Thursday, May 2, 2019

Leonardo da Vinci Died 500 Years Ago

Leonardo's death 500 years ago today marks the passing of one of the most insatiable minds the world has ever known.


He pursued the idea that the universe without us and within us could be apprehended by means of direct observation.

His quest for empirical knowledge led him into nearly every field of inquiry, unswayed by conventional thinking.


By means of his notebooks he explored solutions to a vast range of engineering problems. He said, "I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do."

Leonardo da Vinci, Lady with Ermine
He created many paintings of enduring beauty, including the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, and Lady with Ermine, any one of which would earn him a place in the Pantheon.

Hats off to you, Leonardo!
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5 comments:

  1. nuumMay 2, 2019 at 1:38 PM

    La Belle Ferronnière.
    Thanks, Leonardo.

    ReplyDelete
  2. RichMay 2, 2019 at 2:36 PM

    2.5.1519 - it's exactly 500 years ago: Thanks for the reminder!
    What a supreme intellectual.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MerylAnnBMay 2, 2019 at 5:16 PM

    Thank you! I think Leonardo would have liked Yoda: "There is no "try." There is "do," or "not do."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tom HartMay 2, 2019 at 10:31 PM

    And through your own dedication to art and the "quest for empirical knowledge" you keep the spirit of Leonardo alive, James, as much as anyone I can think of.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Roberto QuintanaMay 5, 2019 at 1:15 PM

    Hats off, indeed!
    Leonardo’s drawing even shows the optic nerves from each eye bifurcating and crossing to both hemispheres; The right side of each eye feeding the Left H., and the left side of each eye going to the Right H.!
    Here’s an article on proposed hand damage in his later years:
    (The Video w the article here is from 2017, and shows the Christie’s auction of Leonardo’s painting: “Salvator Mundi”)

    https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/03/health/da-vinci-hand-palsy-study/index.html

    ReplyDelete

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