Leonardo: The Man Who Saved Science

Leonardo da Vinci is most famous for his Mona Lisa and The Last Supper paintings, but he also pursued a lifelong interest in science and invention. His sketches of human anatomy, as well as innovative drawings for parachutes, life preservers, snorkels, and even flying machines, continue to fascinate modern scientists. Filmmaker Mark Daniels's PBS-aired documentary from the Secrets of the Dead series illustrates how, for da Vinci, art and science were always intimately connected, tracing how his views were molded by the Renaissance rediscovery of the glories of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as the rise of humanism, which anticipated the modern age. Da Vinci filled his notebooks with drawings and ideas, although no physical remains of his inventions and innovations have been found. But the film raises questions over whether many of da Vinci's theories were original, or were borrowed from earlier studies: Leonardo was an avid consumer and collector of books, and was also part of a workshop culture in Florence where ideas and methods were freely shared. For artists, the search for a patron was a never-ending task, but da Vinci apparently fell out of favor with his backers, possibly due to his habit of not finishing his works, or perhaps (as is suggested here) due to official distaste for his rumored homosexual lifestyle (da Vinci eventually moved to Milan and found the sophisticated city to his liking). Da Vinci also designed implements for warfare, such as "combat wagons" and siege machines, probably in a bid for patronage and income. An interesting profile of a bona fide genius who was truly a man for all seasons, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)