Plinio Innocenzi

I came to this book via the book "Da Vinci's Ghost" which is an investigation of the famous male figure of Leonardo da Vinci's, showing how the proportions fit both a square and a circle. Somewhere in that book there must have been reference to this book by Plinio Innocenzi. And what a marvellous book this is. I am just so impressed with Innocenzi's professionalism and thoroughness ...which carries through to the way each picture is documented in terms of its origin and copyright status.
But more than that he really does delve into the origins of much of Leonardos famous inventions and drawings and shows (pretty much beyond doubt) that Leonardo drew heavily ...and even copied the work of many others...especially a couple of gifted engineers in Sienna. However, his special genius was that he rarely just left things the way he found them. He couldn't help but try to improve the invention or the drawing ...especially the drawing. In instance after instance Innocenzio shows an original drawing by Taccola or by Francesco di Giorgio Martini and alongside it the comparable drawing by Leonardo. Leonardo can't help himself...his drawings...even the little "throw-away" sketches.....such as of a man with a life preserver....are works of art and brilliantly executed.
One thing that shone through the book, for me, was Leonardo's humanity. These days he seems to be treated almost like a god but he was acutely conscious of his lack of education and put a lot of effort into learning Latin but never wrote it fluently......He also had to appeal to sponsors to maintain him and in Italy at the time sponsors seemed to find themselves deposed fairly frequently...so Leonardo was frequently moving cities and having to set up shop again. He comes across as very human but with a tremendous, driven curiosity......plus some extraordinary talent...especially with his drawing ability.
It also goes some way to explaining why he rarely finished any of his projects. Basically, like all the other designers of the time, he considered himself a designer and an "ideas man" rather than the "hands-on" engineer who would turn these ideas into reality.
Interestingly enough, there is a large section about the work of Filippo Brunelleschi in designing and constructing the cupola on the Milan Cathedral.......and Brunelleschi seemed to be much more "hands-on" ...especially with the design and construction of lifting machines and scaffolding......though the cupola proceeded pretty much without scaffolding. The other engineers...especially Francesco de Giorgio .....took very careful notes of Brunelleschi's machines.
Innocenzio gives some thought to the bicycle supposedly drawn by Leonardo and concludes that it is almost certainly a joke added at some stage when the pages were being translated. He covers a wide range of Leonardo's work, from inventions for war, for transport, for flying. and for walking on and under the water; he delves into Leonardo's painting, and his mathematics and close relationship with the brilliant mathematician Pacioli...the design of clocks and the use of the golden proportion and perpetual motion machines ....including an amusing quote about how the promotors of perpetual motion machines were essentially charlatans who had to make themselves scarce very rapidly when their devices didn't deliver.
All in all, an illuminating and careful piece of work. I'm very impressed and happy to give it five stars.… (mehr)