Customer Reviews

Leonardo da Vinci, Master Draftsman (New York Metropolitan Museum of Art Series)

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LEONARDO DA VINCI: MASTER DRAFTSMAN is a magnificent addition to the library about this extraordinary Renaissance genius. Published as a 'catalogue' for the exhibition that just left the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the weighty book is successful on all levels. The Curator and driving force fo the exhibition, Carmen C. Bambach, has firmly established her credentials in this vast survey of da Vinci's drawings of human anatomy, both precise observations (eg 'Abdomen and Left Leg of a Nude Man Standing in Profile page 556) and artistic distortions ( the grotesque faces on pages 684 - 693), of his 'inventions' as a scientist, of simple observations ('A Copse of Trees'on page 469 for instance), of the technical aspects of drawing and painting (brilliantly executed examples of draping the figure as on pages 289 and 563), and sketches for numerous painting proposals. The first 225 pages of this elegant book are devoted to various essays about da Vinci, all written by erudite scholars who are immensely readable. The last half of the book is an in-depth presentation of the catalogue of the show, serenely annotated by Carmen Bambach. There are ample sections of documentation and easy references to the bibiliography and timeline for da Vinci's life. The drawings and paintings are beautifuly reproduced on first quality paper and the book, (though heavy as a lap book!), is artistically designed and produced. This magnificent volume will be the gold standard for da Vinci's drawings and should be part of every library on the Renaissance and on art history. Highly Recommended.

World famous for their sublime beauty and technical virtuosity, Leonardo's drawings were avidly sought by collectors even during his lifetime. In this day of being flooded with inferior music and art in the mass media it is without question that Leonardo da Vinci remains an icon of Italian art history and a pillar of Western civilization.

So much of his work has been sadly lost or is in an unfinished state, one key to his legacy is found in the body of his extant drawings and accompanying manuscript notes which have survived.

Yale University Press has once again released a masterpiece publication published in association with The Metropolitan Museum of Art to compliment the first comprehensive international loan exhibition of Leonardo's drawings in the United States. This book is the catalogue for the show to be held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art from January 22 to March 30, 2003 and the Musée du Louvre, Paris, from April 28 to July 7, 2003.

This handsome volume offers a unified and fascinating portrait of Leonardo as a draftsman, integrating his diverse roles as an artist, scientist, inventor, theorist, and teacher. A chronological framework is also provided in order to shed light on his extraordinary life and career.

The essays and entries are brilliantly written by the world's leading Leonardo scholars. They survey the wide variety of drawing types that Leonardo used, and also examine a small group of works by artists critical to his artistic development in Florence and to his multifaceted activity in Milan.

This is an invaluable source of information on Leonardo. The Codex Leicester is examined as are the much copied studies of grotesques physiognomies. There is a discussion of Leonardo's drawings in Milan and their influence on the graphic work of Milanese artists providing useful clues to his enormous influence on those artists as well as the best artists of today. Leonardo's graphic oeuvre is examined as is his early drapery studies.

An impressive catalogue if that is what one could call this masterwork of publication it is a must for Italian art scholars and art connoisseurs period. This is no lightweight work at 512 pp. 50 b/w + 200 colorplates with detailed descriptions of 138 individual works surveying the wide variety of types within his portfolio of work. This is destined to be a highly sought after volume.

This book is written for art enthusiasts. The potential
readership includes historians, artists, museum curators
and students of world culture, art and history. The work
is perfect for a term or class project.

It has many famous
drawings and paintings by DaVinci. For instance, the spectacular
"Adoration of the Magi" appears in full color. There are
numerous apprenticeship drawings and renditions on the anatomy
of humans and animals. For instance, there is a very detailed
rendition of a horse leg. This work would make a wonderful
gift for a teenager or art buff. The full-color drawings alone are worth several dollars
apiece. The book is a tremendous value .