Leonardo da Vinci and the Secrets of the Codex Atlanticus

by Marco Navoni (Contributor), Franco Buzzi (Preface)

Appreciate the multifaceted genius of Leonardo da Vinci with this beautiful look at his Codex Atlanticus.
 
Nowhere is the genius of Leonardo da Vinci more evident than in the famous Codex Atlanticus, which preserves his dazzling ideas on subjects ranging from war machines and musical instruments to human anatomy and powered flight. Now, here are the finest pages of the Codex, shown in high-quality photographs that allow us to see details previously admired only by scholars. Leonardo da Vinci's work emerges with all its peerless force in this beautiful reproduction.

Genres: Art, Science, History

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2012

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leonardo da Vinci and the Secrets of the Codex Atlanticus, by Marco Navoni et al. is an interesting collection of works by Leonardo Da Vinci from the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan. The works depicted in this volume are collected from Da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus - a body of work posthumously collected and compiled in relation to the many drawings, plans, and projects of Da Vinci. Far from just being an artist, Da Vinci was in fact an engineer and architect, and the collection of knowledge from multiple fields helped him design some amazing, fantastical and interesting machines and tools. Much of the work focus' on Da Vinci's primary job - designing military equipment and fortifications, such as fantastical catapults, theoretical machine guns, and other mechanisms for launching projectiles. Also contained within are sketches on civil engineering projects, like canals, and machines for managing water, such as hydraulic pumps and water wheels, machinery to improve productivity in textile manufacturing, and even sketches on mechanical rotisseries! Some fantastical drawings, noting diving apparatus, armoured boats, and flying machines are also contained within. Each folio shown has a brief description of the contents by the author, adding some context to the amazing sketches. Da Vinci's use of perspective, and shading to illustrate three dimensional objects, is quite stunning. Also shown is his cryptic right-left writing, and even some cryptic notations, possibly to add some subtlety due to the sensitivity of his work in military and civic engineering. This was a fascinating and beautiful look at the less grandiose, but equally elegant and fascinating works of Da Vinci, and certainly worth a read for those interested in drawing, illustrating and perspective, as well as a look into the mind of a brilliant engineer and artist.

[mytoiletstoppedworking · Rating 5 out of 5]

so if you a genius like me then you would take out this book. i actually love this book and i should probably start reading again because i just remembered i read this book so im reviewing it now like i litearlly took it out 4-5 years ago when i was a baby but its still so good. so kids go get this book right now if you wanna be a genius like me, also i love how 90% of this review is just me talking about how i should start reading again