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賳馗乇賷丞 丕賱鬲氐賵賷乇
An all-new, jewel-like, reader-friendly format gives new life to this relaunch of an international best-seller.
Leonardo da Vinci鈥攁rtist, inventor, and prototypical Renaissance man鈥攊s a perennial source of fascination because of his astonishing intellect and boundless curiosity about the natural and man-made world. During his life he created numerous works of art and kept voluminous notebooks that detailed his artistic and intellectual pursuits.
The collection of writings and art in this magnificent book are drawn from his notebooks. The book organizes his wide range of interests into subjects such as human figures, light and shade, perspective and visual perception, anatomy, botany and landscape, geography, the physical sciences and astronomy, architecture, sculpture, and inventions. Nearly every piece of writing throughout the book is keyed to the piece of artwork it describes.
The writing and art is selected by art historian H. Anna Suh, who provides fascinating commentary and insight into the material, making Leonardo's Notebooks an exquisite single-volume compendium celebrating his enduring genius.
Leonardo da Vinci鈥攁rtist, inventor, and prototypical Renaissance man鈥攊s a perennial source of fascination because of his astonishing intellect and boundless curiosity about the natural and man-made world. During his life he created numerous works of art and kept voluminous notebooks that detailed his artistic and intellectual pursuits.
The collection of writings and art in this magnificent book are drawn from his notebooks. The book organizes his wide range of interests into subjects such as human figures, light and shade, perspective and visual perception, anatomy, botany and landscape, geography, the physical sciences and astronomy, architecture, sculpture, and inventions. Nearly every piece of writing throughout the book is keyed to the piece of artwork it describes.
The writing and art is selected by art historian H. Anna Suh, who provides fascinating commentary and insight into the material, making Leonardo's Notebooks an exquisite single-volume compendium celebrating his enduring genius.
538 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1519
1,679 people are currently reading
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About the author
Leonardo da Vinci
929听books1,473听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 鈥渋f 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 鈥� as we see them now in our time.鈥� 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, 鈥淭he 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.鈥�
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, 鈥eeling 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 鈥� 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 鈥� 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 鈥淗ounds of the Lord,鈥� 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 鈥渋f 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 鈥� as we see them now in our time.鈥� 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, 鈥淭he 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.鈥�
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, 鈥eeling 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 鈥� 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 鈥� 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 鈥淗ounds of the Lord,鈥� 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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March 19, 2022
The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci鈥€�, Pamela Taylor
The collection of writings and art in this magnificent book are drawn from his notebooks. The book organizes his wide range of interests into subjects such as human figures, light and shade, perspective and visual perception, anatomy, botany and landscape, geography, the physical sciences and astronomy, architecture, sculpture, and inventions. Nearly every piece of writing throughout the book is keyed to the piece of artwork it describes.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 蹖讴賲 賲丕賴 跇賵卅賳 爻丕賱2014賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 蹖丕丿丿丕卮鬲賴丕蹖 賱卅賵賳丕乇丿賵 丿丕賵蹖賳趩蹖貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 倬丕賲賱丕 鬲蹖賱賵乇貨 讴鬲丕亘 丿乇253氐賮丨賴貙 賵16氐賮丨賴 鬲氐賵蹖乇貙 鬲氐丕賵蹖乇 亘丿賵賳 氐賮丨賴 卮賲丕乇 亘蹖賳 氐賮丨丕鬲128貙 鬲丕 氐賮丨賴129貙 丌賲丿賴貙 讴鬲丕亘賳丕賲賴 丕夭 氐賮丨賴239貙 鬲丕 氐240貙 賲賵囟賵毓 爻乇诏匕卮鬲 賵 夭蹖爻鬲賳丕賲賴 賱卅賵賳丕乇丿賵 丿丕賵蹖賳趩蹖 (丕夭 爻丕賱1452賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 鬲丕 爻丕賱1519賲蹖賱丕丿蹖)貙 丕夭 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 - 爻丿賴 16賲
賱卅賵賳丕乇丿賵 丿丕賵蹖賳趩蹖賽 賳賯丕卮賽 丿丕賳卮賲賳丿賽 賲噩爻賲賴鈥� 爻丕夭賽 賲毓賲丕乇賽 賲賵爻蹖賯蹖鈥屫з嗁� 乇蹖丕囟蹖鈥屫з嗁� 賲賴賳丿爻賽 賲禺鬲乇毓賽 丌賳丕鬲賵賲蹖爻鬲賽 夭賲蹖賳鈥屫促嗀ж迟� 賳賯卮賴鈥� 讴卮賽 诏蹖丕賴鈥� 卮賳丕爻 賽 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 乇丕 賴賲賴 亘丕 賲賵賳丕賱蹖夭丕 賵 卮丕賲 丌禺乇 賲蹖鈥屫促嗀ж驰屬呚� 丿乇爻鬲 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丕賵 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 亘夭乇诏鈥屫臂屬� 賳賯丕卮鈥屬囏� 丿乇 鬲賲丕賲 丿賵乇丕賳 亘賵丿 丕賲丕 鬲丕 倬丕蹖丕賳 毓賲乇卮 鬲賳賴丕 亘蹖爻鬲 賳賯丕卮蹖 讴卮蹖丿賳丿 卮丕蹖丿 卮丕賴讴丕乇賴丕蹖 乇丕爻鬲蹖賳卮丕賳 丿賮鬲乇趩賴鈥屬囏й屰� 亘丕卮丿 讴賴 丕夭 丕蹖卮丕賳 亘乇 噩丕蹖 賲丕賳丿賴 丕爻鬲貨 丿賮鬲乇趩賴鈥屬囏й屰� 讴賴 丕夭 乇丕爻鬲 亘賴 趩倬 賳賵卮鬲賴 卮丿賴鈥� 丕賳丿 賵 鬲賳賴丕 丿乇 丌蹖賳賴 賯丕亘賱 禺賵丕賳丿賳鈥� 賵 倬乇 丕夭 胤乇丕丨蹖鈥屬囏й屰� 讴賴 鬲噩爻賲鈥屫ㄘ� 丕賳丿蹖卮賴 賵 蹖丕賮鬲賴 賴丕蹖 丕蹖卮丕賳 賴爻鬲賳丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 20/01/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 27/12/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖鈥�
The collection of writings and art in this magnificent book are drawn from his notebooks. The book organizes his wide range of interests into subjects such as human figures, light and shade, perspective and visual perception, anatomy, botany and landscape, geography, the physical sciences and astronomy, architecture, sculpture, and inventions. Nearly every piece of writing throughout the book is keyed to the piece of artwork it describes.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 蹖讴賲 賲丕賴 跇賵卅賳 爻丕賱2014賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 蹖丕丿丿丕卮鬲賴丕蹖 賱卅賵賳丕乇丿賵 丿丕賵蹖賳趩蹖貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 倬丕賲賱丕 鬲蹖賱賵乇貨 讴鬲丕亘 丿乇253氐賮丨賴貙 賵16氐賮丨賴 鬲氐賵蹖乇貙 鬲氐丕賵蹖乇 亘丿賵賳 氐賮丨賴 卮賲丕乇 亘蹖賳 氐賮丨丕鬲128貙 鬲丕 氐賮丨賴129貙 丌賲丿賴貙 讴鬲丕亘賳丕賲賴 丕夭 氐賮丨賴239貙 鬲丕 氐240貙 賲賵囟賵毓 爻乇诏匕卮鬲 賵 夭蹖爻鬲賳丕賲賴 賱卅賵賳丕乇丿賵 丿丕賵蹖賳趩蹖 (丕夭 爻丕賱1452賲蹖賱丕丿蹖 鬲丕 爻丕賱1519賲蹖賱丕丿蹖)貙 丕夭 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕 - 爻丿賴 16賲
賱卅賵賳丕乇丿賵 丿丕賵蹖賳趩蹖賽 賳賯丕卮賽 丿丕賳卮賲賳丿賽 賲噩爻賲賴鈥� 爻丕夭賽 賲毓賲丕乇賽 賲賵爻蹖賯蹖鈥屫з嗁� 乇蹖丕囟蹖鈥屫з嗁� 賲賴賳丿爻賽 賲禺鬲乇毓賽 丌賳丕鬲賵賲蹖爻鬲賽 夭賲蹖賳鈥屫促嗀ж迟� 賳賯卮賴鈥� 讴卮賽 诏蹖丕賴鈥� 卮賳丕爻 賽 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 乇丕 賴賲賴 亘丕 賲賵賳丕賱蹖夭丕 賵 卮丕賲 丌禺乇 賲蹖鈥屫促嗀ж驰屬呚� 丿乇爻鬲 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丕賵 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 亘夭乇诏鈥屫臂屬� 賳賯丕卮鈥屬囏� 丿乇 鬲賲丕賲 丿賵乇丕賳 亘賵丿 丕賲丕 鬲丕 倬丕蹖丕賳 毓賲乇卮 鬲賳賴丕 亘蹖爻鬲 賳賯丕卮蹖 讴卮蹖丿賳丿 卮丕蹖丿 卮丕賴讴丕乇賴丕蹖 乇丕爻鬲蹖賳卮丕賳 丿賮鬲乇趩賴鈥屬囏й屰� 亘丕卮丿 讴賴 丕夭 丕蹖卮丕賳 亘乇 噩丕蹖 賲丕賳丿賴 丕爻鬲貨 丿賮鬲乇趩賴鈥屬囏й屰� 讴賴 丕夭 乇丕爻鬲 亘賴 趩倬 賳賵卮鬲賴 卮丿賴鈥� 丕賳丿 賵 鬲賳賴丕 丿乇 丌蹖賳賴 賯丕亘賱 禺賵丕賳丿賳鈥� 賵 倬乇 丕夭 胤乇丕丨蹖鈥屬囏й屰� 讴賴 鬲噩爻賲鈥屫ㄘ� 丕賳丿蹖卮賴 賵 蹖丕賮鬲賴 賴丕蹖 丕蹖卮丕賳 賴爻鬲賳丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 20/01/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 27/12/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖鈥�
September 15, 2015
The mind of a painter must resemble a mirror, which always takes the color of the object it reflects and is completely occupied by the images of as many objects are in front of it.
I picked up this book on a whim, and read it for the same reason. My edition is an attractively bound selection of Leonardo鈥檚 most interesting notes and drawings, arranged to give the reader an appreciation of the breadth of this quintessential Renaissance man鈥檚 interests, and the great scope of his imagination.
I must admit right off the bat that this book is often a bit of a bore to read through. Leonardo鈥檚 notes are typically terse and functional鈥攎ore like grocery lists than diary entries. But the real treat, of course, is seeing Leonardo鈥檚 many drawings and studies, reproduced here in color photographs. Simply turning from page to page, taking note of whatever sketch caught your eye, would be enough to convince you that this man was a great genius.
We all knew this already; but determining the exact nature of Leonardo鈥檚 genius is, by contrast, a bit more difficult. Of course, he was a great painter, one of the very best; this alone would be enough to secure him lasting fame. But he also distinguished himself鈥攖hough he wasn鈥檛 known for it at the time鈥攆or his interest in science and engineering. He did pioneering studies in human anatomy, making drawings so detailed that they could be used in Gray鈥檚 Anatomy. He sketched several ideas for inventions, many of them frighteningly futuristic, such as a flying machine and a tank. He made accurate maps and designed buildings and bridges. He even made careful studies of the workings of the eye and the behavior of light.
At first sight, all this seems almost impossible, like Isaac Newton and J.M.W. Turner rolled into one. But Leonardo鈥檚 mind wasn鈥檛 quite as flexible as the above paragraph might suggest. (Not to detract from his accomplishments, of course.) For example, Leonardo was not especially adept at performing feats of logic or reason; nor was he an experimenter, making careful and controlled tests of his ideas. Aside from his extraordinary creativity, Leonardo鈥檚 main asset was his extremely keen, almost supernatural, skill as a visual observer. He had the ability to make his mind a mirror of his environment, and then to accurately and attractively depict whatever phenomenon caught his fancy. Simple as this sounds, this can get you a long way. For instance, if you set yourself the task of drawing a bridge as accurately as possible, this will teach you something about the design of bridges, how they are constructed and bear weight. Do this with everything around you in your daily life, as Leonardo did, and it will force you to pay attention to the way things are put together and teach you how they work.
This is the main lesson Leonardo taught me about becoming a Renaissance man: master a certain medium, whether it be visual, verbal, mathematical, musical, or what have you, and then use this medium as a filter for your experiences. This will allow you to notice things that other people might not, and then to represent your observations in an engaging form. Of course, this strategy wasn鈥檛 Leonardo鈥檚 only asset; he was also a creative genius. Unfortunately, I鈥檓 not familiar with a method for becoming a brilliant innovator. And perhaps, sad as it seems, a mechanism for turning average folks into world-class geniuses is something beyond even Leonardo鈥檚 powers.
January 2, 2015
Da Vinci was very specific.
On depicting a battle:
"The air must be full of arrows in every direction." (There follows several pages more of instructions, including bits like, "There must not be a level spot that is not trampled with gore.") (p. 26-28)
And his bits on anatomy are famous enough without me. The distance between the corner of your eye and your ear is the same as the height of your ear. Now you know.
But then, on the less specific side, there's this: "Of grotesque faces I need say nothing, because they are kept in mind without difficulty." (p. 131) So da Vinci's not so different after all, is he? His specificity varies in inverse proportion to his subject's attractiveness. I like boobs.
Unfortunately, "Women must be represented in modest attitude, their legs close together, their arms closely folded, their heads inclined and somewhat on one side" (p. 63), which is not at all what I heard on the internet.
Some of it's amazingly perceptive, and some of it's completely wrong, and some I don't understand at all, but the effect of reading his diary is weird and powerful; more than, say, reading an autobiography tends to be. While he probably knew his journals would be read (he actually addresses "Reader" off and on), he was still writing mainly for himself, so there's a directness.
What comes across most is his curiosity. He'll jot down some weird paragraph about shadows or something, and you understand that this is what he must have done all day today: measure shadows and build shapes and math formulas out of them, because he wanted to know how they work. True, his conclusion was that they send out "dark rays" that bounce into "reflex streams" or something, which I think might be gibberish, but still. What did you do today? I pretty much just thought about boobs.
On depicting a battle:
"The air must be full of arrows in every direction." (There follows several pages more of instructions, including bits like, "There must not be a level spot that is not trampled with gore.") (p. 26-28)
And his bits on anatomy are famous enough without me. The distance between the corner of your eye and your ear is the same as the height of your ear. Now you know.
But then, on the less specific side, there's this: "Of grotesque faces I need say nothing, because they are kept in mind without difficulty." (p. 131) So da Vinci's not so different after all, is he? His specificity varies in inverse proportion to his subject's attractiveness. I like boobs.
Unfortunately, "Women must be represented in modest attitude, their legs close together, their arms closely folded, their heads inclined and somewhat on one side" (p. 63), which is not at all what I heard on the internet.
Some of it's amazingly perceptive, and some of it's completely wrong, and some I don't understand at all, but the effect of reading his diary is weird and powerful; more than, say, reading an autobiography tends to be. While he probably knew his journals would be read (he actually addresses "Reader" off and on), he was still writing mainly for himself, so there's a directness.
What comes across most is his curiosity. He'll jot down some weird paragraph about shadows or something, and you understand that this is what he must have done all day today: measure shadows and build shapes and math formulas out of them, because he wanted to know how they work. True, his conclusion was that they send out "dark rays" that bounce into "reflex streams" or something, which I think might be gibberish, but still. What did you do today? I pretty much just thought about boobs.
November 25, 2018
This is so nice. Given the luxury of time I want to reread this one...
December 2, 2013
Yes, I just added a "homeschool" shelf. Why? Because I am supplementing a bit. Even private schools don't cut the mustard at this point. I have highly creative children--one of which is a constant stream of inventions. He spews out ideas with dry erase markers to windows, takes garbage from the recycling bin as if it is a golden treasure. He even CRIES because he thinks I am wasting a precious gem by recycling a cardboard box or an egg crate. Because "mom--can't you SEE that THIS is CLEARLY an AIRPLANE???". Well, it is clearly time for me to nurture this wee seedling with some other inventors--so I grabbed this book with a few others. We all adore this book and it is an inspiration to us all. :) Make sure to prepare with some extra pencils and paper--because you will be making some extra "blueprints" and maybe even a few extra trips to the hardware store to build some stuff....
March 18, 2012
"Let no man who is not a Mathematician read the elements of my work" - a live testimony that analytical and creative abilities are not as simply polarised as the left-right brain theory.
January 11, 2015
Holy gods. Read this. READ IT. Da Vinci was a bloody genius.
Given that Leonardo never had much of a formal education, and that his intelligence was borne out of observation and imagination, what this book contains is truly astonishing. It blurs what modernity would consider the lines between the arts and the sciences, but I don't think that matters. What really matters is the hard evidence that a self-taught scientist figured out things that were taught to me in my science lessons at school. I'll give you an example. The way light hits and enters the eye. Da Vinci drew a diagram of it and it is so accurate that I found myself staring. Six hundred years later and modern science is using just what Da Vinci figured out. Of course, science has existed for millennia; I'm not suggesting Da Vinci was the father of modern science. But it is wonderful, reading this and going 'I learnt that in school! And he did it without modern technology or formal education!'
His musings on art are just as profound. What a truly remarkable man, and one who was far, far ahead of his time. Just imagine what he could be doing if he were alive today.
Please read this. I really urge you to. It is a fascinating read, and well worth your time.
Given that Leonardo never had much of a formal education, and that his intelligence was borne out of observation and imagination, what this book contains is truly astonishing. It blurs what modernity would consider the lines between the arts and the sciences, but I don't think that matters. What really matters is the hard evidence that a self-taught scientist figured out things that were taught to me in my science lessons at school. I'll give you an example. The way light hits and enters the eye. Da Vinci drew a diagram of it and it is so accurate that I found myself staring. Six hundred years later and modern science is using just what Da Vinci figured out. Of course, science has existed for millennia; I'm not suggesting Da Vinci was the father of modern science. But it is wonderful, reading this and going 'I learnt that in school! And he did it without modern technology or formal education!'
His musings on art are just as profound. What a truly remarkable man, and one who was far, far ahead of his time. Just imagine what he could be doing if he were alive today.
Please read this. I really urge you to. It is a fascinating read, and well worth your time.
April 4, 2017
I do NOT recommend the kindle edition, which cannot do justice to the drawings, to say nothing of Leonardo's mirror-writing. I read in paper.
Leonardo worked as a military engineer for the Sforza, as James McNeil Whistler's father worked for the Czar building a railway. Since my daughter has lived in Milano a quarter century, I have also seen many of Leonardo's constructions there in the Museo Nazionale della scienza e tecnologia. If Whistler's father had painted Whistler's Mother, eccociqua: Analogous.
Leonardo foresaw the US budgets of the 21st century, where the Department of War (nobody should believe the euphemism, "Defense") swallows whole the Arts. Solution: Be a Whistler...or a Leonardo. Simple.
Leonardo worked as a military engineer for the Sforza, as James McNeil Whistler's father worked for the Czar building a railway. Since my daughter has lived in Milano a quarter century, I have also seen many of Leonardo's constructions there in the Museo Nazionale della scienza e tecnologia. If Whistler's father had painted Whistler's Mother, eccociqua: Analogous.
Leonardo foresaw the US budgets of the 21st century, where the Department of War (nobody should believe the euphemism, "Defense") swallows whole the Arts. Solution: Be a Whistler...or a Leonardo. Simple.
March 9, 2017
G枚rsel zenginli臒i 莽ok derin olan keyifli bir kitap. Leonardo Da Vinci'nin el yaz谋s谋na bakabilmek beni her zaman mutlu etmi艧tir. 脟izimle, resimle ilgileniyorsan谋z 莽ok e臒itici bilgiler bulabilirsiniz. 脰zellikle son k谋s谋mdaki aforizmalar谋 okurken 莽ok e臒lendim.
Tavsiye ederim!
Tavsiye ederim!
July 14, 2010
Whenever I see the grammar police rear their ugly head, I'll remember LDV wrote backwards in an indecipherable scrawl and with an akward form of shorthand.
September 15, 2021
Leonardo鈥檚 Notebooks
Edited by H. Anna Suh (2013)
Mona Lisa and a dozen incomparably, unique beautiful paintings are the heritage our civilization has received from the greatest of all Renaissance artists.
Plus, about four thousand notes.
This book of notes is the perfect complement to Leonardo鈥檚 biography.
The editor aimed to present Leonardo鈥檚 writings to lay readers in a way he could enjoy the work, overcoming the language barrier, the left-handed mirror writing style, the wide range of subjects treated on many single pages.
The contents are classified into major groups, Beauty, Reason and Art; Observation and Order; and Practical Matters.
For readers of Leonardo鈥檚 biography, many of the drawings and parts of the notes are familiar. It helps to find them in order of interest. Needless to read everything from cover to cover, it becomes pleasant to read by just following the favourite areas of personal preference.
Young modern artists can hardly find any better source for learning to draw and to paint of higher authority and greater beauty.
Edited by H. Anna Suh (2013)
Mona Lisa and a dozen incomparably, unique beautiful paintings are the heritage our civilization has received from the greatest of all Renaissance artists.
Plus, about four thousand notes.
This book of notes is the perfect complement to Leonardo鈥檚 biography.
The editor aimed to present Leonardo鈥檚 writings to lay readers in a way he could enjoy the work, overcoming the language barrier, the left-handed mirror writing style, the wide range of subjects treated on many single pages.
The contents are classified into major groups, Beauty, Reason and Art; Observation and Order; and Practical Matters.
For readers of Leonardo鈥檚 biography, many of the drawings and parts of the notes are familiar. It helps to find them in order of interest. Needless to read everything from cover to cover, it becomes pleasant to read by just following the favourite areas of personal preference.
Young modern artists can hardly find any better source for learning to draw and to paint of higher authority and greater beauty.
October 6, 2024
We are two brothers, each of us has a brother. How many sons in all?
Leonardo was a man of many talents, as is well known. His notebooks were originally published piecemeal, divided up by topic. This set I have appears to be the whole conclusive sets, all combined. But, since it is Kindle, the pictures were not included. So there, I made the wrong selection again. I put this up front, because it is important in deciding which you may want to read. But, on to the book itself鈥� without the pictures.
The notes reveal the pattern of the formulation of his ideas over time, as well as many sound principles. Some of those ideas reveal the current state of knowledge in his time; like that some people thought that the oceans were higher than the dry land. The notebooks are filled with many different topics; from the effects of perspective, light, and true color, to architecture, to human anatomy, to animal behavior, to oceanography and survival at sea. Leonardo wrote about questions about whether the spirit could speak or not. Literally.
Leonardo reasoned on the currents of the seas. He spoke of various specific places, so the work reveals that he probably traveled over various geographies. But, the topics are not all dry Science. Much of the Science is quite humorous and down to Earth. There are large sections on fables and jokes, as well. One funny question he pondered is why dogs like to smell each other? He reasoned that it is by means of this smell they know that dog to be well fed, wherefore they respect him, because they judge that he has a powerful and rich master. That makes good sense, because I鈥檝e known rich men who fed their dogs well enough to kill them from the fat meat.
His notebooks are written like a writer鈥檚 notebook, as well as like a Scientist鈥檚 Notebook. He included his plans for various books he intended to write. If you have the pictures to go along with the text, you can see how the text relates to the pictures he painted. Being a potpourri of his clear mind, you get much from reading this great classic work, even if like me it is the first you have read on Leonardo. Though it is not a book everyone would enjoy reading, it could be very instructive especially to would-be writers, poets, artists, inventers, and engineers, as well as home-schools. There is much to learn from the masters. A few quotes I enjoyed follow:
Leonardo was a man of many talents, as is well known. His notebooks were originally published piecemeal, divided up by topic. This set I have appears to be the whole conclusive sets, all combined. But, since it is Kindle, the pictures were not included. So there, I made the wrong selection again. I put this up front, because it is important in deciding which you may want to read. But, on to the book itself鈥� without the pictures.
The notes reveal the pattern of the formulation of his ideas over time, as well as many sound principles. Some of those ideas reveal the current state of knowledge in his time; like that some people thought that the oceans were higher than the dry land. The notebooks are filled with many different topics; from the effects of perspective, light, and true color, to architecture, to human anatomy, to animal behavior, to oceanography and survival at sea. Leonardo wrote about questions about whether the spirit could speak or not. Literally.
Leonardo reasoned on the currents of the seas. He spoke of various specific places, so the work reveals that he probably traveled over various geographies. But, the topics are not all dry Science. Much of the Science is quite humorous and down to Earth. There are large sections on fables and jokes, as well. One funny question he pondered is why dogs like to smell each other? He reasoned that it is by means of this smell they know that dog to be well fed, wherefore they respect him, because they judge that he has a powerful and rich master. That makes good sense, because I鈥檝e known rich men who fed their dogs well enough to kill them from the fat meat.
His notebooks are written like a writer鈥檚 notebook, as well as like a Scientist鈥檚 Notebook. He included his plans for various books he intended to write. If you have the pictures to go along with the text, you can see how the text relates to the pictures he painted. Being a potpourri of his clear mind, you get much from reading this great classic work, even if like me it is the first you have read on Leonardo. Though it is not a book everyone would enjoy reading, it could be very instructive especially to would-be writers, poets, artists, inventers, and engineers, as well as home-schools. There is much to learn from the masters. A few quotes I enjoyed follow:
"We are two brothers, each of us has a brother. Here the way of saying it makes it appear that the two brothers have become four."
"The painter who draws merely by practice and by eye, without any reason, is like a mirror which copies every thing placed in front of it without being conscious of their existence."
鈥滻 wish to work miracles;鈥攊t may be that I shall possess less than other men of more peaceful lives, or than those who want to grow rich in a day.鈥�
鈥滱lthough partridges steal each other's eggs, nevertheless the young born of these eggs always return to their true mother.鈥�
"...the greater the darkness into which the pupil goes the more its size increases, and this increase makes the darkness seem less."
"The eye will hold and retain in itself the image of a luminous body better than that of a shaded object. The reason is that the eye is in itself perfectly dark and since two things that are alike cannot be distinguished, therefore the night, and other dark objects cannot be seen or recognised by the eye. Light is totally contrary and gives more distinctness, and counteracts and differs from the usual darkness of the eye, hence it leaves the impression of its image."
鈥漈he vine that has grown old on an old tree falls with the ruin of that tree, and through that bad companionship must perish with it.鈥�
"Those who are in love with practice without knowledge are like the sailor who gets into a ship without rudder or compass and who never can be certain whether he is going. Practice must always be founded on sound theory, and to this Perspective is the guide and the gateway;"
April 29, 2009
One of the defining periods of my life was when I read Leonardo's notebooks. His awareness, curiosity, and maddening drive towards perfection of his understanding of reality is beautiful.
You really get a grasp of his personality from the notebooks. He suffered greatly from the thought that he'd die before I got it all figured out.
You really get a grasp of his personality from the notebooks. He suffered greatly from the thought that he'd die before I got it all figured out.
January 7, 2013
Leonardo's work is outstanding, this book is good, but the presentation could have been a bit more powerful
May 5, 2019
I approached this book with great awe stricken respect and it took me a long time, years actually, to feel ready and worthy to read it. I love the Renaissance, the art and the history and of course, the main characters and artists that made that era so interesting.
I must honestly say that I was a bit disappointed. I'm not sure most of the parts of this book were meant to a reader other than da Vinci himself (though some definitely did). I've found some parts quite boring, detailing painting materials, bills of scudi and florins, and scraps which weren't clear.
But of course, it's also a glimpse to one of the great minds of human history. While some of his notes look like things that a man writes to himself without the need to explain anything, without the context and the stream of thoughts, a lot of them nevertheless actually are in context and detail in dates and the natural order of making a claim. The first part of the book is especially coherent, with its scientific debates.
I also enjoyed his notes on art, his tips to a painter, and his touching essay about elephants.
being THE renaissance man, this book gives you an idea on why Leonardo da Vinci didn't paint as many paintings as we wish he had because he was so busy being fascinated with almost everything that caught his attention. Nature, physics, optics, geology, the study of water and astronomy鈥� as Andrew Graham Dixon said, da Vinci is somewhat the first example of a conceptual artist, study first and taking days before approaching his painting, giving few brushstrokes and then stop to think again for a couple of days.
The fact he didn't finish so many projects strengthen this idea, that he liked studying better, and was always distracted by a new field of study.
This book is somewhat weird because I'm sure that academic scholars study the actual codex, this edited book is trying to put an order in things for the common reader but that common reader has to be very very interested in da Vinci, and might benefit more reading his biographies. You can't perfectly edit a book like this. A personal journal can't be all clear to any reader.
But after all that, it's still an important text, with priceless historical significance.
I must honestly say that I was a bit disappointed. I'm not sure most of the parts of this book were meant to a reader other than da Vinci himself (though some definitely did). I've found some parts quite boring, detailing painting materials, bills of scudi and florins, and scraps which weren't clear.
But of course, it's also a glimpse to one of the great minds of human history. While some of his notes look like things that a man writes to himself without the need to explain anything, without the context and the stream of thoughts, a lot of them nevertheless actually are in context and detail in dates and the natural order of making a claim. The first part of the book is especially coherent, with its scientific debates.
I also enjoyed his notes on art, his tips to a painter, and his touching essay about elephants.
being THE renaissance man, this book gives you an idea on why Leonardo da Vinci didn't paint as many paintings as we wish he had because he was so busy being fascinated with almost everything that caught his attention. Nature, physics, optics, geology, the study of water and astronomy鈥� as Andrew Graham Dixon said, da Vinci is somewhat the first example of a conceptual artist, study first and taking days before approaching his painting, giving few brushstrokes and then stop to think again for a couple of days.
The fact he didn't finish so many projects strengthen this idea, that he liked studying better, and was always distracted by a new field of study.
This book is somewhat weird because I'm sure that academic scholars study the actual codex, this edited book is trying to put an order in things for the common reader but that common reader has to be very very interested in da Vinci, and might benefit more reading his biographies. You can't perfectly edit a book like this. A personal journal can't be all clear to any reader.
But after all that, it's still an important text, with priceless historical significance.
September 17, 2009
"Force arises from dearth or abundance; it is the child of physical motion, and the grandchild of spiritual motion, and the mother and origin of gravity." 186
"Science is the observation of things possible, whether present or past. Prescience is the knowledge of things which may come to pass, though but slowly." 252
"Wisdom is the daughter of experience." 288
"Just as eating contrary to the inclination is injurious to the health, so study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in." 302
"No counsel is more trustworthy than that which is given upon ships that are in peril." 302
"Science is the observation of things possible, whether present or past. Prescience is the knowledge of things which may come to pass, though but slowly." 252
"Wisdom is the daughter of experience." 288
"Just as eating contrary to the inclination is injurious to the health, so study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in." 302
"No counsel is more trustworthy than that which is given upon ships that are in peril." 302
March 6, 2009
Such a look at the way da Vinci thought. Usually, we see his visual works. This book translates and organizes his written journals to provide us a look at his thoughts on art and the world around him. Very enjoyable to browse, though not necessarily a work to be read straight through.
August 27, 2016
touching the big papers is really exciting. He has a big brain so he has lots o thing about everything . amazing.
February 14, 2024
Okay, this was not what I was expecting at all. I thought this would read more like a personal diary. That expectation made this one of the most anticipated books in my home library. Yeah, it wasn't that at all. He just gives painting tips. I'm very sad.
But since Leo is a gay icon he gets five stars by default. I don't make the rules.
But since Leo is a gay icon he gets five stars by default. I don't make the rules.
May 26, 2013
Review:
I never knew who da Vinci was. It was only after watching the movie, The Da Vinci Code, I came to understand that Leonardo da Vinci was a person who creates puzzles for his time pass. He also drew few paintings like Mona Lisa and The Last Supper (during that time, I didn't even know what was the significance of the painting).
Slowly, there after I came to learn Leonardo was no puzzler (person who creates puzzles), but an artist. It is only after I read this book, I came to understand the reason behind his fame. The text in this book has literally swept me off my feet. Though the methods he exercised were bizarre and awkward to understate. (He got the general of the army to strip all this clothes and made him lie stark naked to draw some painting!!)
Description (From the jacket - hand typed):
For everyone who has read and enjoyed Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, here is an exceptional insight into da Vinci's inner world, in his own words and images.
The notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci - a treasure house of unparalleled ingenuity, curiosity and creative energy - have inspired their readers for centuries. Fascinating and tantalizing their readers for centuries. Fascinating and tantalizing by turns, the individual pages of the notebooks, densely covered with da Vinci's sketches, jottings, calculations and detailed diagrams, are among the most prized possessions of the world's great art collectors.
Painters, sculptors, engineer; mathematician, philosopher, inventor; architect, anatomist and naturalist - da Vinci's talents are seemingly endless. This is new selection from the notebooks, bursting with imagination and quirkiness, sometimes cryptic or even incomprehensible, is the perfect introduction to the mysteries of Leonardo da Vinci. Those who know him as the celebrated painter of The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa will be astonished and intrigues by this sparkling testament to one of greatest minds of Western Civilization.
My take on the book:
I rated this book four. And I rate da Vinci the whole five!!
For me, before I read this book, painting was something way over my head. There are some painting I came across which are like a baby's puke of different colours on a canvas and that would price over a million rupees! Anyone can mix some colours and throw them on a canvas and call it a painting.
After reading this book, there are two................
To read the whole review,
I never knew who da Vinci was. It was only after watching the movie, The Da Vinci Code, I came to understand that Leonardo da Vinci was a person who creates puzzles for his time pass. He also drew few paintings like Mona Lisa and The Last Supper (during that time, I didn't even know what was the significance of the painting).
Slowly, there after I came to learn Leonardo was no puzzler (person who creates puzzles), but an artist. It is only after I read this book, I came to understand the reason behind his fame. The text in this book has literally swept me off my feet. Though the methods he exercised were bizarre and awkward to understate. (He got the general of the army to strip all this clothes and made him lie stark naked to draw some painting!!)
Description (From the jacket - hand typed):
For everyone who has read and enjoyed Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, here is an exceptional insight into da Vinci's inner world, in his own words and images.
The notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci - a treasure house of unparalleled ingenuity, curiosity and creative energy - have inspired their readers for centuries. Fascinating and tantalizing their readers for centuries. Fascinating and tantalizing by turns, the individual pages of the notebooks, densely covered with da Vinci's sketches, jottings, calculations and detailed diagrams, are among the most prized possessions of the world's great art collectors.
Painters, sculptors, engineer; mathematician, philosopher, inventor; architect, anatomist and naturalist - da Vinci's talents are seemingly endless. This is new selection from the notebooks, bursting with imagination and quirkiness, sometimes cryptic or even incomprehensible, is the perfect introduction to the mysteries of Leonardo da Vinci. Those who know him as the celebrated painter of The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa will be astonished and intrigues by this sparkling testament to one of greatest minds of Western Civilization.
My take on the book:
I rated this book four. And I rate da Vinci the whole five!!
For me, before I read this book, painting was something way over my head. There are some painting I came across which are like a baby's puke of different colours on a canvas and that would price over a million rupees! Anyone can mix some colours and throw them on a canvas and call it a painting.
After reading this book, there are two................
To read the whole review,
January 30, 2012
Most of the original text and sketches have of course been lost either by time or by Leonardo's own design (he deliberately corrupted his own texts to keep his competitors from stealing his works). It is a true shame that this knowledge is lost.
Any free kindle edition is easily worth 4 stars. It is a rare treat to see Leonardo's mind at work. He was one of the most gifted intellects ever created and just watching how he 'pieced' the workings of life and the known universe together is worth the time and study.
Devlin
Any free kindle edition is easily worth 4 stars. It is a rare treat to see Leonardo's mind at work. He was one of the most gifted intellects ever created and just watching how he 'pieced' the workings of life and the known universe together is worth the time and study.
Devlin
July 30, 2022
1. Why read this?
a. A Masterpiece to understand, Renaissance Man
b. A Masterpiece to glimpse, Renaissance Era
Get a glimpse of Leonardo's life through his journal entries.
Great Quote:
"A Painter is not admirable if he is not universal."
2. What else?
Strikes chords with writers from School of Salamanca.
They viewed knowledge holistically.
--Deus Vult
Gottfried
a. A Masterpiece to understand, Renaissance Man
b. A Masterpiece to glimpse, Renaissance Era
Get a glimpse of Leonardo's life through his journal entries.
Great Quote:
"A Painter is not admirable if he is not universal."
2. What else?
Strikes chords with writers from School of Salamanca.
They viewed knowledge holistically.
--Deus Vult
Gottfried
February 16, 2016
Five stars for the illustrations and the genius of the author. I didn't understand all of the text -- a lot of it is technical instructions for painting, sculpture, and various inventions, but I understood enough to appreciate the the mind of Leonardo da Vinci was extraordinary.
August 11, 2011
Short punchy excerpts that provide insight into a genius making his way in the world over 500 years ago.
April 11, 2014
it is a really good book i like it
July 13, 2014
It is truly fascinating to get an insight into da Vinci's mind. He combined art, science, mathematics, and philosophy together beautifully.
May 21, 2022
i love this book
November 26, 2024
I鈥檓 in awe of the way Renaissance artists used observation, calculation, and thought to forge new ways of representing, analyzing, and manipulating the world.
Read
January 25, 2025Stary, co ty gadasz wgl
June 23, 2018
A complete human. One of the most illustrated man that has ever existed. A compilation of the greatest human that has ever existed.
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