This fascinating exploration of Leonardo da Vincis life & work identifies what it was that made him so unique & explains the phenomenon of the worlds most celebrated artistic genius who 500 years on still grips & inspires us. Martin Kemp offers us exceptional insights into what it was that made this Renaissance man so special & the real meaning behind such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa & the Last Supper. Tracing Leonardos career in all its variety we learn of his unfulfilled dreams relationships with powerful patrons & the truth about his views on God humans & nature. The famous notebooks are the key to understanding the secret of Leonardos success & genius as they clearly reveal the workings of his mind & display the true innovative & investigative nature of his creative vision. Over 20 000 pages of drawings & notes detail his incredible discoveries & inventions
- from the workings of the human eye to designs for flying machines & giant crossbows. Bringing the story up to the present day Martin Kemp considers what he means to us today investigates the Leonardo industry & speculates about what he would be doing if he were alive today. This updated edition of Martin Kemps best-seller is the first book on Leonardo to include two newly discovered works the most important such discoveries in over a hundred years.