Leonardo da Vinci: The Flights of the Mind
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Wikidata image
Leonardo da Vinci: Flights of the Mind is a 2004 biography of Leonardo da Vinci by Charles Nicholl.
Description
The book researches the life of Leonardo da Vinci in Tuscane and explores the reasons of his historic success.[1][2] The author's main observation is that most of Leonardo's work was unfinished. Through a thorough research, the author dismisses most of the romanticized facts about da Vinci and concludes that a lot is unknown about the genius inventor.[3] Leonardo is described as an engineer obsessed with natural designs.[4] Washington Post writer Alexander Nagel criticized Nicholl's technical analysis of the inventor's paintings that lack insight and misses an opportunity to push deeper into the mind of Leonardo.[5]
The author retranslates many of Leonardo's mirrorscript writings.[6] Some guesswork is admittedly thrown in this biography:[2] an old woman visiting Leonardo in 1493 becomes his mother; Freudian concepts are used to explain his probable homosexuality (Joseph missing from his representations of the Holy Family); His stay in jail is linked to his plans to reverse engineer locks...[7] The author also argues that Leonardo's obsession with flying devices comes from his alchemical quest for a levitation technology.[5]
David Gelernter criticized his interpretations around the hypothetical encounter of Michelangelo and Leonardo.[4]
The release of Leonardo da Vinci: Flights of the Mind coincided with the release of another Leonardo biography, Leonardo by Martin Kemp.[8]
Release details
- 2004, United States, Viking Adult Template:ISBN, Pub date 18 November 2004, Hardcover
- 2005, United States, Penguin Template:ISBN, 29 November 2005, Paperback
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".