, considering its age, and the fact that, between the ciphers and the terse, rambling tone, it was obviously never intended for public viewing. It's divided into three parts: Views on Life, Views on Art, and Views on Science.
His views on life were easily my favorite. It was packed with pithy aphorisms of the kind that even big Ben Franklin would've nodded along in indulgent approval. They were generally optimistic, but with that shade of macabre cynicism that you only get from staying up late and cutting open corpses. Many of them pertained, in some way, to intelligence.
On death:
"A day well spent makes sleep seem pleasant, so a life well employed makes death pleasant. A life well spent is long."
On espionage:
"It is impossible either to hate or to love a thing without first acquiring knowledge of it."
On YOLO:
In the days of thy youth seek to obtain that which shall compensate the losses of thy old age. And if thou understandest that old age is fed with wisdom, so conduct thyself in the days of thy youth that sustenance may not be lacking in thy old age.
On not being a dumbass:
"Just as iron which is not used grows rusty, and water putrefies and freezes in the cold, so the mind of which no use is made is spoilt."
(The spiritual ancestor of Tyrion Lannister's "a mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone")
On changeability:
"The water you touch in a river is the last of that which ahs gone, and the first of that which is coming: so it is with time present."
Somebody read their Heraclitus.
On damage control:
"Threats are the only weapons of the threatened man."
"Not to punish evil is equivalent to authorizing it."
(A similar vein to Edmund Burke's "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing")
His next section, Views on Art, had a bunch of good advice for aspiring painters and exactly two quotes that I found worth highlighting.
On pride:
"The worst evil which can befall the artist is that his work should appear good in his own eyes."
This one especially spoke to me. If you think you're doing well, you're not gonna try as hard, and you just plateaued. Talkin' 'bout that hubris, son.
On introversion:
"If thou art alone, thou wilt belong to thyself only: if thou hast but one companion, thou wilt only half belong to thyself, and ever less in proportion to the indiscretion of his conduct; and if thou hast many companions, though wilt encounter the same disadvantage."
The rest of this section can be summarized as follows:
"A lot of poets say that poetry rules. This is acceptable, if you're a poet, as how else could you sleep? Consider this, however: poetry sucks, and is for nerds, whereas it is in fact PAINTING which rules, and is for cool guys, whom everyone like."
The third part, Views on Science, is intriguing enough but loses a lot of impact, considering most of what he was grasping at back then is now taught in primary school. Even in America.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is even though I only read this because of a serialized throwaway Renaissance drama (now cancelled!), I was real into it, and will probably be reading more about Da Vinci in an effort to convince myself he actually hooked up with that many prostitutes and got in that many swordfights.
February 20, 2015
Just about everyone knows Leonardo da Vinci for his paintings, but not so many know him for his inventions, his work with the military and his experiments. This book shares his thoughts on a lot of different subjects, and I think is a great insight into this influential man. We do get to see him observing the world around him and how he perceives things like the moon and stars, the five senses, the animal kingdom, etc.
While I read this book on Kindle, I regret not having a physical copy so I could highlight certain passages or mark them. There are some really insightful observations that were far beyond Leonardo's time. It's pretty obvious that these were just his thoughts that he wrote down, that he didn't really intend on publishing them. But I'm glad they're available so we can see his passion.
So I would definitely suggest reading this. Whether you respect Leonardo for his contributions to art or to science, you will find something worthwhile in this compilation.
While I read this book on Kindle, I regret not having a physical copy so I could highlight certain passages or mark them. There are some really insightful observations that were far beyond Leonardo's time. It's pretty obvious that these were just his thoughts that he wrote down, that he didn't really intend on publishing them. But I'm glad they're available so we can see his passion.
So I would definitely suggest reading this. Whether you respect Leonardo for his contributions to art or to science, you will find something worthwhile in this compilation.
March 18, 2017
Is more about painters and not for the art of life but in any case a window to the mind of a genius. He wrote 150 books? Was living with a man? Some details that you learn by reading this.
You can find a free audio book or the text from here
https://librivox.org/thoughts-on-art-...
You can find a free audio book or the text from here
https://librivox.org/thoughts-on-art-...
February 10, 2013
...most of the book is about the supremacy of painting as compared to other forms of art... it is clearly visible that Leonardo da Vinci did not plan to publish it, many ideas are repeated in several instances, with almost same wording. still the book contains some interesting insights...
April 5, 2020
2013.12.26–2014.04.14
Contents
da Vinci L (1906) Thoughts on Art and Life
Introduction
Part I: Thoughts on Life
• Of the Works of Leonardo
• His Thirst after Knowledge
• Leonardo's Studies
• Vain Knowledge
• Value of Knowledge
• On his Contemners
• On the Vulgar
• Knowledge the supreme Good
• Life and Wisdom
• Praise of Knowledge
• The World
• The Beauty of Life
• Fruitless Study
• In Praise of Truth
• Versus Humanists
• Authority
• On Commentators
• Experience
• Experience never Errs
• Origin of Knowledge
• Testimony of the Senses
• Judgement prone to Error
• Intelligence of Animals
• Infinity incomprehensible
• Insoluble Questions
• Beauty of Nature's Inventions
• Completeness in Knowledge
• Nature
• Law of Necessity
• Of Lightning in the Clouds
• The Human Eye
• Universal Law
• Nature Variable and Infinite
• Light
• Nature
• Life's Philosophy
• The Senses and the Soul
• Of Sensation
• Automatic Movements
• Intellect
• Of the Senses
• Time
• On the Human Body
• The Experimental Method
• Of Navigation below the Waters
• Of Physiognomy
• Of Pain
• Why Plants do not feel Pain
• Fear
• Body and Soul
• Memory
• Spirit
• Sense and Reason
• Flight of Time
• Illusions
• Virtuous Life
• Sleep and Death
• Life
• Time the Destroyer
• On Fault-finders
• Prayer
• Patience
• Advice to a Speaker
• Advice
• Proverbs
• Truth
• Ingratitude
• Physiological Inferiority of Man
• Man's Ethical Inferiority
• Man in the Animal World
• Fragment of a Letter
• Giacomo of Pupil of Leonardo
• Pleasure and Pain
• Brain and Soul
• Of the Eye
• The Eye in Animal Life
• Ascension of Monte Rosa
• Prophecies
Part II: Thoughts on Art
• Painting declines when aloof from Nature
• Its Origin
• Defence of Painting
• Painting
• Painting excels all the Works of Man
• Painting creates Reality
• The Painter goes to Nature
• Superiority of Painting to Philosophy
• Painting & Poetry
• Painting is Mute Poetry
• The Impression of Painting
• Poet and Painter
• King Matthias & the Poet
• Value of the Visible Universe
• Poet and Painter
• Music the Sister of Painting
• Painting & Music
• Painter and Musician
• Poet Painter and Musician
• Painting a second Creation
• The Painter Lord of All
• Painting and Nature
• Painting & Sculpture
• To the Painter
• Counsels
• The Painter in his Studio
• Advice to the Painter
• Precepts
• Theory and Practice
• Course of Study
• Perspective & Mathematics
• Of the Method of Learning
• Again of the Method of Learning
• Counsel to the Painter
• On Anatomy
• On Study
• On judging Pictures
• Advice to the Painter
• The Painter and the Mirror
• The Painter's Mind
• The Variety of Nature
• Mind and Expression
• The Dumb Man guides the Painter
• Advice to the Painter
• Power of Expression in Painting
• Landscapes
• Vegetation of a Hill
• How to represent Night
• How to represent Storm
• How to describe a Battle
• Envy
• Fame
• The Expressive Picture
• The Ages of Man
• Notes on the Last Supper
Part III: Thoughts on Science
• Necessity of Experience in Science
• Theory and Practice
• Certainty of Mathematics
• Of Science
• From Leonardo's Dictionary
• Definition of Science
• True Science based on the Testimony of the Senses
• Mechanics
• Mechanics and Experience
• Reason and Experience
• Effects correspond to the Force of their Cause
• Of Force
• Origin of Force
• Aspects of Force
• Of Inertia
• Can Man imitate a Bird's Flight?
• Of Inertia
• Transmission of Motion
• Matter is Inert
• Conception of Energy
• In Praise of the Sun
• The Sun's Heat
• Rays of the Sun
• Light of the Stars
• On the Nature of the Moon
• On the Harmony of the Spheres
• The Earth appears a Star
• The Earth a Star
• To prove the Earth a Star
• Earth not the Center of Universe
• Experience the Basis of Science
• Water is the Blood of the World
• Water on Mountains
• On the Water of Rivers
• Transformations in Past and Future
• On the Earth's Vibration
• Nature's Law
• Cause discovered by Effect
• Repetition of Experiment
• Example of preceding Rule
• Necessity of Analysis
• Vision
• Unconscious Reasoning
• The Eye
• Water surrounding the Globe Spherical
• On the Law of Gravity
• Phenomena governed by Mechanical Laws
• Heat the Vital Principle
• Against those desiring to correct Nature
• Of Trees
• The Leaves of Plants
• From Known to Unknown
• On the Flight of Birds
• On the Structure of Wings
• On a Fossil Fish
• We live by Others' Death
• Against Doctors
• Against the Seekers of Perpetual Motion
• Against Occult Sciences
• Of Astrology
• Against Alchemists
• Against Necromancy
• Deceptiveness of the Senses
• On the Conception of Nothingness
• On Spirits
• Has the Spirit a Body?
• Can the Spirit speak?
Bibliographical Note and Table of References
Contents
da Vinci L (1906) Thoughts on Art and Life
Introduction
Part I: Thoughts on Life
• Of the Works of Leonardo
• His Thirst after Knowledge
• Leonardo's Studies
• Vain Knowledge
• Value of Knowledge
• On his Contemners
• On the Vulgar
• Knowledge the supreme Good
• Life and Wisdom
• Praise of Knowledge
• The World
• The Beauty of Life
• Fruitless Study
• In Praise of Truth
• Versus Humanists
• Authority
• On Commentators
• Experience
• Experience never Errs
• Origin of Knowledge
• Testimony of the Senses
• Judgement prone to Error
• Intelligence of Animals
• Infinity incomprehensible
• Insoluble Questions
• Beauty of Nature's Inventions
• Completeness in Knowledge
• Nature
• Law of Necessity
• Of Lightning in the Clouds
• The Human Eye
• Universal Law
• Nature Variable and Infinite
• Light
• Nature
• Life's Philosophy
• The Senses and the Soul
• Of Sensation
• Automatic Movements
• Intellect
• Of the Senses
• Time
• On the Human Body
• The Experimental Method
• Of Navigation below the Waters
• Of Physiognomy
• Of Pain
• Why Plants do not feel Pain
• Fear
• Body and Soul
• Memory
• Spirit
• Sense and Reason
• Flight of Time
• Illusions
• Virtuous Life
• Sleep and Death
• Life
• Time the Destroyer
• On Fault-finders
• Prayer
• Patience
• Advice to a Speaker
• Advice
• Proverbs
• Truth
• Ingratitude
• Physiological Inferiority of Man
• Man's Ethical Inferiority
• Man in the Animal World
• Fragment of a Letter
• Giacomo of Pupil of Leonardo
• Pleasure and Pain
• Brain and Soul
• Of the Eye
• The Eye in Animal Life
• Ascension of Monte Rosa
• Prophecies
Part II: Thoughts on Art
• Painting declines when aloof from Nature
• Its Origin
• Defence of Painting
• Painting
• Painting excels all the Works of Man
• Painting creates Reality
• The Painter goes to Nature
• Superiority of Painting to Philosophy
• Painting & Poetry
• Painting is Mute Poetry
• The Impression of Painting
• Poet and Painter
• King Matthias & the Poet
• Value of the Visible Universe
• Poet and Painter
• Music the Sister of Painting
• Painting & Music
• Painter and Musician
• Poet Painter and Musician
• Painting a second Creation
• The Painter Lord of All
• Painting and Nature
• Painting & Sculpture
• To the Painter
• Counsels
• The Painter in his Studio
• Advice to the Painter
• Precepts
• Theory and Practice
• Course of Study
• Perspective & Mathematics
• Of the Method of Learning
• Again of the Method of Learning
• Counsel to the Painter
• On Anatomy
• On Study
• On judging Pictures
• Advice to the Painter
• The Painter and the Mirror
• The Painter's Mind
• The Variety of Nature
• Mind and Expression
• The Dumb Man guides the Painter
• Advice to the Painter
• Power of Expression in Painting
• Landscapes
• Vegetation of a Hill
• How to represent Night
• How to represent Storm
• How to describe a Battle
• Envy
• Fame
• The Expressive Picture
• The Ages of Man
• Notes on the Last Supper
Part III: Thoughts on Science
• Necessity of Experience in Science
• Theory and Practice
• Certainty of Mathematics
• Of Science
• From Leonardo's Dictionary
• Definition of Science
• True Science based on the Testimony of the Senses
• Mechanics
• Mechanics and Experience
• Reason and Experience
• Effects correspond to the Force of their Cause
• Of Force
• Origin of Force
• Aspects of Force
• Of Inertia
• Can Man imitate a Bird's Flight?
• Of Inertia
• Transmission of Motion
• Matter is Inert
• Conception of Energy
• In Praise of the Sun
• The Sun's Heat
• Rays of the Sun
• Light of the Stars
• On the Nature of the Moon
• On the Harmony of the Spheres
• The Earth appears a Star
• The Earth a Star
• To prove the Earth a Star
• Earth not the Center of Universe
• Experience the Basis of Science
• Water is the Blood of the World
• Water on Mountains
• On the Water of Rivers
• Transformations in Past and Future
• On the Earth's Vibration
• Nature's Law
• Cause discovered by Effect
• Repetition of Experiment
• Example of preceding Rule
• Necessity of Analysis
• Vision
• Unconscious Reasoning
• The Eye
• Water surrounding the Globe Spherical
• On the Law of Gravity
• Phenomena governed by Mechanical Laws
• Heat the Vital Principle
• Against those desiring to correct Nature
• Of Trees
• The Leaves of Plants
• From Known to Unknown
• On the Flight of Birds
• On the Structure of Wings
• On a Fossil Fish
• We live by Others' Death
• Against Doctors
• Against the Seekers of Perpetual Motion
• Against Occult Sciences
• Of Astrology
• Against Alchemists
• Against Necromancy
• Deceptiveness of the Senses
• On the Conception of Nothingness
• On Spirits
• Has the Spirit a Body?
• Can the Spirit speak?
Bibliographical Note and Table of References
July 19, 2015
I had started this book back in 2012 & just read a few pages of it at a time for several weeks or months. But I picked up reading on 7-18-15 where I left off back in 2012, & was able to finish the next day (for my weekend reading material at work).
This book was translated & compiled very well. It doesn't follow much of a distinguishable storyline, just random thoughts & observations DaVinci wrote in notebooks. Some would've been more interesting to see the pictures & diagrams he drew along with the thoughts. He was spot on with some of his thoughts that I've never heard said better. There were others where he uses a very lengthy & longwinded (but definitely thorough) description for saying something I've heard in much fewer words (making those fewer words sound cliche by comparison).
Some of my favorites:
(I, #63) "Man and animals are in reality vehicles and conduits of food, tombs of animals, hostels of Death, coverings that consume, deriving life by the death of others." (Which I heard quoted in a book on vegetarian diets, as perhaps one reason why DaVinci was also a vegetarian.)
(I, #108) "Patience serves against insults as clothes do against the cold; since if you multiply your clothes as the cold increases, the cold cannot hurt you. Similarly, let your patience increase under great offenses, and they will not be able to hurt your feelings." (I read this one aloud to my parents while in the car with them. My dad, not being known for his patience, said in a joking manner, "I don't get it." Which made the rest of us laugh.)
(II, in #76) "...And this is the reason that there is no woman, however ugly, who does not find a lover, unless she be monstrous." (Obviously, he hadn't met the kind of women around today! I see this defied all the time. Therefore, I must be "monstrous", since DaVinci said so.) ;)
(III, in #17-21) "What is force?..." (Was DaVinci a Jedi? Lol! He's definitely got the wit & wisdom of Yoda.)
(III, #93) "Unconscious life remains in what is dead, which when reunited to the stomach of living men, reacquires sentient and conscious life." (Another one of his reasons for being a vegetarian?)
(III, #94-96) "Men are chosen to be physicians in order to minister to diseases of which they are ignorant. Every man wishes to amass money in order to give it to the physicians who are the destroyers of life; they ought therefore to be rich. Take pains to preserve your health; and you will all the more easily do this if you avoid physicians, because their drugs are a kind of alchemy, and there are as many books on this subject as there are on medicine." (Why, DaVinci, how "Christian Sciencey" of you. Lol! This I take with a grain of salt for 2 reasons, 1. Healthcare is different today in other parts of the world than it was in 15th-16th century Italy, & 2. DaVinci only lived to be 67 years old.)
He had many other spot-on thoughts & observations, for many of which I do not have any clever comments.
This book was translated & compiled very well. It doesn't follow much of a distinguishable storyline, just random thoughts & observations DaVinci wrote in notebooks. Some would've been more interesting to see the pictures & diagrams he drew along with the thoughts. He was spot on with some of his thoughts that I've never heard said better. There were others where he uses a very lengthy & longwinded (but definitely thorough) description for saying something I've heard in much fewer words (making those fewer words sound cliche by comparison).
Some of my favorites:
(I, #63) "Man and animals are in reality vehicles and conduits of food, tombs of animals, hostels of Death, coverings that consume, deriving life by the death of others." (Which I heard quoted in a book on vegetarian diets, as perhaps one reason why DaVinci was also a vegetarian.)
(I, #108) "Patience serves against insults as clothes do against the cold; since if you multiply your clothes as the cold increases, the cold cannot hurt you. Similarly, let your patience increase under great offenses, and they will not be able to hurt your feelings." (I read this one aloud to my parents while in the car with them. My dad, not being known for his patience, said in a joking manner, "I don't get it." Which made the rest of us laugh.)
(II, in #76) "...And this is the reason that there is no woman, however ugly, who does not find a lover, unless she be monstrous." (Obviously, he hadn't met the kind of women around today! I see this defied all the time. Therefore, I must be "monstrous", since DaVinci said so.) ;)
(III, in #17-21) "What is force?..." (Was DaVinci a Jedi? Lol! He's definitely got the wit & wisdom of Yoda.)
(III, #93) "Unconscious life remains in what is dead, which when reunited to the stomach of living men, reacquires sentient and conscious life." (Another one of his reasons for being a vegetarian?)
(III, #94-96) "Men are chosen to be physicians in order to minister to diseases of which they are ignorant. Every man wishes to amass money in order to give it to the physicians who are the destroyers of life; they ought therefore to be rich. Take pains to preserve your health; and you will all the more easily do this if you avoid physicians, because their drugs are a kind of alchemy, and there are as many books on this subject as there are on medicine." (Why, DaVinci, how "Christian Sciencey" of you. Lol! This I take with a grain of salt for 2 reasons, 1. Healthcare is different today in other parts of the world than it was in 15th-16th century Italy, & 2. DaVinci only lived to be 67 years old.)
He had many other spot-on thoughts & observations, for many of which I do not have any clever comments.
April 8, 2018
An interesting look into the mind of a brilliant Renaissance figure and, in particular, his nuanced views on painting.
Book structure/section ratings:
*Introduction - 3.5 stars
*Thoughts on Life - 3 stars
*Thoughts on Art - 4.5 stars
*Thoughts on Science - 2 stars
Overall rating = 3.5 stars (liked it)
I thought the "Thoughts on Art" section (and in particular subsections #1-80) was the most interesting in that he succinctly outlines in great detail his argument for how he believes the art form of painting surpasses other forms of art, including literature, music, and sculpture based on many attributes. If not the entire book, I think the "Introduction" and the "Thoughts on Art" sections are worth reading and would also lend themselves well to group reading and discussion with other art lovers.
Although I felt the "Thoughts on Life" section had some timeless reflections, I did not think there was anything exceptionally notable. The "Thoughts on Science" section is the most academic in tone and the specific selection of topics, as well as their narrow focus, made the section rather dry. Each of the book's three sections has a different feel and there are no transitions between the sections so it appears as though they were written quite independently and then pieced together.
"The Italian Renaissance was reflected in him as rarely a period has been expressed in the life-work of a single man. He represented its union of practice and theory, of thought placed in the service of action. He summed up its different aspects in his own individuality. Intellectually, he represented its many-sidedness attained through penetration of thought, and a keenness of observation, profiting from experience, extended into every sphere. As an artist he possessed a vigour of imagination from which sprang his power of creating beauty. But, in spite of his practical nature, he remained a dreamer in an age which had in it more of stern reality than of golden dreams."
Book structure/section ratings:
*Introduction - 3.5 stars
*Thoughts on Life - 3 stars
*Thoughts on Art - 4.5 stars
*Thoughts on Science - 2 stars
Overall rating = 3.5 stars (liked it)
I thought the "Thoughts on Art" section (and in particular subsections #1-80) was the most interesting in that he succinctly outlines in great detail his argument for how he believes the art form of painting surpasses other forms of art, including literature, music, and sculpture based on many attributes. If not the entire book, I think the "Introduction" and the "Thoughts on Art" sections are worth reading and would also lend themselves well to group reading and discussion with other art lovers.
Although I felt the "Thoughts on Life" section had some timeless reflections, I did not think there was anything exceptionally notable. The "Thoughts on Science" section is the most academic in tone and the specific selection of topics, as well as their narrow focus, made the section rather dry. Each of the book's three sections has a different feel and there are no transitions between the sections so it appears as though they were written quite independently and then pieced together.
"The Italian Renaissance was reflected in him as rarely a period has been expressed in the life-work of a single man. He represented its union of practice and theory, of thought placed in the service of action. He summed up its different aspects in his own individuality. Intellectually, he represented its many-sidedness attained through penetration of thought, and a keenness of observation, profiting from experience, extended into every sphere. As an artist he possessed a vigour of imagination from which sprang his power of creating beauty. But, in spite of his practical nature, he remained a dreamer in an age which had in it more of stern reality than of golden dreams."
February 4, 2018
Very interesting for those who are currently learning to draw and want to take from the experience as much philosophy as they can.
With Leonardo, no small detail was to be dismissed or regarded as a trivial thing.
Everything has a time and place with L. Da Vinci. He simply does not and will not tolerate banality or imperfection. You can feel it in his words and his way of explaining what he does and why he does it one way or the other.
He so much studied the light and the dark, that he was obviously obsessed with the shadows and light play in his paintings like perhaps no other artist out there.
Leonardo brings a very scientific view and a very in depth study of perfection and how we should always aspire to be like nature in our depiction of things.
I'd say every painter out there should read at least some notes made by Leonardo if he hasn't already.
He makes a good point, and why shouldn't he? He spent his life pursuing and discovering the perfect way to deliver a perfect painting. If your teacher spent 12 years finishing a painting just because he couldn't find the perfect way to depict an ear, or an eye or a pair of lips... wouldn't you trust him to deliver to you the best teachings he has to offer?
If you're no painter/sculpture, if you can't appreciate it, and you don't like philosophy, then don't even pick up this book. You need to really like this to enjoy it like I did.
PS: It's in Russian.
With Leonardo, no small detail was to be dismissed or regarded as a trivial thing.
Everything has a time and place with L. Da Vinci. He simply does not and will not tolerate banality or imperfection. You can feel it in his words and his way of explaining what he does and why he does it one way or the other.
He so much studied the light and the dark, that he was obviously obsessed with the shadows and light play in his paintings like perhaps no other artist out there.
Leonardo brings a very scientific view and a very in depth study of perfection and how we should always aspire to be like nature in our depiction of things.
I'd say every painter out there should read at least some notes made by Leonardo if he hasn't already.
He makes a good point, and why shouldn't he? He spent his life pursuing and discovering the perfect way to deliver a perfect painting. If your teacher spent 12 years finishing a painting just because he couldn't find the perfect way to depict an ear, or an eye or a pair of lips... wouldn't you trust him to deliver to you the best teachings he has to offer?
If you're no painter/sculpture, if you can't appreciate it, and you don't like philosophy, then don't even pick up this book. You need to really like this to enjoy it like I did.
PS: It's in Russian.
January 17, 2015
I got to finish it... finally. It's a very interesting read for someone who is truly fascinated with Da Vinci. It’s a compilation of his manuscript translated and deciphered from his many scattered and fragmentary codices, which most probably have been written in reverse. Knowing him to be the real genius, it feels great to be, somehow, getting inside his mind upon reading his work. Though some parts can be tedious to comprehend, I would recommend this to those who are into/studying the arts.
July 7, 2016
NB: The edition I have read (in Russian) may be different from that one though it's the closest one I've found. Therefore, additional materials may also differ.
A really good collection of manuscripts by a really thoughtful author. Although Leonardo da Vinci expresses his dislike for poetry in first chapters, many bright ideas are spread across the book. It inspires to draw and to invent things, and not to be afraid of people's reaction.
A really good collection of manuscripts by a really thoughtful author. Although Leonardo da Vinci expresses his dislike for poetry in first chapters, many bright ideas are spread across the book. It inspires to draw and to invent things, and not to be afraid of people's reaction.
January 10, 2015
Amazing read!
Leonardo was a deep thinker who was interested in almost everything. His comments on different subjects are FASCINATING and demonstrate how the mind of this genius operated.
Leonardo was a deep thinker who was interested in almost everything. His comments on different subjects are FASCINATING and demonstrate how the mind of this genius operated.
January 1, 2016
Thoughts on life:
17,18,22,54,55,56,64,84.
Thoughts on art:
2,5,10,12,15,21-25,29,30,31,34-36,52,55,67,74,88,93.
17,18,22,54,55,56,64,84.
Thoughts on art:
2,5,10,12,15,21-25,29,30,31,34-36,52,55,67,74,88,93.
August 19, 2016
Fascinating look at a genius
A clear and simple explanation of the man and his beliefs is followed by a wealth of Knowledge wisdom, by topic, in the words of Divinci.
A clear and simple explanation of the man and his beliefs is followed by a wealth of Knowledge wisdom, by topic, in the words of Divinci.
May 12, 2017
A collection of philosophies, opinions, and observations by Leonardo da Vinci.
March 14, 2022
this was really just a whole twitter post describing his opinion that painting > music
November 14, 2021
A great book to delve into Da Vinci's thought about the world. Surprisingly, there's a fair amount of humour in this when he goes over the top with exaggeration. Though it is dated, there are still some relevant observations about the world today. He does discuss issues that are frankly bygones to the modern age like astrology, necromancy, wizardry and other pseudo-sciences but it also has astute observations about the world that came with thinkers a few hundreds years later.
For example, his notes on anatomy were briefly discussed in this book but they're as prescient in relation to the public body of knowledge during the 17th century. He also, word by word, describes newton's second law of motion and through deduction describes the first:
First law of motion:
"A motion tends to be continuous; a body set in motion continues to move as long as the impression of the motive power lasts in it." Note: He also done lengthly experiments on friction during the period of writing this, so it's reasonable to infer that friction would be the force that would reduce the momentum of the object until it reaches inertia. Liberty is taken to interpret this as accurate as he made no statement of what the impression was: temporal or continuous.
Newton's second law of motion, F = ma (Disclaimer: ironically he did reason against this, making the point that reason can be conjured very easily and we should rely on the conjuring of thought to substitute as empirical evidence:
"The power of the projecting force increases in proportion as the object projected is smaller; the acceleration of the motion increases to infinity proportionately to this diminution. It would follow that an atom would be almost as rapid as the imagination or the eye, which in a moment attains to the height of the stars, and consequently its voyage would be infinite, because the thing which can be infinitely diminished would have an infinite velocity and would travel on an infinite course (because every continuous quantity is divisible to infinity). And this opinion is condemned by reason and consequently by experience.
Thus, you who observe rely not on authors who have merely by their imagination wished to be interpreters between nature and man, but on those alone who have applied their minds not to the hints of nature but to the results of their experience. And you must realize the deceptiveness of experiments; because those which often appear to be one and the same are often different, as is shown here."
And lastly, I thought it was a very astute observation he made in regards to the ancestors of humans being evolved from quadrupeds. Sure, he doesn't say precisely that but he links the motion of us bipedal human to that of 4 legged animals, like our ape ancestors:
"The way of walking in man is similar in all cases to the universal way of walking in four-footed animals, because, just as they move their feet crosswise, like a trotting horse, so man moves his four limbs crosswise, that is to say, in walking he puts forward his right foot simultaneously with his left arm, and so on vice versa."
Loved it. Planning on reading more of his works. Not to mention his notes on painting and everything else blew me away.
For example, his notes on anatomy were briefly discussed in this book but they're as prescient in relation to the public body of knowledge during the 17th century. He also, word by word, describes newton's second law of motion and through deduction describes the first:
First law of motion:
"A motion tends to be continuous; a body set in motion continues to move as long as the impression of the motive power lasts in it." Note: He also done lengthly experiments on friction during the period of writing this, so it's reasonable to infer that friction would be the force that would reduce the momentum of the object until it reaches inertia. Liberty is taken to interpret this as accurate as he made no statement of what the impression was: temporal or continuous.
Newton's second law of motion, F = ma (Disclaimer: ironically he did reason against this, making the point that reason can be conjured very easily and we should rely on the conjuring of thought to substitute as empirical evidence:
"The power of the projecting force increases in proportion as the object projected is smaller; the acceleration of the motion increases to infinity proportionately to this diminution. It would follow that an atom would be almost as rapid as the imagination or the eye, which in a moment attains to the height of the stars, and consequently its voyage would be infinite, because the thing which can be infinitely diminished would have an infinite velocity and would travel on an infinite course (because every continuous quantity is divisible to infinity). And this opinion is condemned by reason and consequently by experience.
Thus, you who observe rely not on authors who have merely by their imagination wished to be interpreters between nature and man, but on those alone who have applied their minds not to the hints of nature but to the results of their experience. And you must realize the deceptiveness of experiments; because those which often appear to be one and the same are often different, as is shown here."
And lastly, I thought it was a very astute observation he made in regards to the ancestors of humans being evolved from quadrupeds. Sure, he doesn't say precisely that but he links the motion of us bipedal human to that of 4 legged animals, like our ape ancestors:
"The way of walking in man is similar in all cases to the universal way of walking in four-footed animals, because, just as they move their feet crosswise, like a trotting horse, so man moves his four limbs crosswise, that is to say, in walking he puts forward his right foot simultaneously with his left arm, and so on vice versa."
Loved it. Planning on reading more of his works. Not to mention his notes on painting and everything else blew me away.
January 13, 2026
Is thou—the great mind of ages—above a Goodreads review?
Nope. Thou is not—humbly, of course.
There is something inherently strange about reviewing Thoughts on Art and Life by Leonardo da Vinci. This is not a peer or a contemporary author—this is Leonardo. Critiquing him feels a bit like grading gravity. Still, a book is an encounter, and encounters invite response.
Before opening the book, I imagined Leonardo’s voice as arcane and mystical—dense with codes and candlelit whispers of hidden knowledge. That voice did not survive the first pages. What I found instead was a man remarkably pragmatic, disciplined, and direct. He writes less like an oracle and more like a professor saying, This is what we’re covering today. Art, for Leonardo, is not mystery but method: careful observation, repetition, and attention to the natural world and the science available to him.
The text itself jumps—sometimes abruptly—from light to gravity to the nature of opinion. Leonardo warns early on that these are collected thoughts, not a polished argument, and that some pieces are stitched together. While the structure wanders, the thinking does not. Each subject, when addressed, is concise, deliberate, and insightful, revealing a mind constantly in motion.
Importantly, this pragmatism does not erase feeling. His love for beauty and his wonder at the natural world are as intimate and intense as I had hoped. Measurement and science, in his hands, become ways of honoring beauty rather than diminishing it.
Thoughts on Art and Life ultimately dismantled the myth I carried into it. Leonardo was not whispering secrets in the dark. He was standing in the light—observing carefully, thinking rigorously, and reminding us that genius is built through work.
Nope. Thou is not—humbly, of course.
There is something inherently strange about reviewing Thoughts on Art and Life by Leonardo da Vinci. This is not a peer or a contemporary author—this is Leonardo. Critiquing him feels a bit like grading gravity. Still, a book is an encounter, and encounters invite response.
Before opening the book, I imagined Leonardo’s voice as arcane and mystical—dense with codes and candlelit whispers of hidden knowledge. That voice did not survive the first pages. What I found instead was a man remarkably pragmatic, disciplined, and direct. He writes less like an oracle and more like a professor saying, This is what we’re covering today. Art, for Leonardo, is not mystery but method: careful observation, repetition, and attention to the natural world and the science available to him.
The text itself jumps—sometimes abruptly—from light to gravity to the nature of opinion. Leonardo warns early on that these are collected thoughts, not a polished argument, and that some pieces are stitched together. While the structure wanders, the thinking does not. Each subject, when addressed, is concise, deliberate, and insightful, revealing a mind constantly in motion.
Importantly, this pragmatism does not erase feeling. His love for beauty and his wonder at the natural world are as intimate and intense as I had hoped. Measurement and science, in his hands, become ways of honoring beauty rather than diminishing it.
Thoughts on Art and Life ultimately dismantled the myth I carried into it. Leonardo was not whispering secrets in the dark. He was standing in the light—observing carefully, thinking rigorously, and reminding us that genius is built through work.
April 18, 2019
I am mostly giving this book a good rating because it is a collection of Leonardo da Vinci's thoughts. Which on itself is undeniably freaking awesome. But the truth is this is mostly a series of random loose thoughts. It does not have a solid method or logic to it. Some thoughts are quite remarkable and you can clearly get into the genius of Leonardo da Vinci and in some sense the way he faced his life and the world through this manuscript.
The best part of the book is most likely the art section. I am sure it would be a worthy read for any artist, especially painters. It is a privilege to understand da Vinci's artistic process through his own words. Overall, a good and curious read, but be warned the style might not be for everyone. Since clearly this was not set for publishing by the original author himself.
The best part of the book is most likely the art section. I am sure it would be a worthy read for any artist, especially painters. It is a privilege to understand da Vinci's artistic process through his own words. Overall, a good and curious read, but be warned the style might not be for everyone. Since clearly this was not set for publishing by the original author himself.
April 24, 2021
Несколько сложные в форме выражения суждения о поэзии и высоких искусства переходят в понятнейшие для практика рекомендации по рисованию листьев, теней и светов.
Я думаю, эта книга - ровно тот формат знакомства с текстовым наследием Леонардо, который будет полезен начинающим художникам и почитателям автора!
Кроме того, в конце книги дан полный отрывок Джорджо Вазари о Леонардо да Винчи, который обыкновенно можно слышать в лекциям о мастере лишь отрывками.
После прочтения этой книги возникает только одна проблема: хочется ещё, а значит стоит поискать переводы Атлантического и прочих кодексов)
Я думаю, эта книга - ровно тот формат знакомства с текстовым наследием Леонардо, который будет полезен начинающим художникам и почитателям автора!
Кроме того, в конце книги дан полный отрывок Джорджо Вазари о Леонардо да Винчи, который обыкновенно можно слышать в лекциям о мастере лишь отрывками.
После прочтения этой книги возникает только одна проблема: хочется ещё, а значит стоит поискать переводы Атлантического и прочих кодексов)
February 20, 2021
A great insight on Leonardo DaVinci's thoughts on life, nature, art, the senses, and how he views senses and arts to be nobler than one another, especially painting. I see it both as bitterness towards poetry and as raw obsession over painting. He also talks about science and what he thought of the laws of physics, some quite wrong such as the whole world based on the 4 elements, the moon reflecting sunlight due to water on its surface, and yet he has great thoughts on analysis of forces, and the physics governing our bodies and nature. A great read as always.
October 4, 2021
Interesting selection of writings by the translator but it was a little repetitive/redundant in some places like Leonardo’s comparisons of art and poetry.
Also the translator kept using the word gravity when I assume he meant weight. Unless Da Vinci somehow discovered gravity 150 years before Newton.
Also the translator kept using the word gravity when I assume he meant weight. Unless Da Vinci somehow discovered gravity 150 years before Newton.
July 16, 2018
"Why does the eye perceive things more clearly in dreams than with the imagination when one is awake?"
"Our body is subject to Heaven, and Heaven is subject to the Spirit."
"The senses are earthly; reason lies outside them when in contemplation."
"Our body is subject to Heaven, and Heaven is subject to the Spirit."
"The senses are earthly; reason lies outside them when in contemplation."
February 27, 2020
Interesting insight into the mind of the man who's perception and independence of thought pushed centuries ahead of his time.
If you are interested in the way geniuses think, this is good book to study it. I liked to read it, even if from time to time it's tend to repeat itself.
If you are interested in the way geniuses think, this is good book to study it. I liked to read it, even if from time to time it's tend to repeat itself.
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