Here is a complete picture of the techniques and working philosophy of one of the greatest artistic geniuses of the Renaissance. Assembled by a brilliant scholar from Leonardo's own writings—Notebooks and The Treatise on Painting—as well as his artistic production, the book offers a carefully balanced view of the artist's intellectual growth. Drawing on all the relevant writings, and rectifying many errors made by previous scholars, this work differs from earlier studies in its systematic grouping of the passages of Leonardo's writings concerning painting.
In organizing the materials, the editor focuses on problems of interpretation; the result is the direct opposite of a simple anthology, offering instead a reconstruction of the underlying meaning of Leonardo's words. For each section, noted French art scholar André Chastel has provided an informative introduction and notes, and substantial bibliographic and reference materials for the book as a whole. More than 125 painstakingly reproduced illustrations are found throughout the text, further enhancing this rich and accessible resource, sure to be welcomed by scholars, lay readers, and any admirer of the incomparable Leonardo.