Synopses & Reviews
This seminal book on the paintings of the great Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci, first published by Abrams in 2000, has now been reissued in a compact, portable paperback format. As in the earlier volume, fresh photography and advanced printing techniques allow these precious masterworks to be reproduced with unparalleled accuracy and clarity, and every one of Leonardo's paintings is included, along with a text by one of the world's leading experts on the artist.
Such beloved paintings as the Mona Lisa, The Madonna of the Rocks, and The Annunciation are all showcased in this magisterial book, and the restored Last Supper is seen in all its richness of detail and tone. Scholar Pietro Marani explores Leonardo's fertile and original intellect and his astounding capacity for imbuing the human figure with emotion, sublime beauty, and grace. Preparatory drawings and studies are accompanied by enlarged details that reveal the painter's extraordinary sense of light and shadow, color and atmosphere-the fugitive, intangible quality we call "Leonardesque." Here is a book that does justice to the magnificent accomplishments of this great artist.
Review
"The huge, superb detail shots here...will surprise even the most jaded connoisseur." Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [368]-378) and index.
About the Author
Pietro C. Marani is one of the world's foremost scholars on Leonardo da Vinci and author of more than 30 volumes and numerous essays and articles on the artist and his period. He is former vice-director of the Brera Museum in Milan, and a codirector of the recent restoration of Leonardo's Last Supper. He is now professor of modern art at the Politecnico di Milano.
Table of Contents
Introduction -- In Verrochio's workshop -- "Maestro Lionardo Dipintore" -- The Virgin of the rocks: an unfortunate model, a successful composition -- The portraits: new iconography and old prejudices -- Toward a new classicism: from the Last Supper to the Virgin and Child with St. Anne -- Epilogue with deluges -- Appendices -- Checklist of paintings -- Lost works -- Documentary appendix -- Bibliography -- Index -- Credits.