Leonardo Da Vinci [Hardcover]

Martin Clayton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1998

The full range of Leonardo's genius is revealed in this elegant book, which reproduces for the first time many unfamiliar drawings from the masters hand as well as more widely known works.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was arguably the greatest draftsman in the history of Western art. Best known as a painter, he also excelled as sculptor, architect, musician, anatomist, botanist, engineer, geologist, and mapmaker. But since he completed few of his projects, most of his work is known to us only through his drawings and notes. This selection of 100 sheets from the collection at Windsor Castle are presented in five sections covering major periods of Leonardo's life. Included in Martin Clayton's authoritative text is a discussion of the master's drawing materials, the development of his style, and the types and functions of his drawings.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Leonardo da Vinci, a peasant girl's illegitimate son, in 1502 entered the service of bloody politician Cesare Borgia, the pope's illegitimate son and the model for Machiavelli's prince, the protean artist created magnificent, sophisticated maps of towns, cities, fortifications and Italy's coast. This is but one little-known aspect of da Vinci's work highlighted in a riveting collection of drawings, including the amazingly ethereal and lyrical A Tree, grotesques (e.g., An Ill-matched Couple), the Deluge series and apocalyptic renditions of the end of the world. This striking catalogue of an exhibition at Buckingham Palace through early 1997 ranges from a beautiful, expressive study of a woman's hands to preparatory sketches for The Last Supper, full-bodied mythological fantasies, designs for weapons and lucid, accurate anatomical illustrations (The Embryo in Utero). In an engaging essay complementing 120 color plates, Clayton, a curator at Windsor Castle, follows Leonardo's travels from Florence to France through his drawings.

Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The disheartening paucity of finished works by Leonardo da Vinci is partially recompensed by the superabundance of surviving drawings. This excellent selection of 100 drawings from the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle offers not only an exquisite sampling of Leonardo's extraordinarily diverse graphic oeuvre but also a genuinely accessible scholarly introduction to the drawings as a whole. Brief but penetrating introductory essays aptly characterize the activities of each phase of his career, while the carefully wrought catalog entries?complemented by fine color reproductions?examine the manifold functions for which the drawings were employed. Students of Leonardo will appreciate curator Clayton's straightforward characterizations, his thoughtful reexamination of some pieces, the chronological setting, and his ability to articulate scholarly complexities in a lucid and unpedantic fashion. For most libraries.?Robert Cahn, Fashion Inst. of Technology, New York
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Artabras (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896601013
• ISBN-13: 978-0896601017
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,012,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best on Leonardo., September 5, 2003

By 

K-TRON "hexag1" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leonardo Da Vinci (Hardcover)

This excellent book focuses on Leonardo's drawings in the Royal Library at Windsor. Everyone has seen the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, but Leonardo's greatest achievments are found in his drawings. Vivid HIGH QUALITY color reproductions are accompanied by insightful commentary and historical/biographical information. The book covers the whole breadth of Leonardo's intellectual development. 100 color drawings by history's greatest draftsman, and indeed one of most powerful minds the world has ever seen. As the book says "...[Leonardo's] drawings [are] the pure expression of his genius, boundless and magnificent."
What more could one want in a book? 5/5

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, July 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Leonardo Da Vinci (Hardcover)

It's not the best Da vinci book, but it has a LOT of drawings.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars yes!, December 18, 2004

By 

Mourning Light "mournlight" (Nashville TN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Leonardo Da Vinci (Hardcover)

Well put together, very encompassing, good explanations...... It doesn't need a paragraph to describe it. If you like Da Vinci or want to learn more about him, this is a great place to start!