Author Description

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) has come to be regarded as an artist-genius without peer. The Renaissance was in many ways the beginning of the modern world, and Leonardo led the way. He was an artist, an inventor and a scientist, who performed numerous scientific investigations in order to become a better painter. Curious as well as observant, he constantly tried to explain what he saw and formulated many experiments to test his ideas. His notebooks reveal a spirit of scientific inquiry and mechanical inventiveness that were centuries ahead of his time. Perhaps the greatest of Renaissance painters, Leonardo yet left only a handful of completed paintings. Here, among others, are The Last Supper, the Mona Lisa, and The Virgin of the Rocks. Also enriching the book are a commentary on each work, biographical details, and a timeline indicating the important events of Leonardo's era.