For the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death comes an
immersive journey through five centuries of history to define the
Leonardo mystique and uncover how the elusive Renaissance artist became
a global pop icon.
Virtually everyone would agree that Leonardo da Vinci was the most
important artist of the High Renaissance. It was Leonardo who
singlehandedly created the defining features of Western art: a realism
based on subtle shading; depth using atmospheric effects; and dramatic
contrasts between light and dark.
But how did Leonardo, a painter of very few works who died in obscurity
in France, become the internationally renowned icon he is today, with
the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper the most visited artworks in the
world, attracting nearly a billion visitors each year, and Salvator
Mundi selling as the most expensive artwork of all time, for nearly
half a billion dollars?
This extraordinary volume, lavishly illustrated with 130 color images,
is the first book to unravel these mysteries by diving deep into the
art, literature, science, and politics of Europe from the Renaissance
through today. It gives illuminating context to both Leonardo and his
accomplishments; explores why Leonardo's fame vastly overshadowed that
of his contemporaries and disciples; and ultimately reveals why despite
finishing very few works, his celebrity has survived, even thrived,
through five centuries of history.
