Art History & Appreciation: Leonardo Da Vinci

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Speculations regarding the true life and meanings of Leonardo's works have been rife for centuries, indeed books such as the Da Vinci Code only serve to confirm this continued interest. Yet what do we really know about this enigmatic Renaissance master. An understanding of the times and motivations of Leonardo will ultimately unravel this mystery. This one-day course aims to provide the student with an insight into the life of the great Renaissance masters and ultimately an understanding of his works through the historical and social context within which this artist worked. This will be achieved by looking at his early career and influences including his training and working methods, and the stylistic similarities or differences in his works. We will begin by focusing on Leonardo's early life and tutelage in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio. We will then examining his earliest commissions and how these might have shaped his future work. Later we shall look at Leonardo's life of invention and fascination by all living things including the mechanics of flight. We will then move on to looking at Leonardo's patrons and his fascination with the Madonna and Child grouping and portraits. And finally all these parts of Leonardo's life will be framed by looking at his career through his peripatetic existence which finally ended in France. Course suitable for all with Leslie Primo