Leonardo Da Vinci: The Complete Paintings and Drawings

Rating:
Summary: Hold on to your books on the paintings!
Review: I love this book man. It sings to my soul, man. It's all about the love, and thats why I like it, like so much, man.

Rating:
Summary: ROCK OUT!
Review: I love this book man. It sings to my soul, man. It's all about the love, and thats why I like it, like so much, man.

Rating:
Summary: Hold on to your books on the paintings!
Review: I was literally aghast when I opened this giant, lavish production to see page after page of the paintings bound right down the center and into the spine of the book. I can't imagine what the publisher was thinking. Tashen books are never really good books, but could they really exercise such poor judgement when using such a large amount of resources?

On the positive side, the drawings are excellently reproduced and are rarely split. Fortunately, they constitute the vast majority of the book. However, the book should be purchased for the drawings only. The treatment of the paintings is offensive. So much for a comprehensive source on Leonardo. Hold on to those books on the paintings, when you buy this one!

Rating:
Summary: A Glorious Complilation Of The Master's Work!
Review: Leonardo Da Vinci epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. He possessed one of the greatest minds of all times. Painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist, Da Vinci personified creative genius and had an immeasurable effect on modern culture. This compilation of his work, probably the most complete collection ever made, is spectacular. The reproductions are riveting.

Taschen has reproduced here Leonardo Da Vinci's 34 paintings in glorious color. The paper quality is excellent as is the binding. From "The Last Supper" to the "Mona Lisa," the paintings' details, even Da Vinci's brushstrokes, are clearly visible and exquisite. This 700 page book measures 22" X 17" when open and many of the artist's masterworks are shown with full page or double page details.

Frank Zollner biographical text is beautifully written and the book's first ten chapters explore Da Vinci's life, with excerpts from his letters, contracts and diaries. His painting are also discussed and interpreted here. A complete catalogue of Leonardo's paintings is included in Part II. Da Vinci's extraordinary talent as a draftsman is documented in the six hundred and sixty-three drawings which are presented in Part III. The drawings are arranged by categories, i.e., figures, anatomy, architecture, etc. Johannes Nathan's has written excellent commentary on Da Vinci's drawings and the artist's sensitive lines, both fine and bold, are truly a feast for the eyes.

"Leonardo Da Vinci: The Complete Paintings and Drawings" is one of the most visually stunning books I have ever seen. This was a "must have/must own" item for me, and I have spent many leisurely hours reading, perusing and enjoying this phenomenal collection. I can't think of a better gift for anyone who admires this master's works. This is a very rare and special book.
JANA

Rating:
Summary: A Magnificent Addition to the Library on Leonardo Da Vinci
Review: LEONARDO DA VINCI: THE COMPLETE PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS is a mammoth undertaking in concept and the product of this undertaking is physically mammoth! The very large, heavy tome sets out to explore the history of one of the greatest minds, artists, thinkers, and seers of all time and in doing so we are presented with all of the paintings down to the brushstroke, all of the drawings which include notes and paper quality, and the many writings of this giant of a man. Frank Zollner is an entertaining writer as well as a fine scholar. The facts are all (mostly) here and they are related in an enormously readable fashion. No dry data crunching here, just elegant prose that accompanies more visuals than you could ever imagine.

The three parts of the book are presented with equal importance: Part One is Da Vinci's life and his place in the historic and retrospective setting and contains many of his writings. Part Two is the catalogue raissone for the paintings, both those well known and extant and some images of paintings that no longer exist. Part Three is devoted to the fascinating drawings of just about every subject imaginable. Each is presented with grace, a touch of humor, and a sense of profound respect.

Other books on Da Vinci may boast better/more correct color reproduction and choices of cropping and layout, but for the sheer splendor of this great artist's output and influence on the world of art, religion, sociology and science, this book is going to be the benchmark for years to come. A magnificent book for your table and a particularly elegant gift for your friends!

Rating:
Summary: A Magnificent Addition to the Library on Leonardo Da Vinci
Review: LEONARDO DA VINCI: THE COMPLETE PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS is a mammoth undertaking in concept and the product of this undertaking is physically mammoth! The very large, heavy tome sets out to explore the history of one of the greatest minds, artists, thinkers, and seers of all time and in doing so we are presented with all of the paintings down to the brushstroke, all of the drawings which include notes and paper quality, and the many writings of this giant of a man. Frank Zollner is an entertaining writer as well as a fine scholar. The facts are all (mostly) here and they are related in an enormously readable fashion. No dry data crunching here, just elegant prose that accompanies more visuals than you could ever imagine.

The three parts of the book are presented with equal importance: Part One is Da Vinci's life and his place in the historic and retrospective setting and contains many of his writings. Part Two is the catalogue raissone for the paintings, both those well known and extant and some images of paintings that no longer exist. Part Three is devoted to the fascinating drawings of just about every subject imaginable. Each is presented with grace, a touch of humor, and a sense of profound respect.

Other books on Da Vinci may boast better/more correct color reproduction and choices of cropping and layout, but for the sheer splendor of this great artist's output and influence on the world of art, religion, sociology and science, this book is going to be the benchmark for years to come. A magnificent book for your table and a particularly elegant gift for your friends!

Rating:
Summary: A mammoth achievement
Review: Not much more to add to what's already been said. This is a big investment of space as well as money, but I'm glad I have it, I've never seen an art book that compares, for Leonardo or any artist for that matter. Absolutely beautiful.

Rating:
Summary: Without equal; without hyperbole....
Review: Some books are good. Some are great. This one is profound! This is a prodigious quantity of Da Vinci's works in mostly large format and astonishing color. The subtleties found in his technique, his drawing materials, the toning due to age, are all given an immediacy and a life-like quality that is rarely achieved in reproduction. The drawings and studies are particularly interesting and appealing because of this. One is left in awe both by Da Vinci's work and Taschen's bold efforts in printing this monumental book. Taschen, always a good choice for art books both for their quality and extraordinary price advantage, has with the production of this book, added significantly to the literature on Da Vinci that is available to the average consumer. In all honesty, I don't know how they can produce and sell this book for less than $500. Its overall dimensions must be seen to be believed, weighing in at about 22 pounds! Start re-enforcing your bookshelves now. This is a proud addition to any library.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Taschen has always done an amazing job on their high-end titles. They have, however, out done themselves on Leonardo Da Vinci. The book is huge, the binding and paper quality excellent. It is the reproductions though that are the most riveting. As mentioned in one of the above editorial reviews you can almost enter into the paintings, the detail is so close. I have spent hours looking into the works and find new detail each time I do. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Leonardo da Vinci by Zollner -Published by Taschen
Review: This work is a worthy testament to da Vinci's talents as a
painter, sculptor, architect, scientist and inventor. Famous
paintings; such as, the Annunciation are depicted in full color.
Leonardo's life is set forth in a series of memorable letters,
the personal diary and important scientific achievements. A
beauty of the work is that considerable artistic criticism
is provided by the authors. There are over 600 pages with
many drawings and works of art depicted. This is a relatively
modern work having been published in 2003. Considerable
drawings depicting his inventions are set forth in formal
engineering schematics-much in the detail of Buckminster Fuller's
Geodome.

This work would be perfect for any student project in art,
world history, world culture and even mathematics/science.
It is a solid acquisition for any personal/professional library.
The price is considerable . The volume sells between $120-$200.
This would be a perfect gift for almost any occasion.