Leonardo da Vinci: Artist, Inventor and Scientist of the Renaissance (Masters of Art) [Hardcover]

Francesca Romei (Author), Sergio Ricciardi (Author), Andrea Ricciardi (Author), Leonardo DaVinci (Painter)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 9, 2001 | Grade Level: 3 and up

Leonardo da Vinci has become the definition of the "Rennaissance man." His accomplishments in painting and sculpture, music and mathematics, and engineering and architecture have endured for centuries. The Renaissance was a watershed for European artisitc and scientific accomplishment and da Vinci led the way. He exemplified a new perspective, seeking to explore and control the forces of nature, and to extend the frontiers of human knowledge.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up--To present the complexity of 15th-century Italy and the fecund imagination of the quintessential Renaissance man, this large book is designed so that each double-page spread deals with a single theme: Milan, brass casting, The Last Supper, hydrolics, etc. An illustration or reproduction dominates each spread and is accompanied by an easy-to-read, interpretive text. Paragraphs in italics offer chronological details of the subject's life. Other visuals with captions add further information. The full-color drawings are remarkably clear, often providing cut-away views of buildings, such as a Medici palazzo; a bronze-casting studio; or a set of working locks. Full-color reproductions of paintings are compared with versions of the same scenes by other artists and with Leonardo's sketches to illuminate meanings and symbolic gestures. Romei gives readers a sense of this especially active time in history, and the illustrators offer quantities of information about how many things worked. Though this is a visually opulent volume, readers must be prepared to seek a broad, coherent overview of the period to tie the relatively discrete themes together. A couple of pages provide key dates and brief descriptions of Leonardo's notebooks as well as information about the artifacts reproduced in the book.

Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, Columbus

Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English
Original Language: Italian

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Peter Bedrick Books (February 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872263134
• ISBN-13: 978-0872263130
• Product Dimensions: 13.9 x 10.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #326,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #93 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Art > History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The illustrations are what make it, August 7, 2003

By 

Algernon D'Ammassa (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Leonardo Da Vinci Hb (Masters of Art) (Hardcover)

If you can find this out-of-print, oversized hardback, it is worth collecting. The illustrators lovingly present a detailed birds-eye view of Vinci, the Sforza compound, changing designs of palaces, the scaffoldings which supported some of his bronze works, period clothing, Leonardo's proposed design for Milan and its canals, and much more. It's hard to find, but highly recommended.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of the book "Leonardo Da Vinci" by Francesca Romei, March 10, 2002

By 

"bioniclemasteriskush" (Delhi, India, South Asia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leonardo da Vinci (Paperback)

This book is a very informative book about Leonardo. It has all the details about his life, his paintings, his family, his models etc. I say everyone should read this imformative book. If anyone wants to learn about Leonardo, I suggest this book to read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Purchase for the Illustrations, April 18, 2011

By 

Marco Antonio Abarca (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Leonardo da Vinci: Artist, Inventor and Scientist of the Renaissance (Masters of Art) (Hardcover)

The "Masters of Art" series of books were originally published in Italy in the 1980's. These books are beautiful examples of the Italian approach to illustrating children's books. Italian illustrators love highly detailed images that are rich in historical detail. They love playing with perspective and are virtuosos of architectural detail. The story does a workman like job of describing Leonardo's life and his artisitic achievements. There is plenty of detail but the narrative lacks warmth. Leonardo the man is absent from this book. Having said this, the illustrations are amazing and make this book a good purchase. Recommended.