Leonardo's Notebooks
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Leonardo Da Vinci's Notebooks
While I do admire Leonardo's paintings, they dont fill me with awe like his inventions do. I have always been fascinated with science and the history of science - and therefore I am actually far more interested in what Leonardo wrote and drew in his notebooks than what he painted.
This lens is my attempt to bring together (in one place) as much information as possible about Leonardo's scientific inventions and his notebooks.
Image source - Workman Book Publishers
Leonardo's Biography
Just a brief Biography.Born in Italy - April 1452
Died in France - May 1519
Leonardo worked mostly for the Northern Italian Nobility - the Sforza family, the Medici family and the Borgia family. He spent 3 years staying at the Belvedere in the Vatican (1513 - 1516) where he was studying some of his inventions rather than painting. Towards the end of his life, he was working for King Francois I of France.
It is also well know that Leonardo wrote backwards (in reverse) in all his notebooks. Most likely this was done to prevent others from stealing his ideas and inventions.
Leonardo painted such famous paintings and frescos as -
The Mona Lisa (La Gioconda)
Madonna of the Rocks
Lady with an Ermine (Cecilia Gallerani)
The Last Supper
Adoration of the Magi
Virgin and Child with St Anne
Portrait of Ginevra de Benci
The Annunciation
Image source - Mona Lisa - Wikipedia
In May 2019, (8 years from now) it will be 500 years since Leonardo died. I hope there is a celebration of Leonardo's life and works.
Leonardo - Scientist versus Painter
Which side of Leonardo's personality do you admire the most?
The Artist and Painter
Terrie_Schultz says:
I clicked on artist and painter, but I'd really have to say both. What an amazing person!
JoyfulReviewer says:
Leonardo was brilliant as both scientist and painter.
OhMe says:
The Artist and Painter just because I am more familar with that personality
emmajo says:
both!!!! the detail in his paintings is often breathtaking
The Scientist and Inventor
PeterStreep says:
Leonardo as an inventor, he was truly unique. I think there where better painters in history than Leonardo da Vinci, Like Rembrandt, Vermeer and Durer. So if I had to choose I chose Leonardo as an Inventor, but he made great art too, no doubt about that.
CruiseReady says:
Though when I was young and starry-eyed, I would have said "the artist", I think that, today I must agree with you!
nevets_sdoow says:
I'm with you — scientist all the way. There have been very few great minds to come along, but his was most certainly one of them. It's a shame that more people don't give proper reverence to those who have made significant impacts in the fields of science. Those are the most important fields of expertise that the human race has ever known.
Serenia says:
As I said above - I am a huge admirer of Leonardo the scientist..
Codex Leicester
Thomas Coke, the Earl of Leicester, purchased this codex in 1717. It was named Codex Leicester after him. In 1980, Armand Hammer (the President of Occidental Petroleum) obtained the Codex Leicester for $5.6 million. He renamed the Codex as Codex Hammer.
This notebook was later purchased by Bill Gates (Founder of Microsoft Inc) in 1994 for $30.8 million. Gates renamed the Codex back to the Codex Leicester (the original name).
Some pages of this codex can be seen on the TURNING THE PAGE interactive section of the British Library - along with some pages of the Codex Arundel. See the British Library link in the Resources section.
This is the only original notebook in private hands and the only one in the USA. It was written between 1506 and 1510. It contains 72 pages of notes and observations by Leonardo (in his reverse handwriting) on a wide range of topics including -
Astronomy
Hydrodynamics
Rivers and seas
Properties of water
Rocks and fossils
Air
Celestial light
There are also over 300 pen-and-ink sketches, drawings, and diagrams,
Image source - one page from the Codex Leicester
Codex Arundel
The 283 pages of this codex were acquired by the Earl of Arundel in the 1630s while he was in Spain. These pages were written by Leonardo between 1478 and 1518 and they have notes and comments on Architecture, Geometry and Mechanics. This codex was given to the Royal Society in 1667 and later purchased by the British Library in 1831.
Pages from this codex can be seen in the TURNING THE PAGE interactive section of the British Library website - see resources.
Codex Trivulzianus
This codex used to have 62 sheets, now only 55 remain. They are mostly just lists of Latin vocabulary words that Leonardo wrote while trying to educate himself. This codex is kept in the Sforza Castle in Milan, Italy and is not usually available for the public to look at.
Image source - Wikipedia
Codex "On the Flight of Birds"
This is a short collection of notebook pages - just 18 sheets dated to 1505 - and they all are detailed notes on the flight of birds. Leonardo also attempted to understand the mechanics of flight. He built several flying machines but was unsuccessful in getting any of them to fly. This codex is held at the Biblioteca Reale in Turin, Italy
Image source - German Wikispaces
Leonardo Da Vinci on TV
Image source - Star Trek database
Codex Ashburnham
A few pages of Leonardo's Notebooks, dated to between 1489 and 1492. This codex was found in Ashburnham House in Surrey, England and is now held at the Institute of France in Paris. Mostly just architecture notes and comments.
Image source - German Wikipedia
Ever After - Leonardo da Vinci
Codex Atlanticus
The Codex Atlanticus consists of over 1100 pages of Leonardo's writings and drawings spread over 12 volumes and written between 1478 and 1519. This codex contains some of Leonardos most famous drawings and because it is the largest collection of pages from Leonardos notebooks, it is considered to be the most important..
One of the most famous drawings in this codex is that of the heliocopter - or helicopter as we call it today.
This codex is currently held at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy. Right now (2011) the pages of this codex are on display to the general public and will be displayed until the year 2015 - see video below.
Image source - Wikipedia
Codex Atlanticus
Codex Forster
The smallest of all the notebooks, these are 3 sheets, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. They were written in between 1490 and 1493 and contain notes and diagrams on geometry, weights, mechanics and hydraulic machines.
Image source - German Wikipedia
The Madrid Codices
In 1966, 2 notebooks were discovered in the National Library of Madrid. These notebooks were bound in red moroccan leather and together they hold 197 pages on geometry and mechanics.
Image source - Leonardo Da Vinci, Treatises on Mechanics and Geometry from Codices Madrid I and II - This webpage is in SPANISH.
The original Madrid notebook pages can be seen HERE
Royal Windsor Folios
The Windsor Folios, which include many of Leonardo's drawings of horses, are held in the Royal Library in Windsor Castle.At some point Leonardo planned to create a sculpture of a horse but only got as far as making a clay model.
Image source - Leonardo's Study of a Horse - Wikipedia
Leonardo da Vinci Resources
- Leonardo Da Vinci
- Leonardo Da Vinci's Secrets
- Leonardo's Science and Inventions
- Wikipedia
- Leonardo Mystery Machines
- Museum of Science - Boston, Massachusetts
- Turning the Pages - British Library
- Codex Arundel & Codex Leicester - Click on the Link for Leonardo at bottom left
- Codex Leicester on display 1996 - 1997
- American Museum of Natural History, New York City
- Codex Leicester
- Wikipedia
- Codex Atlanticus
- Wikipedia
- Codex Arundel
- Wikipedia
- Universal Leonardo
- A series of exhibitions held around Europe in 2006 - now closed. But this website continues.
- Museo Scienza - Milan, Italy
- Describes how the notebook pages were divided up and sent to different places.after Leonardo died.
- Codex Trivulzianus
- Wikipedia
- Codex On the Flight of Birds
- Wikipedia
- Notebooks
- Leonardo da Vinci Biography website. This page includes a brief description of notebook, codices, locations and subject matter.
- Leonardo da Vinci
- The Complete Works
- Notebooks download
- Own Fine Art - you can download your own viewer to read Leonardo's Notebooks in English,
- Equestrian studies
- The Sketches of a Renaissance Man
- Leonardo's Notebooks
- Project Gutenberg
- Leonardo Biography
- Art History on Stamps - Detailed Biography of Leonardo
Books on Leonardo's scientific knowledge
Related Lenses
Leonardo was truely a GENIUS!!!!
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oxfordian
Jan 20, 2012 @ 11:45 pm | delete
- Beautiful, beautiful lens. I'm a big Leinardo fan and I will never forget seeing his notebooks in person.
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ChristyMarieKent
Jan 19, 2012 @ 7:43 am | delete
- Very interesting lens! I need to go check out some of those books ...
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alwaysjules Jan 9, 2012 @ 5:06 pm | delete
- Happy New Year! Congratulations on your lens being chosen as a top 100 Community Favorite for 2011!
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krakensquid
Jan 9, 2012 @ 3:15 am | delete
- Fantastic lens, very well written and full of great information! He truly was a genius, there's no doubt about it.
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CruiseReady Jan 3, 2012 @ 9:40 am | delete
- Agreed!
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by Serenia
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