Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance Context

Leonardo da Vinci is often presented as the transcendent genius, removed from or ahead of his time. This book, however, attempts to understand him in the context of Renaissance Florence.

Exploring Leonardo's Origins and Career

Larry J. Feinberg explores Leonardo's origins and the beginning of his career as an artist. While celebrating his many artistic achievements, the book illuminates his debt to other artists' works and his struggles to gain and retain patronage, as well as his career and personal difficulties.

Leonardo's Interests and Intellectual Curiosity

Feinberg examines the range of Leonardo's interests, including aerodynamics, anatomy, astronomy, botany, geology, hydraulics, optics, and warfare technology, to clarify how the artist's broad intellectual curiosity informed his art.

Historical and Cultural Context

Situating the artist within the political, social, cultural, and artistic context of mid- and late-fifteenth-century Florence, Feinberg shows how this environment influenced Leonardo's artistic output and laid the groundwork for the achievements of his mature works.