New Documentary Explores the Lasting Impact of Leonardo da Vinci’s Life and Work
Artist, scientist, engineer and philosopher — titles that only scratch the surface of what 15th century Italian Leonardo da Vinci achieved..
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Leonardo da Vinci grows up in a Tuscan village surrounded by nature, then moves to Florence, where the Renaissance is in full bloom, to apprentice as an artist and craftsman. He shows extraordinary talent but at times struggles to finish commissions. Later, in Milan, he joins Duke Sforza’s court, begins writing treatises, and paints a monumental fresco depicting the Last Supper.
Leonardo works as a military engineer, designs fanciful flying machines, studies light and shadow, investigates gravity, dissects cadavers, and pens treatises on a vast array of subjects, all while seeking the perfect patron. In Florence, Milan, Rome, and finally France, he pours the sum of his scientific and artistic knowledge into a portrait that would become the most famous painting on earth.
Artist, scientist, engineer and philosopher — titles that only scratch the surface of what 15th century Italian Leonardo da Vinci achieved..
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The latest documentary from Ken Burns and his team tries to encompass Leonardo da Vinci’s multitudinous pursuits and put viewers “in between his ears,” as the filmmaker David McMahon says. We spoke to him and Sarah Burns.
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A comprehensive biography by Walter Isaacson called “Leonardo da Vinci” delves into the staggeringly inquisitive and creative giant of the Renaissance. Isaacson, who has written acclaimed biographies of Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein and Henry Kissinger, joined Chicago Tonight back in 2017 for a conversation about da Vinci.
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Leonardo da Vinci is the archetypal “Renaissance man.” He is revered for his paintings, his inventions, his daring. He is practically synonymous with “genius.” But what do we actually know about him? Or, to put it more directly, who is the man behind the vaunted Renaissance man?
Read MoreExplore some of the masterpieces, sketches, and writings of Leonardo da Vinci.