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8th out of 129 books
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22 voters
Leonardo da Vinci: Flights of the Mind
As the success of blockbusters like The Da Vinci Code shows, the incomparable and enigmatic Leonardo da Vinci continues to captivate. In this widely acclaimed biography, Charles Nicholl uncovers the man behind the myth of the �Renaissance master.� Painter, sculptor, inventor, draftsman, anatomist�Leonardo�s life and career encompassed so many of the creative achievements t...more
Paperback, 448 pages
Published
November 29th 2005
by Penguin Books
(first published 2004)
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To write a biography of Leonardo that does not make the reader feel uselessly unaccomplished and inadequate, or dewy eyed with adoration, is quite a feat. Of course Leonardo considered himself something of a failure, but that’s just poppycock on his part; though it is worth pondering why he was so unsatisfied with his countless accomplishments, just as it is to ask why Thomas Aquinas near the end of his life considered all his writings to be so much straw.*
This is a portrait in the Leonardo man...more
This is a portrait in the Leonardo man...more
Nicholls has painstakingly researched the minutiae of the note-books which constitute as much of the great Renaissance man’s legacy as do his magisterial works of art. As such, the author has provided valuable insights and theories on how both can proffer a more detailed picture of the man behind the myth. Thus, Nicholls explores signature works for any clues which they may hold relating to the attitudes and lifestyle of the artist. The reader is also given the most revealing interpretation of h...more
Forget Dan Brown's fictional Da Vinci Code (**** May/June 2003); here's the real deal. Award-winning author Nicholl draws on Leonardo's notebooks to delve deep inside the mind of the beloved Renaissance icon. Celebrating Leonardo's life and projects with contagious excitement and putting his achievements in the context of the Italian Renaissance as a whole, Nicholl considers Leonardo's inspirations and influences. If we learn little new about Leonardo's most famous works or his competition with
...more
The biography is based on journals that Da Vinci kept, in addition to secondary sources of information. I found the inclusion of things like Leonardo's grocery list a little tedious at times, but I appreciate how much detail the author included for the reader's benefit.
I started reading this book as most people would, from the beginning to the end, and ended up putting it back on the shelf for awhile. I picked it up again and skipped to the chapters I was most interested in and ended up reading...more
I started reading this book as most people would, from the beginning to the end, and ended up putting it back on the shelf for awhile. I picked it up again and skipped to the chapters I was most interested in and ended up reading...more
Really loved this. I can't imagine there being a more exhaustive book on da Vinci. Nicholl goes over all that is known about his life and works and while managing to give all the facts, also indulges in a lot of "what if's" and context, all of which brings what could otherwise be an overly dry and academic book to life. The world that he lived in is vividly described and the broader cultural and political movements are all given full consideration. And where gaps in the knowledge exist, he gives...more
As the success of blockbusters like The Da Vinci Code shows, the incomparable and enigmatic Leonardo da Vinci continues to captivate. In this widely acclaimed biography, Charles Nicholl uncovers the man behind the myth of the Renaissance master. Painter, sculptor, inventor, draftsman, anatomist Leonardo's life and career encompassed so many of the creative achievements that made his era spectacular. Nicholl skillfully captures it all while tracing his subject�s journey from an illegitimate child...more
I spent a lot of time with this biography, reading one short chapter or two at a time, sipping it like a fine Tuscan wine. I'm not proud of that analogy, but I'm sticking with it. That might have turned out to be the best possible way to read it, a little at a time without getting bogged down in too many small details; trust me, there are a lot. Nicholl makes constant references to Leonardo's abundant notebooks, trying to find traces of the man, his character, and his life to go along with all o...more
It was a bit of a slog to make it through this biography. The overall outline of Leonardo's life and works was interesting, and I appreciate the author's frequent citations of contemporary sources, but I was less than impressed with how he went about interpreting the sources and filling in the details.
The author was definitely most interested in Leonardo Da Vinci as a painter. He speculates about the origins, possible models, and hidden meanings of Leonardo's paintings ad nauseum while giving a...more
The author was definitely most interested in Leonardo Da Vinci as a painter. He speculates about the origins, possible models, and hidden meanings of Leonardo's paintings ad nauseum while giving a...more
What is there left to say about Leonardo da Vinci? He is one of those figures from history about whom little more can be found, another Rasputin or Roman Emperor, and yet the words keep flowing, the books keep appearing.
In fairness to Charles Nicholl, he may not have unearthed any revelationary ‘with new evidence from recently opened archives’ material (the timeless justification for another biography of Josef Stalin), but he does pull everything that is known together with a rare clarity and di...more
In fairness to Charles Nicholl, he may not have unearthed any revelationary ‘with new evidence from recently opened archives’ material (the timeless justification for another biography of Josef Stalin), but he does pull everything that is known together with a rare clarity and di...more
Dec 07, 2008
Elle Saverini
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Elle by:
self
A near masterpiece in its reconstruction of historical fact and approachable, touchable genius: "La minestra se fredda..." he scribbles in the margins of his work -
- the cook has called him repestedly because the "Soup is getting cold ..." He is just like us, and yet ...
Leonardo, with all the scope his name ellicits -- lives and breathes in these pages with glorious illustrations.
- the cook has called him repestedly because the "Soup is getting cold ..." He is just like us, and yet ...
Leonardo, with all the scope his name ellicits -- lives and breathes in these pages with glorious illustrations.
It is said the Mona Lisa is the world's most recognizable painting but there is much about it we don't know. Da Vinci was one of the greatest minds we've known but few know much at all about the man. Nichols combines first hand accounts, public records, etc to provide a closer look into the daily life of Leonardo from birth to death. He even has the steadfastness to leave blank spots blank and not feel the historian need to know everything, which since full knowledge is never possible some fill...more
This was a long, slow read for me, which is not my usual speed, but it was well worth it. Fascinating man, and well written book with lots of interesting stories and a fair bit of speculation, but still worth reading.
Very solid, informative biography. Goes on a few speculative waltzes and fantasizes about da Vinci's genius too much, but otherwise superb.
mesmerizing...of course I am a HUGE fan of Leonardo!
Historically excruciating detail down to a moving list with too much speculation by author -- otherwise an interesting account of the man known as Leonardo Da Vinci
biography--Did not finish--get out the library again
For some reason I have recently been on a big Leonardo kick and I have read a few biographies. This one has been by far the best. It is scholarly and very well researched but is also very readable and rewarding. The author succeeds very well at creating a whole and believable person out of the myths and legends that surround a man like Leonardo. The book is filled with many drawings and painting details and contains a large section of color slides. This is really one of my favorite books now.
Dec 13, 2012
André
added it
marvelous
Jul 08, 2007
Lois
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who wants to know about Da Vinci
Shelves:
lobagsbooks
After I came back from Italy I became obssessed with anything to do with Leonardo Da Vinci. On my bookshelf I must have 10 or so books about him. This is my least favorite book as it is not a true picture of the man as a whole. This book only deals with his life in art, not in technology, religion of the mysteries surrounding his involvement in the Iluminati. I can recommend better books.
A very informative, well-researched biography about the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci, the renaissance master and one of the greatest minds of all time. The only downside of this book is that the author gets sidetracked with lengthy descriptions of insignificant matters and events. Overall, I really enjoyed reading it.
This book takes a bit to get through. The material is written in a way that isn't perhaps too friendly for the casual reader. However, the information provided is well researched and timely. It provides, perhaps, a more accurate view of the man and genius than the ever increasing pop culture provides.
Great biography of Leonardo. Did you know he painted the "Mona Lisa" AND "The Last Supper?" It goes into the current events of the time and really paints a picture of Renaissance Italy. My only problem with it was that there was very little about Leonardo's engineering.
Incredibly well researched and fact laden. It ties together Renaissance Tuscany for me with all the interactions of important people in history and art.
Hard to read because of a small fond, but well worth the struggle!
Hard to read because of a small fond, but well worth the struggle!
Excellent read by an author who clearly loves his subject. I did not learn anything really new about Leonardo, but feel I was able to get as close as one can get to an historical figure. 600 pages of good stuff.
Really enjoyed this book - highly recommend it. A bit long but very interesting
Excelente biografia de Leonardo, completa y con muchisimos detalles. No obstante es un poco frustrante saber que Leonardo pocas veces acababa lo que comenzaba.
Skimmed it enough to get the gist of this polymath's genius. Interesting section explaining how he prepared the canvas/panels for working.
Journey of illegitimate child to the great painter and inventor with well presented historical background. Great biography.
This is the first book I've read on DaVinci, but it was really well written. I learned a lot about him.
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“Everything should be doubted and tested before it is held to be true.”
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“The cage is empty; the mind has flown.”
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