12/24/97

Leonardo da Vinci

The original Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci was not just a painter, but also an inventor, military engineer, sculptor, illustrator, architect, and scientist. His talents were extraordinary, yet he left many paintings unfinished, and never published his journals.

da Vinci's Inventions

From the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, comes a collection of models created from da Vinci's sketches. Da Vinci's fifteenth-century illustrations foretold today's helicopters, parachutes, tire jacks and more. For example, to reach the top of an enemy fortress, da Vinci designed a scaling ladder very similar to today's hook-and-ladder fire trucks. He drew his mechanical ideas with such exceptional clarity, that five hundred years later, they can easily be used as blueprints to create perfect working models.

Exploring Leonardo

This comprehensive site for fourth- through eighth-graders, created by the Boston Museum of Science, brings da Vinci's work alive through activities. It is divided into four sections: Inventor's Workshop (da Vinci's machines), Leonardo's Perspective (Renaissance drawing techniques), What, Where, When? (a brief bio), and Right to Left (his curious habit of writing in reverse). The online activities include three Shockwave lessons in perspective and the opportunity to decipher one of da Vinci's inventions. Is it a drill, a crane, a wrecking ball? Teachers and home schoolers should read the Introductory Letter for a complete lesson plan.

Leonardo's World

"Leonardo da Vinci was born at 'the third hour of the night' on April 15, 1452, near the town of Vinci. Details surrounding his birth and early years remain clouded, but this date, at least, appears certain. It was recorded in a notebook by his paternal grandfather, Antonio Lucca..." Explore da Vinci's life with an illustrated time line, download a free screensaver, decipher an example of da Vinci's mirror-style writing, and become a renaissance man in nine easy steps. This graphically beautiful Web site was created in support of the da Vinci exhibit at the Seattle Museum of Art .

Vinci: The Leonardo Museum

Located in the medieval Castello Guidi, the Leonardo Museum dominates the small city of Vinci, Italy, where da Vinci was born. The museum has been recently renovated and you can now tour its collection of mechanical models (inspired by da Vinci's drawings) online. As you enter each floor, you will see a menu of models on the left side of your screen. I did encounter a few navigational problems, but I figured this a small price to pay to avoid the expense of flying there.

WebMuseum: da Vinci

You'll find it all here, including da Vinci's most famous paintings: the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. Much has been written about the Mona Lisa and the source of her enigmatic expression, which seems both alluring and aloof. Da Vinci himself loved the portrait, and carried it with him until it was eventually sold to François I. Very little is said about the Last Supper, except that da Vinci's fresco preparations were so poor that the painting is almost disappearing. In general, I found the commentary uneven, but the WebMuseum does present a large gallery of sketches and paintings.

The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!

Art for Kids: da Vinci

Codex Leicester

Leonardo da Vinci

Why is Mona Lisa Smiling?

Please send questions or comments to feldman@surfnetkids.com.