this is a superb book for those who want to get to know this celebrated artist that much better.

While most famous as the artist behind the Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile, Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) was also a scientist, draughtsman, engineer, architect, and sculptor. Thought to have been born in the Italian town of Vinci, he was raised by his mother and grandfather. After his family moved to Florence, he trained in artistic disciplines under the eye of Andrea del Verrocchio. By the age of 20, da Vinci had been offered a place in the Guild of St Luke, where he achieved his first professional commission. Many more followed, including work for the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception and mapwork for Cesare Borgia. Among his literary works, da Vinci wrote more than 50 notebooks, encompassing an estimated 28,000 pages. These include notes and essays on philosophy and warfare.