Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance
{{short description|1996 book by Alessandro Vezzosi}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Leonardo da Vinci:
The Mind of the Renaissance
| image = Leonardo da Vinci - arte e scienza dell'universo (Universale Electa∕Gallimard, nº 73).jpg
| image_size =
| border =
| alt =
| caption = First Italian edition. The cover featuring the portrait of the Archangel Uriel, detail of the Virgin of the Rocks, Louvre.
| author = Alessandro Vezzosi
| title_orig = Leonardo da Vinci: arte e scienza dell'universo
| orig_lang_code = it
| translator = Françoise Liffran {{small|(French)}}
Alexandra Bonfante-Warren {{small|(English)}}
| cover_artist = Leonardo da Vinci
| country = Italy
| language = Italian
| series = {{ubl | Universale Electa/Gallimard●Arte {{small|(IT)}} | Découvertes Gallimard●Peinture {{small|(FR)}} | Abrams Discoveries {{small|(US)}} | New Horizons {{small|(UK)}} }}
| release_number = {{ordinal|73}} in collection {{small|(IT)}}
{{ordinal|293}} in collection {{small|(FR)}}
| subject = Leonardo da Vinci
| genre = Illustrated biography,
nonfiction monograph
| publisher = {{ubl | Electa/Gallimard {{small|(IT)}} | Éditions Gallimard {{small|(FR)}} | Harry N. Abrams {{small|(US)}} | Thames & Hudson {{small|(UK)}} }}
| pub_date = 1 September 1996
16 April 2010 {{small|(new ed.)}}
| english_pub_date = 1997
| media_type = Print (paperback), e-book for iPad {{small|(2012)}}
| pages = {{ubl | 200 {{small|(Italian ed.)}} | 160 {{small|(French, UK and US eds.)}} }}
| isbn = 978-88-445-0083-2
| isbn_note = (first edition)
| oclc = 55046911
| dewey =
| congress =
| preceded_by = {{lang|it|Matisse: "uno splendore inaudito"}} {{noitalic|{{small|(IT)}}}}
{{lang|fr|François Truffaut : Les films de sa vie}} {{noitalic|{{small|(FR)}}}}
| followed_by = {{lang|it|L'oro di Troia e il sogno di Schliemann}} {{noitalic|{{small|(IT)}}}}
{{lang|fr|Descartes : Bien conduire sa raison}} {{noitalic|{{small|(FR)}}}}
}}
Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance (UK title: Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Man; {{langx|it|Leonardo da Vinci: arte e scienza dell'universo}}; {{langx|fr|Léonard de Vinci : Art et science de l'univers|translation=Leonardo da Vinci: Art and Science of the Universe}}) is a 1996 illustrated biography of Leonardo da Vinci authored by the Italian art critic Alessandro Vezzosi, translated from Italian into French by Françoise Liffran,{{cite web |url=http://www.gallimard.fr/Catalogue/GALLIMARD/Decouvertes-Gallimard/Decouvertes-Gallimard/Arts/Leonard-de-Vinci |title=Léonard de Vinci : Art et science de l'univers, Collection Découvertes Gallimard (n° 293), Série Arts |author= |date=16 April 2010 |website=gallimard.fr |language=fr |access-date=28 November 2020}} and published by Éditions Gallimard in the same year as the {{ordinal|293}} volume in their "Découvertes" collection (known as "Abrams Discoveries" in the United States, and "New Horizons" in the United Kingdom). The book was adapted into a documentary film in 2001, by the title {{lang|fr|Léonard de Vinci}}.{{cite web |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/2003/11/29/la-science-au-secours-de-l-art_4286820_1819218.html |title=La science au secours de l'art |last=Curot |first=Aude |date=29 November 2003 |website=lemonde.fr |language=fr |access-date=28 November 2020}}
The Italian edition was published by Electa/Gallimard as the {{ordinal|73}} volume in the "Universale Electa/Gallimard" collection, which has a total of 200 pages, whereas the French edition contains only 160 pages. The English translation, however, is based on French text rather than the original Italian, as well as other international editions.
Introduction
File:French, UK and US editions of Leonardo da Vinci - arte e scienza dell'universo.jpg
The book is part of the {{lang|fr|Arts}} series (formerly belonging to {{lang|fr|Peinture}} series) in the "Découvertes Gallimard" collection. According to the tradition of "Découvertes", which is based on an abundant pictorial documentation and a way of bringing together visual documents and texts, enhanced by printing on coated paper, as commented in L'Express, "genuine monographs, published like art books".{{cite web |url=https://www.lexpress.fr/culture/livre/l-invention-des-decouvertes_810690.html |title=L'invention des Découvertes |last=Garcia |first=Daniel |date=1 November 2005 |website=lexpress.fr |language=fr |access-date=27 November 2020 |quote=De véritables monographies, éditées comme des livres d'art.}} It's almost like a "graphic novel", replete with colour plates.
Here the author traces the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci—the artist of {{lang|it|pittura mentale}}—from his childhood in Italy to his death in France, in five chapters, followed by a set of "documents". The biography sets his life in the context of the great courts he visited: the Medici of Florence, ducal Milan and {{ill|Royal court of France|lt=royal France|fr|Cour de France}}. It is an attempt to rewrite Da Vinci's biography, in multiple dimensions, beyond the aura of myth and mystery, of legend and rhetoric, on the basis of autograph manuscripts and original documents. The book also presents a way to reconsider the interpretation of Da Vinci's work, his interdisciplinary complexity, his "universality" and "modernity".{{cite book |last=Vezzosi |first=Alessandro |date=1996 |title=Leonardo da Vinci: arte e scienza dell'universo |series=Collana «Universale Electa/Gallimard●Arte» (nº 73) |language=it |location=Trieste |publisher=Electa/Gallimard |page=text on the back cover |isbn=978-88-445-0083-2}}
In addition to the English and French translations, the book has been translated into Brazilian Portuguese, European Spanish, Japanese, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, South Korean, Swedish, Turkish, simplified and traditional Chinese. A new edition was released in 2010, an e-book for iPad came out in 2012,{{cite web |url=https://www.cnetfrance.fr/news/gallimard-lance-une-collection-d-ebooks-pour-ipad-et-kobo-arc-39783562.htm |title=Gallimard lance une collection d'ebooks pour iPad et Kobo Arc |last=Taillandier |first=Florent |date=15 October 2012 |website=cnetfrance.fr |language=fr |access-date=28 November 2020}}{{cite web |url=http://www.gallimard.fr/Catalogue/GALLIMARD/Decouvertes-Gallimard/Decouvertes-Gallimard/Ipad/Leonard-de-Vinci |title=Léonard de Vinci : Art et science de l'univers, Collection Découvertes Gallimard, Série Ipad |author= |date=9 October 2012 |website=gallimard.fr |language=fr |access-date=28 November 2020}} and a reprint for the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Louvre Museum from 24 October 2019 to 24 February 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.classiquenews.com/livre-evenement-critique-leonard-de-vinci-art-et-science-de-lunivers-par-alessandro-vezzosi-gallimard-decouvertes/ |title=LIVRE événement, critique. Léonard de Vinci. Art et science de l'univers par ALESSANDRO VEZZOSI (Gallimard Découvertes) |last=Deags |first=Alban |date=26 October 2019 |website=classiquenews.com |language=fr |access-date=28 November 2020}}
Contents
The book opens with a "trailer" ({{pp.|1|9}}), that is, a series of full-page drawings, paintings and mural made by Leonardo da Vinci. The body text is divided into five chapters:
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
- Chapter 1: "Once Upon a Time in Vinci" ({{pp.|13|23}});
- Chapter 2: "In the Florence of the Medici" ({{pp.|25|49}});
- Chapter 3: "In Milan in the Time of the Sforza" ({{pp.|51|81}});
- Chapter 4: "Art and War" ({{pp.|83|103}});
- Chapter 5: "Milan, Rome, Amboise" ({{pp.|105|127}}).
{{div col end}}
The second part of the book, the "Documents", containing a compilation of excerpts divided into five parts:
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
- Portraits of a mysterious man ({{pp.|130|133}});
- Freud and Leonardo ({{pp.|134|135}});
- Leonardo in his own words ({{pp.|136|141}});
- Leonardo's science ({{pp.|142|145}});
- Leonardo in the modern age ({{pp.|146|149}}).
- Further Reading ({{pp.|150|151}});
- List of Illustrations ({{pp.|151|156}});
- Index ({{pp.|156|158}}).
{{div col end}}
Reception
On Babelio, the book gets an average of 4.28/5 based on 9 ratings.{{cite web |url=https://www.babelio.com/livres/Vezzosi-Leonard-de-Vinci--Art-et-science-de-lunivers/189402 |title=Léonard de Vinci : Art et science de l'univers |author= |website=babelio.com |language=fr |access-date=28 November 2020}} Goodreads reported, based on 129 ratings, an average of 3.60 out of 5,{{cite web |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179280 |title=Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance |author= |website=goodreads.com |access-date=28 November 2020}} indicating "generally positive opinions".
In The Irish Times, an anonymous author opines that "this little book is a useful summary".{{cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/leonardo-da-vinci-renaissance-man-new-horizons-thames-hudson-6-95-in-uk-1.123172 |title=Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Man (New Horizons, Thames & Hudson, £6.95 in UK) |author= |date=10 January 1998 |website=irishtimes.com |access-date=3 November 2021}}
Adaptation
In 2001, the book was adapted into a documentary film by the title {{lang|fr|Léonard de Vinci}}. A co-production between La Sept-Arte and Trans Europe Film, with the collaboration of Éditions Gallimard and Louvre Museum,{{cite web |url=http://films.louvre.fr/fr/les-films/collections-et-grandes-expositions/des-artistes-et-des-oeuvres/leonard-de-vinci.html |title=Les Films du Louvre — Léonard de Vinci |author= |date=2001 |website=films.louvre.fr |language=fr |access-date=28 November 2020}} the film was directed by Jean-Claude Lubtchansky, with voice-over narration by French actors Aurore Clément and {{ill|Gérard Desarthe|fr|}}. It was broadcast on Arte as part of the television programme The Human Adventure,{{cite web |url=http://download.pro.arte.tv/archives/fichiers/01776772.pdf |title=L'Aventure humaine — Dix films : Léonard de Vinci |author= |date=2002 |website=pro.arte.tv |language=fr |access-date=28 November 2020}} and also released on DVD by Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC).{{cite web |url=https://imagesdelaculture.cnc.fr/-/leonard-de-vin-1 |title=Léonard de Vinci |author= |date=2001 |website=imagesdelaculture.cnc.fr |language=fr |access-date=28 November 2020}} It has been dubbed into German under the title {{lang|de|Leonardo da Vinci: Kunst und Wissenschaft des Universums}},{{cite web |url=https://programm.ard.de/TV/arte/leonardo-da-vinci/eid_287247507269371 |title=Leonardo da Vinci: Kunst und Wissenschaft des Universums |author= |date=10 March 2012 |website=programm.ard.de |language=de |access-date=28 November 2020}} and into English, by the title Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance.{{cite web |url=https://www.films.com/id/4253 |title=Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance |author= |date= |website=films.com |access-date=28 November 2020}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.gallimard.fr/Catalogue/GALLIMARD/Decouvertes-Gallimard/Decouvertes-Gallimard/Arts/Leonard-de-Vinci}} {{in lang|fr}}
- {{Internet Archive|id=leonardodavincir0000vezz|name=Leonardo da Vinci : Renaissance man}}
- {{Internet Archive|id=leonardodavincim0000vezz|name=Leonardo da Vinci : the mind of the Renaissance}}
{{Leonardo da Vinci}}
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Category:1996 non-fiction books
Category:Works about Leonardo da Vinci
Category:Biographies about artists
Category:Biographies adapted into films
Category:Découvertes Gallimard
Category:2001 documentary films
Category:2001 television films
Category:French documentary television films
Category:Biographical documentary films