The Treasures of Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci is often considered the master of the Renaissance and hailed as a genius ahead of his time. Most famous for such works as theMona LisaandThe Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci was more than a painter of extraordinary skill. In fact, he frequently regarded himself principally as a civil and military engineer.

The Treasures of Leonardo da Vincitells the story of this artist/engineer's life and times, and looks at the major themes that dominated Leonardo's work. Beautifully illustrated, the book also contains 30 items of rare memorabilia, including:

• the record of Leonardo's birth made by his grandfather in 1452

• Leonardo's copy of his letter to Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan from 1483

• the passport given to Leonardo by Cesare Borgia

• Leonardo's map of Imola

• an extract from Leonardo's notes on machines that polish mirrors

• pages from Antonio de Beatis's diary mentioning theMona Lisa

The Treasures of Leonardo da Vinciis a unique guide to this most gifted of men.