Abstract Not more than fifty years after the painting was completed, and while Leonardo was still alive, the painting began to fade. The decay began with peeling paint. Leonardo had chosen not to work in the traditional medium of fresco, that is, painting directly on the freshly plastered wall. Leonardo da Vinci's painting is a masterpiece of iconic religious art. The painting is a study in geometric symmetry. Jesus' gesture is symbolic on several levels.
Abstract This paper examines the link between Leonardo da Vinci's art and the Scientific Revolution, discussing various factors such as the mathematization of nature, the study of perspective, and the golden ratio. Figures of related works are included.
From the Paper "Art and science have long been presumed to be polar opposites, the one fueled by fantasy and creativity and the other by the mathematics and natural laws that are viewed as the other end of the spectrum. This is an incomplete and inaccurate perception, however. Art and science are, in fact, integrally connected and their premises are closely allied. The mathematical systems that science is based on are as much a part of art as of science, although art is..."
Tags: Scientific Revolution, Leonardo da Vinci, art, inventions, perspective, mathematization of nature, golden ratio, Phi
Abstract The paper examines Dan Brown's popular novel, "The Da Vinci Code" in terms of a close reading of Chapter 55 and a discussion of the Holy Grail. The paper discusses the purpose of Chapter 55 as setting the stage for future revelations in the novel.
From the Paper "A Close Reading of Chapter 55, The Da Vinci Code As Chapter 55 of Dan Brown's novel. The Da Vinci Code begins: Sophie Neveu, Robert Langdon and Sir Leigh Teabing are gathered in Teabing's study engaged in a discussion of the Holy Grail. Teabing's somewhat sermonic introductory remarks position the discussion that is to come."
Abstract This paper examines how the fifteenth century represents a zenith in global exploration and discovery and perhaps harbours the most dramatic explosion of geographical possibility of any age. It looks at how Christopher Columbus? discovery of the New World, VascodaGama's rounding of the Cape of Good Hope and Sebastien del Cano's circumnavigation of the globe were all significant steps in the localisation of the fifteenth century world.
From the Paper "The origins of European expansion are seen by many to lie in the capture by the Portuguese of the Moroccan city of Ceuta in 1415 . This foothold on African soil created the potential for European expansion, begun with the Portuguese advancement down the west coast of Africa and ultimately realised in 1498 with Vasco da Gama's rounding of the Cape of Good Hope. The capture of Ceuta is certainly significant in the context of this argument as it helped, in no small part, stimulate the mind of the fifteenth century western European individual towards new ideas of travel, exploration and discovery. However, the increase in physical possibility in the fifteenth century stems not solely from one event, but from a number of ideas and innovations formulated in part over a much longer period."
Abstract The paper relates that the Portuguese, Spanish, British, French and Dutch peoples set out to discover a new world in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The paper discusses the various motives for exploration during this Age of Exploration. The paper looks at Cristobal Colon (Columbus), Ponce de Leon and VascodaGama. The paper relates that these explorers were financed by kings and queens who were eager to fund their adventures for potential economic, political and cultural treasures.
From the Paper "There were several motives for exploration during the mid-to-late 15th century, which was rightly called the Age of Exploration. The first motivation was the willingness or the courage to learn and understand other cultures. Coming out of the Renaissance, wealthy Europeans longed to find out about new lands and new people, believing that wisdom might be found along with treasures of the monetary kind, and curious about what was out there in the rest of the world, once they began to realize it was round. Prior to this enlightened age, everyone thought the earth was flat and that if you came to the edge in a ship, you simply fell off and disappeared. It was no wonder that sailors had not wanted to go sailing off into the sunset."
Tags: Columbus, de, Leon, da, Gama, discovery, treasures, cultures, religion
Abstract This paper gives an account of the life of Leonardo Da Vinci, most famous for his paintings the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper". A description of Da Vinci's beginnings is included as well as his rise in the art circle in Italy. The author also notes that although Da Vinci had a prominent career as an artist, he created a lasting impact on more than just the art world. Da Vinci was also actively researching on topics such as botany, anatomy, medicine and architecture. In closing, the paper describes Da Vinci as a forerunner to many new areas of study and was a vital contributor to the development of modern science and technology.
From the Paper "Leonardo Da Vinci, born in the Vinci region of Florence on April 15, 1452, came from modest beginnings. The illegitimate son of Piero Da Vinci, a notary, and Caterina, a peasant woman, little is known about his early years. It is not surprising, however, that Da Vinci's propensity for the arts and sciences was nurtured and able to flourish in Renaissance Italy. Tuscany, the area surrounding Florence, produced the great minds of Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, and Niccolo Machiavelli, and was a center of Italian culture throughout the Middle Ages."
Abstract This paper explains that recent evidence suggests that Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci, born in Vinci, Italy in 1452, was the son of a Middle Eastern slave named Caterina and his biological father, Ser Piero Da Vinci, with whom he lived in Florence. The author points out that Da Vinci was very successful in art as well as the fields of science, engineering, anatomy and inventing. The paper relates that Renaissance art did not take its roots from Romanesque and Byzantine traditions as Gothic art did but rather came out of the new and evolving civilization of this era. The author concludes that Leonardo Da Vinci ranks at the top of the list of influential artists of all time.
From the Paper "Leonardo's second most famous work was 'The Last Supper'. This painting was begun in 1495 when Ludovico I Moro commissioned Da Vinci to paint the refectory wall of the Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan. This wall was located in the dining hall adjacent to the church and Leonardo decided to paint the very moment in which Christ announced that there was a traitor in their midst while they ate supper. Through his masterful brush, he managed to capture the personal reactions of each of the twelve disciples through their movements and facial expressions."
Abstract This paper charts the life of Benedita da Silva from her childhood of extreme poverty to her position as Vice-Governor for her state in 1998. It examines how Da Silva opened the door for Afro-Brazilians and women into the political system of Brazil and brought hope for a brighter future to an entire generation of children on the streets. It also shows how, through her social activism and political offices, da Silva has been focused on her goal of helping those in need and has not strayed from that goal even when faced with harsh opposition.
From the Paper "Benedita da Silva, an Afro-Brazilian female, was born and raised in Morro Chapeu Mangueira, one of the infamous favelas of Rio de Janeiro. This slum had a high mortality rate among its squatter residences, and da Silva's family was not excluded from this tragic aspect of life. Da Silva's family had 13 children to clothe and feed, and although they had a very loving a dedicated mother, only eight of her siblings survived to adulthood. Da Silva's father was also dedicated to the family, and he worked incredibly hard every day of the week as a construction worker, but even that could not provide enough to support his large family. So, "even as a child, [da Silva] shined shoes, sewed and sold fruits and candy" (4), establishing a strong work ethic in her early in life."
Abstract This paper looks at the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) through the book "Leonardo da Vinci" by Peter Hohenstatt. It looks at how chapter by chapter, we are shown how Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest painters living and working during the Renaissance Period and how he also was a draftsman, sculptor, architect, engineer and natural scientist.
From the Paper "The book itself is divided into seven sections--first, the author explores how da Vinci became a legend, not only in his own time but also in the present day. He then traces the beginnings of da Vinci's artistic career in Florence, Italy, while under the mentorship of the De Medici (1469 to 1481). This is followed by da Vinci's artistic breakthrough in the Milan of the Sforzas (1481 to 1499); his commissions within the Republic of Florence (1500 to 1506), da Vinci's experiences in occupied Milan and with Pope Leo X in Rome (1506 to 1517), and lastly, his final years in Amboise (1517 to 1519). The author also includes a section on how the art of painting evolved during da Vinci's lifetime and how it became a true science, blending art with technology."
Abstract This paper describes the popularity of the Viola Da Gamba as a solo musical instrument in the sixteenth century, its common role in the choral and ensemble music during the renaissance period of the sixteenth century, and its impact on various cultures of the sixteenth century as well as its contribution to music today.
I. Introduction
Topic statement
II. Terms, Structure, and Origins
III. Viola Da Gamba as a Solo Instrument
IV. Decline of the Viola Da Gamba
V. Conclusion
VI. Bibliography
From the Paper "The viola da gamba, a member of the viol family, first appeared in Europe during the late fifteenth century. Its popularity soared during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and it became one of the one most popular instruments of the time. Primarily heard in ensemble or concert music, the instrument was a favorite of the courts of England, as well as throughout the rest of Europe. However, while the instrument was a beloved choice when blended with other instruments at the time, perhaps the most vital role of the viola da gamba was as a solo instrument in the sixteenth century."
Tags: viol, europe, solo, instrument, sixteenth, century, musical, theory
Abstract This paper examines Da Vinci's painting "La Gioconda" aka "Mona Lisa" to understand more about the artist and the painting than just the woman's smile. The author points out that the background of dark, jagged rocks is a recurring motif in many of Da Vinci's paintings, which demonstrates his use of metaphorical representation. The paper analyzes Da Vinci's concept of beauty, the use of the chiaroscuro style and the woman's androgynous persona. The author reveals the identity of the woman known as Mona Lisa. The paper includes color illustrations.
From the Paper "Others have drawn even more esoteric connections between the subject and the landscape of this portrait. In a review of Da Vinci's journals we find that he was certainly an aficionado of Ovid and the classic Metamorphosis. The recurring theme in that work, and others he read, is that beauty is ephemeral and over time shall fade. Even here, this smile of the Mona Lisa is just a passing moment and would be gone in an instance. If viewing the background as chaos the overriding them may be that from chaos we have come, existed in beauty for a brief moment, but to chaos we will return."
Abstract The paper outlines a short biography of Leonardo Da Vinci. The paper portrays some of his works and describes the time period in which he lived. The paper describes Leonardo Da Vinci the man, and his contributions to art, science and humanity.
From the Paper "Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the greatest and most ingenious men that history has produced. His contributions to art, science, and humanity are still among the most important that a single man has put forth. Da Vinci, born on April 15, 1452, is credited with being a master painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist."
Abstract This paper provides a brief biography of the lives of the composer composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte. It examines how da Ponte composed for Mozart the librettos of the operas "The Marriage of Figaro", "Don Giovanni" and "Cosi Fan Tutte? and analyzes how most of their work has the reoccurring theme of class conflict. It looks at how in ?Don Giovanni,? there is clearly a delineation of social classes whereas "The Marriage of Figaro" portrays aristocracy as a decadent, lustful, useless class.
From the Paper "Their next collaboration was ?Don Giovanni,? which appeared in 1787, and followed by Cosi fan tutte, in 1790. It premiered at the National Theater in Prague. Based on the legends of Don Juan, it is set in mid-17th century Seville and uses the folklore surrounding Don Juan to create a story full of social conflict. According to Critic Ernest Newman, Don Giovanni, ?crystallized into a working formula for opera purposes -- the hero-villain and his rascally buffoon of a servant; a dignified victim of Don Juan's sensuality, her aristocratic lover; a lady of somewhat lower social rank, who had been previously seduced and deserted by Juan; a group of peasants with a bride and bridegroom; and, of course, a murdered father , who reappears as the avenging instrument of heaven in the form of a statue in the final scene" (Quoted in Ardoin)."
Abstract This paper looks at how the work of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti expressed the Renaissance ideals that are now seen as inspired genius and the universal man. In comparison, it explores how the realism of Dutch art, such as that expressed in Vroom's "Sea Battle", is very different from works rendered during the High Renaissance, due mostly to the complete absence of religious iconography. It discusses how the greatest difference lies in the fact that Vroom's painting reflects future artistic movement toward realism that would culminate with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the early to mid 1700s, a time when the works of Da Vinci and Michelangelo would be viewed as remnants of a past age filled with idealism and the constraints of religious temperament.
From the Paper "One of his greatest artistic accomplishments lies in the refectory of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, namely The Last Supper which is considered by many as his most impressive work. This painting is the first great figure composition of the High Renaissance and is definitely the greatest interpretation of its themes. Christ and the twelve apostles are seated in a simple, spacious room at a long table set parallel to the plane of the picture. The highly dramatic action of the painting is made still more emphatic by the placement of the group in the austere, quiet setting. Christ, with his hands outstretched, appears to be confirming that one of his apostles will betray him which causes a wave of intense excitement among the group as each one asks himself and his comrades which one will be the culprit."
Tags: last, supper, religious, iconography, renaissance
Abstract This is a brief book review of Hart's book about the man behind the artist, Leonardo da Vinci. The paper explains that da Vinci had several other interests besides art work; he was a scientist, he managed to dream up methods of flight, and was also enthralled by engineering.
From the Paper "Leonardo's work as a scientist is too well known, nowadays, to say that reading Hart's book for a contemporary student of the period fundamentally shakes his or her conceptions of Leonardo as an artist alone. However, rather than merely reinforcing the image of Leonardo as a quintessential master of all the disciplines, the reader emerges with a more balanced perspective of the Renaissance integration of science, theology, and art in the mind of Leonardo?an integration that in today's highly specialized times seems enviable."
