“Leonardo da Vinci“ by Atle Næss

🧑🏻‍🎨For many of us, Leonardo da Vinci is probably known primarily (or even solely) as a painter. After reading this book, however, I am inclined to think that, at his core — and perhaps most authentically — he was a passionate architect. He created hundreds of plans and sketches for all kinds of construction projects: churches, the “ideal city,” canals, bridges, and more. An impressive example is his plan to divert the Arno River as part of the war between Florence and Pisa. Leonardo also designed and built a mechanical wing, inspired by his strong fascination with birds and flight.

🧑🏻‍🎨Da Vinci always knew he was talented and was never shy about claiming it (sometimes even a little arrogantly). Despite his genius, however, fate was often merciless and/or unfair to him. His origins probably played a cruel role — an illegitimate child, surrounded by rumors and accusations of homosexuality (very likely true, and involving significantly younger men, as was “fashionable” in the second half of the 15th century).

🧑🏻‍🎨The book quotes extensively from Leonardo’s own notes, which gives the reader a sense of confidence in what they are reading. There is also a great deal of information about other Italian painters, architects, and intellectuals (Donato Bramante, Luca Pacioli, Piero della Francesca, among others), connected to Leonardo either directly or more loosely. The historical context is also presented in detail, along with the names of influential families and rulers of the 15th century (mostly Italian and French) and their role in the life of the artist from Vinci (e.g., the Medici and Sforza families). I can’t decide whether all of this information was perhaps too much and not entirely necessary, since at times Leonardo seemed to disappear among the political power struggles. Still, historical context is always important — it helps us better understand the motives (and, in this case, the artistic output) of a person who lived in a particular era. The book also examines many of Leonardo’s paintings, and it made me realize how uncertain our knowledge about him truly is. There is a lot of it, yes — but it is riddled with unknowns.