Leonardo Da Vinci

[DanaK]

Quote

PBS 2-part doc series premieres Monday November 18 2024 from 8-10pm ET. Part 2 will be shown the next night Tuesday November 19 2024 from 8-10pm ET

The series, co-produced and co-directed by Ken Burns for his first non-American subject, explores the life and work of the 15th century polymath Leonardo da Vinci. The series looks at how the artist influenced and inspired future generations. Set against the rich and dynamic backdrop of Renaissance Italy, at a time of skepticism and freethinking, regional war and religious upheaval, the series brings da Vinci's towering achievements to life through his prolific personal notebooks, primary and secondary accounts of his life and on-camera interviews with modern scholars, artists, engineers, inventors and admirers

Full press release from February https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/leonardo-da-vinci-a-new-film-from-ken-burns-to-air-on-pbs-november-18-and-19-2024/

[shapeshifter]

Watching now. 
When I was a child I wanted to be Leonardo Da Vinci when I grew up. 
I am really loving this. 

[Driad]

So am I.  When I was about 11, I read a biography of Leonardo.  I'm left handed so I wrote the book report in mirror writing, the way he wrote his notebooks.  My teacher was annoyed; maybe she didn't know how to read it.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Driad said:

So am I.  When I was about 11, I read a biography of Leonardo.  I'm left handed so I wrote the book report in mirror writing, the way he wrote his notebooks.  My teacher was annoyed; maybe she didn't know how to read it.

Some teachers shouldn't be.
Do you still have it?

When my sister and her husband helped my parents sort through stuff before they moved from our childhood home, they found a drawing of a flying machine I had done at 13, that my engineer BIL said could probably have worked. 
The drawing disappeared, as did many of my paintings; 6 sketchbooks were destroyed in a flood in my parents' basement. 

I used to despair about how few of Leonardo's artworks remain, but this documentary makes it part of the mystique.

And I've got way too many of mine to pass on 
— especially since I'm no Leonardo.

Here's the PBS page for the documentary:
pbs.org/kenburns/leonardo-da-vinci

Edited Tuesday at 06:30 AM by shapeshifter

[Driad]

29 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I used to despair about how few of Leonardo's artworks remain, but this documentary makes it part of the mystique.

I never studied art history, but as I understand it, Leonardo tried a lot of original techniques.  Some worked (i.e. the paintings lasted) but some did not.

[shapeshifter]

And many were never finished. 
My art history knowledge is very dated and only covers the main points of what was known decades ago, so this production was fresh for me.
I was heartbroken anew to think of the metal intended for the statues being used to make weapons of war, but I also wonder if it would have worked, given the enormous size of the sculpture. 

[Vermicious Knid]

I enjoyed this. Lots of things I didn't know. He calculated gravity before Galileo and Newton! Although I am baffled by the continuous use of mostly black and white stock film from the 50s and 60s.