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Leonardo’s Paradox
Word and Image in the Making of Renaissance Culture
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Leonardo’s Paradox is ideal for readers interested in Renaissance art, cultural history, and the complex relationship between language and visual expression. Scholars, art enthusiasts, and students exploring Leonardo da Vinci’s legacy will find this a compelling and insightful study.
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See moreA close, insightful study of relationship between word and image in the work of Leonardo da Vinci.
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Description
Leonardo’s Paradox by Joost M. Keizer explores the intriguing complexities of Leonardo da Vinci, one of the preeminent figures of the Italian Renaissance. Famous for his artistic genius, Leonardo was also one of the most paradoxical figures of his time.
Leonardo spent an incredible amount of time writing notebooks—perhaps even more time than he ever held a brush. Yet, paradoxically, he was Renaissance culture's most fervent critic of the word. His critiques of writing came from an expert's perspective; his love for painting maintained a constant presence in the back of his brilliant mind.
In this publication, Keizer argues that the comparison between word and image was a significant driving force in Leonardo's thought process. The paradoxes that defined Leonardo's ideas and practices also reflected Renaissance culture's key assumptions about culture and nature.
The book delves into several fascinating concepts: the aesthetic of script, the notion that painting could lead one back to nature, the emergence of image meanings through comparison with words, and the distinctive temporal experiences between image-making and writing.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
"As a critical approach that also addresses Leonardo's way of thinking, Keizer's Leonardo's Paradox: Word and Image in the Making of Renaissance Culture, examines the interplay of word and image in Leonardo's work. He sees paradoxes as central: for example, a painting can lead to a better understanding of nature, or the meaning of an image can depend on its association with certain words. Though not necessarily part of Leonardo's vocabulary for inventive processes, paradoxes are part of his work." – Art Newspaper
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781789140699
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 11 February 2019
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Illustration: 65 illustrations, 40 in colour
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education
DIMENSIONS
Width: 156.0mm
Height: 240.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 232
Collections
About the Author
Joost Keizer is Senior Lecturer in Art History at the University of Groningen. His previous books include The Realism of Piero della Francesca (2017), The Transformation of Vernacular Expression in Early Modern Arts (co-edited with Todd Richardson, 2011), and a book for young adults, This Is Leonardo da Vinci, with the illustrator Christina Christoforou (2016).
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