The Life and Works of Leonardo Da Vinci

This comprehensive new book is an essential volume for anyone who wants to learn more about Leonardo and to survey his greatest works in one beautifully illustrated collection. The first half of the book contains a detailed exploration of Leonardo's life, including his background, early career, influences and relationships. Beginning with his illegitimate birth in the small Italian village of Vinci, in 1452, it details his childhood, family life and education then moves on to his interests in architecture, engineering and science and his career as a painter. The second half of the book contains a comprehensive gallery of over 300 of Leonardo s major paintings, drawings and designs. These superb reproductions are accompanied by thorough analysis of each artwork and its significance within the context of his life, his technique and his body of work as a whole.