Leonardo da Vinci (The Library of Great Masters)

Leonardo was born in the village of Vinci, between the Tuscan cities of Empoli and Pistoia, on 15th April 1452. In 1469 the family moved to Florence, where his father sent him to study with the most versatile and sought-after Florentine master of the time: the sculptor; painter and goldsmith Andrea Verrocchio. In 1472 he was enrolled as a master in the Company of Painters. Leonardo was attracted to every sort of artistic discipline, and was able to complement those disciplines with his scientific knowledge, the fruit of tireless investigation into natural phenomena, which he observed acutely. Leonardo da Vinci examines the life of this painter, sculptor and engineer, including his time spent at the workshop of Verrochio, and the political and cultural atmosphere of Florence around 1480. The book also concentrates on particular elements found in da Vinci's works, including his use of action and movement, anatomy, mechanics, and caricature - and, of course, that smile.