Leonardo da Vinci sure gets press for a gentleman who hasn’t been around for five centuries! That’s not to say that it’s not well deserved. Here’s a brief video that gives just a glimpse of why he was such an amazing guy.
Of course, one perennial reason for Leonardo’s popularity is the never ending fascination with how he achieved Mona Lisa’s smile. This video is about just one study about it.
Newsy Entertainment (YouTube Channel)
Here’s a link to a video that further explains the fantastic techniques that Leonardo used to create the illusions that make the painting so enigmatic.
How Leonardo Da Vinci Augmented Reality More Than 500 Years Ago (The Atlantic)
Unfortunately, it’s hard for an average person to actually experience the effect for themselves. In case you’ve never been to the Louvre and tried to see the original, here’s a 360° Video that will give you a sense of what you will probably encounter (skip to 2 minutes into video).
360 Vacation VR (YouTube Channel)
One of the above videos was made to accompany a story by Walter Isaacson about Leonardo da Vinci in the The Atlantic, and that story is a sample of the book Leonardo da Vinci that Isaacson has just added to his pantheon of biographies about geniuses (Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs).
Here’s an inspiring 2 minute video where Isaacson talks about Leonardo’s creativity.
New Scientist (YouTube Channel)
New Scientist (Official Website)
Here’s a link to another video where Isaacson discusses the book.
Walter Isaacson on Accessible Genius of Leonardo da Vinci (CBS, YouTube)
It is probably no coincidence that Isaacson’s book was timed to coincide with the auction of Leonardo’s last painting in private hands — the Salvator Mundi was auctioned at Christie’s.
Associated Press (YouTube Channel)
Associated Press (Official Website)
Here’s a link to a video from Christie’s that explains the importance of the painting.
In truth, though, the authenticity of the painting still remains controversial in some circles.
Mystery over Christ’s orb in $100m Leonardo da Vinci painting (Dalya Alberge, The Guardian)
The painting ended up going to Saudi Arabian Prince Badr bin Abdullah, and the Wikipedia page about it keeps tabs on its whereabouts and exhibition status.
Good news — Leonardo as Leonardo may be coming to a screen near you! Leonardo DiCaprio, who is named after da Vinci, is going to be starring in a movie about his namesake, and it will be based upon Isaacson’s book.
Here’s a link to a story about about the project.
The Role Leonardo DiCaprio Was Literally Born to Play (Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair)
Given what Leonardo da Vinci himself documented about his own exotic exploits, well, that should be “interesting” — it would be hard to be boring. Okay, it has the potential to be pretty gruesome, but fascinating nonetheless.
If you want to know about Leonardo da Vinci, but can’t wait for the movie, here’s a link to an older documentary.
Leonardo’s Universe (National Geographic, YouTube)
You can also find out a ton more about Leonardo on The History Channel and Wikipedia.
Find out more about the time I met Walter Isaacson at Harvard…
Finally, here are links to some other, related posts on Cosma.
Walk-in-Art
Art Revisited
Dive-in-Art
Magical Paintings
Into Van Gogh
Walk-in-Art & Museums!
Enjoy, but beware, it’s easy to get lost in 360° art!
