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Leonardo da Vinci: Painter
The Complete Works
Text by Giovanni Villa.
More iconic images accrue to the name of Leonardo da Vinci than to any other artist. The “Mona Lisa” stands as a sort of primary visual signifier for “Art” itself, just as his drawing of Vitruvian Man stands as a primary visual signifier for “Man.” This new da Vinci monograph presents this ultimate Renaissance man’s complete corpus, from the most renowned oil paintings such as “Lady with an Ermine,” “Virgin of the Rocks” and “Mona Lisa” to frescoes such as “The Last Supper” in Santa Maria delle Grazie Church and the ceiling frescoes of the Sala delle Asse in Castello Sforzesco in Milan. All works are reproduced in full-color plates, many of them augmented with detail plates that reveal the extraordinary care lavished by the artist upon his canvases. Also included are da Vinci’s preparatory drawings and cartoons; works no longer extant, such as “The Battle of Anghiari,” are enumerated as part of the da Vinci corpus. Affordably priced and superbly produced, this volume offers a basic da Vinci monograph for all. Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was born in Florence and studied with the renowned painter Verrocchio, qualifying as a “master” at the age of 20 in 1472. After his apprenticeship he worked for Ludovico il Moro, later moving to Rome, Bologna and Venice before settling in France, where his final three years were spent in the service of François I.
Featured image is a detail of da Vinci's "Annunciation" (1472-1473).
"The Virgin is barely grazed by the slanting light that illuminates her and gilds her hair; she is accommodated in a recessed porch so that her sweet but inexpressive face stands out against the dark corner wall, useful for bringing a sparkle to the passages of fine poetry in dialogue with what the angel expresses, the light area of the hand holding the lily alighting in the shadow of the robe and the so-pure profile silhouetted plainly against the dark background provided by the various kinds of trees seen against the light, on the other side of the balustrade. This low screen makes it possible to construct a deep landscape that right away introduces one of the cardinal points of Leonardo’s poetic: the problem of the sfondato, the trompe-l’oeil of far-off landscapes – similar to the one we find in the Baptism of Christ, also at the Uffizi – where a veil of that sort of air that Leonardo called “heavy” filters the distances and tinges them pale blue." - Giovanni Villa, excerpted from the chapter on "Annunciation."
FORMAT: Hbk, 9.5 x 11 in. / 240 pgs / 80 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $60.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $70 ISBN: 9788836621446 PUBLISHER: Silvana Editoriale AVAILABLE: 3/31/2012 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Out of print AVAILABILITY: Not available TERRITORY: NA LA ASIA AU/NZ AFR ME
Published by Silvana Editoriale. Text by Giovanni Villa.
More iconic images accrue to the name of Leonardo da Vinci than to any other artist. The “Mona Lisa” stands as a sort of primary visual signifier for “Art” itself, just as his drawing of Vitruvian Man stands as a primary visual signifier for “Man.” This new da Vinci monograph presents this ultimate Renaissance man’s complete corpus, from the most renowned oil paintings such as “Lady with an Ermine,” “Virgin of the Rocks” and “Mona Lisa” to frescoes such as “The Last Supper” in Santa Maria delle Grazie Church and the ceiling frescoes of the Sala delle Asse in Castello Sforzesco in Milan. All works are reproduced in full-color plates, many of them augmented with detail plates that reveal the extraordinary care lavished by the artist upon his canvases. Also included are da Vinci’s preparatory drawings and cartoons; works no longer extant, such as “The Battle of Anghiari,” are enumerated as part of the da Vinci corpus. Affordably priced and superbly produced, this volume offers a basic da Vinci monograph for all.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was born in Florence and studied with the renowned painter Verrocchio, qualifying as a “master” at the age of 20 in 1472. After his apprenticeship he worked for Ludovico il Moro, later moving to Rome, Bologna and Venice before settling in France, where his final three years were spent in the service of François I.
