Martin Kemp – författare

Artist, architect, poet and philosopher, Leon Battista Alberti revolutionized the history of art with his theories of perspective in On Painting (1435). Inspired by the order and beauty inherent in nature, his groundbreaking work sets out the principles of distance, dimension and proportion; instructs the painter on how to use the rules of composition, representation, light and colour to create work that is graceful and pleasing to the eye; and stipulates the moral and artistic pre-requisites of the successful painter. On Painting had an immediate and profound influence on Italian Renaissance artists including Ghiberti, Fra Angelico and Veneziano and on later figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, and remains a compelling theory of art.

Ticket to the World is a joyous, nostalgic celebration of 80s culture from one man at the centre of it all. New Year’s Eve, 1979. My family and I stand arm in arm around our Formica kitchen table, counting down to the new decade with each televised chime of Big Ben. We have no idea what is about to hit us, no idea of the seismic waves of change approaching. The 80s transformed life as we knew it. Music, style and culture exploded in a haze of dayglo colour. There were hardships, but there were opportunities too. And I lived through – and helped to shape – Britain’s last real youth movement.Ticket to the World is my time-warp trip down memory lane, reliving that truly unforgettable decade. Join me as I recall what it was like to lead the New Romantics, stay up all night at the Blitz with Sade and Boy George, travel the world with Spandau Ballet and contribute to the era-defining Live Aid.So, grab that glass of Babycham and let’s toast the very best of the 80s: the creativity and the culture, the fashion and the FUN!

Ticket to the World is a joyous, nostalgic celebration of 80s culture from one man at the centre of it all. New Year’s Eve, 1979. My family and I stand arm in arm around our Formica kitchen table, counting down to the new decade with each televised chime of Big Ben. We have no idea what is about to hit us, no idea of the seismic waves of change approaching. The 80s transformed life as we knew it. Music, style and culture exploded in a haze of dayglo colour. There were hardships, but there were opportunities too. And I lived through – and helped to shape – Britain’s last real youth movement.Ticket to the World is my time-warp trip down memory lane, reliving that truly unforgettable decade. Join me as I recall what it was like to lead the New Romantics, stay up all night at the Blitz with Sade and Boy George, travel the world with Spandau Ballet and contribute to the era-defining Live Aid.So, grab that glass of Babycham and let’s toast the very best of the 80s: the creativity and the culture, the fashion and the FUN!

Ticket to the World is a joyous, nostalgic celebration of 80s culture from one man at the centre of it all. New Year’s Eve, 1979. My family and I stand arm in arm around our Formica kitchen table, counting down to the new decade with each televised chime of Big Ben. We have no idea what is about to hit us, no idea of the seismic waves of change approaching.The 80s transformed life as we knew it. Music, style and culture exploded in a haze of dayglo colour. There were hardships, but there were opportunities too. And I lived through – and helped to shape – Britain’s last real youth movement.Ticket to the World is my time-warp trip down memory lane, reliving that truly unforgettable decade. Join me as I recall what it was like to lead the New Romantics, stay up all night at the Blitz with Sade and Boy George, travel the world with Spandau Ballet and contribute to the era-defining Live Aid.So, grab that glass of Babycham and let’s toast the very best of the 80s: the creativity and the culture, the fashion and the FUN!

Secrets. Lies. Murder. Fame can be deadly. A British icon delivers a powerful blockbuster in an exhilarating thriller set in London’s East End. ____________________________________________________ A FALLEN ROCKSTAR. ONE LAST CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION. People used to scream Johnny Klein's name.Now he's lost the fame. The marriage. The money.When he's offered one more throw of the dice, he grabs at the chance. But instead, Johnny's dragged down into East London's dark underbelly, and forced to face the dark corners of his past. JOHNNY THOUGHT HE HAD NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE. HE WAS WRONG. ‘Masterful’ Susan Lewis ‘Feels different and fresh, Johnny Klein is a great character, love it!’ Kimberley Chambers ‘Gritty, compelling and heartbreaking … loved it’ Catherine Cooper ____________________________________________________ Readers LOVE The Game:‘I could not put it down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A book that stays with you after you’ve finished it … Thrilling, heartfelt and thought-provoking’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A good gritty storyline that also pulled at the heartstrings’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Such a fun read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘So gripping, absorbing and interesting’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Mr Kemp didn’t disappoint’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A great storyline … I hope there’s a follow up book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Secrets. Lies. Murder. Fame can be deadly.A British icon delivers a powerful blockbuster in an exhilarating thriller set in London’s East End.‘Masterful’ Susan Lewis‘Feels different and fresh, Johnny Klein is a great character, love it!’ Kimberley Chambers‘Gritty, compelling and heartbreaking … loved it’ Catherine CooperA FALLEN ROCKSTAR. ONE LAST CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION.People used to scream Johnny Klein''s name.Now he''s lost the fame. The marriage. The money.When he''s offered one more throw of the dice, he grabs at the chance. But instead, Johnny''s dragged down into East London''s dark underbelly, and forced to face the dark corners of his past.JOHNNY THOUGHT HE HAD NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE. HE WAS WRONG.Readers LOVE The Game:‘I could not put it down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A book that stays with you after you’ve finished it … Thrilling, heartfelt and thought-provoking’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A good gritty storyline that also pulled at the heartstrings’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Such a fun read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘So gripping, absorbing and interesting’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Mr Kemp didn’t disappoint’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A great storyline … I hope there’s a follow up book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Secrets. Lies. Murder. Fame can be deadly. A British icon delivers a powerful blockbuster in an exhilarating thriller set in London’s East End. ____________________________________________________ A FALLEN ROCKSTAR. ONE LAST CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION. People used to scream Johnny Klein's name.Now he's lost the fame. The marriage. The money.When he's offered one more throw of the dice, he grabs at the chance. But instead, Johnny's dragged down into East London's dark underbelly, and forced to face the dark corners of his past. JOHNNY THOUGHT HE HAD NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE. HE WAS WRONG. ‘Masterful’ Susan Lewis ‘Feels different and fresh, Johnny Klein is a great character, love it!’ Kimberley Chambers ‘Gritty, compelling and heartbreaking … loved it’ Catherine Cooper ____________________________________________________ Readers LOVE The Game:‘I could not put it down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A book that stays with you after you’ve finished it … Thrilling, heartfelt and thought-provoking’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A good gritty storyline that also pulled at the heartstrings’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Such a fun read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘So gripping, absorbing and interesting’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Mr Kemp didn’t disappoint’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A great storyline … I hope there’s a follow up book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the glittering heights of ‘80s stardom to the shadowy depths of betrayal, Johnny Klein’s comeback turns deadly when a mysterious death drags him into a web of secrets. In THE FALL, Martin Kemp delivers a gripping thriller where fame’s darkest price could be fatal. Johnny Klein is back! The new thriller from the music, film and TV legend Martin Kemp. The bigger the star, the harder they fall. Johnny Klein, fallen ‘80s pop icon, thinks life is finally on the up. He’s basking in the luxury of the French Riviera – hoping his worst days are behind him.But when a man falls from a window to his death in London, Johnny is forced to confront the darkest corners of his fame.Thrust into a dangerous game of lies and betrayal, Johnny must uncover a deadly secret, before somebody else dies… Readers love The Fall! This is a sharp, twisty read full of heart ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐It’s a good read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Excellent! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Another brilliant book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Johnny Klein is a great character!’ Kimberley Chambers

From the glittering heights of ‘80s stardom to the shadowy depths of betrayal, Johnny Klein’s comeback turns deadly when a mysterious death drags him into a web of secrets. In THE FALL, Martin Kemp delivers a gripping thriller where fame’s darkest price could be fatal. Johnny Klein is back! The new thriller from the music, film and TV legend Martin Kemp. The bigger the star, the harder they fall. Johnny Klein, fallen ‘80s pop icon, thinks life is finally on the up. He’s basking in the luxury of the French Riviera – hoping his worst days are behind him.But when a man falls from a window to his death in London, Johnny is forced to confront the darkest corners of his fame.Thrust into a dangerous game of lies and betrayal, Johnny must uncover a deadly secret, before somebody else dies… Readers love The Fall! This is a sharp, twisty read full of heart ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐It’s a good read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Excellent! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Another brilliant book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Johnny Klein is a great character!’ Kimberley Chambers

From the glittering heights of ‘80s stardom to the shadowy depths of betrayal, Johnny Klein’s comeback turns deadly when a mysterious death drags him into a web of secrets. In THE FALL, Martin Kemp delivers a gripping thriller where fame’s darkest price could be fatal. Johnny Klein is back! The new thriller from the music, film and TV legend Martin Kemp. The bigger the star, the harder they fall. Johnny Klein, fallen ‘80s pop icon, thinks life is finally on the up. He’s basking in the luxury of the French Riviera – hoping his worst days are behind him.But when a man falls from a window to his death in London, Johnny is forced to confront the darkest corners of his fame.Thrust into a dangerous game of lies and betrayal, Johnny must uncover a deadly secret, before somebody else dies… Readers love The Fall! This is a sharp, twisty read full of heart ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐It’s a good read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Excellent! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Another brilliant book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Johnny Klein is a great character!’ Kimberley Chambers

Readers love The Fall!This is a sharp, twisty read full of heart ⭐⭐⭐⭐It’s a good read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐Excellent! ⭐⭐⭐⭐Another brilliant book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐Johnny Klein is back! The new thriller from the music, film and TV legend.‘Johnny Klein is a great character!’ Kimberley ChambersThe bigger the star, the harder they fall.Johnny Klein, fallen ‘80s pop icon, thinks life is finally on the up. He’s basking in the luxury of the French Riviera – hoping his worst days are behind him.But when a man falls from a window to his death in London, Johnny is forced to confront the darkest corners of his fame.Thrust into a dangerous game of lies and betrayal, Johnny must uncover a deadly secret, before somebody else dies…

From the glittering heights of ‘80s stardom to the shadowy depths of betrayal, Johnny Klein’s comeback turns deadly when a mysterious death drags him into a web of secrets. In THE FALL, Martin Kemp delivers a gripping thriller where fame’s darkest price could be fatal. Johnny Klein is back! The new thriller from the music, film and TV legend Martin Kemp. The bigger the star, the harder they fall. Johnny Klein, fallen ‘80s pop icon, thinks life is finally on the up. He’s basking in the luxury of the French Riviera – hoping his worst days are behind him.But when a man falls from a window to his death in London, Johnny is forced to confront the darkest corners of his fame.Thrust into a dangerous game of lies and betrayal, Johnny must uncover a deadly secret, before somebody else dies… Readers love The Fall! This is a sharp, twisty read full of heart ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐It’s a good read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Excellent! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Another brilliant book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Johnny Klein is a great character!’ Kimberley Chambers

Readers love The Fall!This is a sharp, twisty read full of heart ⭐⭐⭐⭐It’s a good read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐Excellent! ⭐⭐⭐⭐Another brilliant book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐Johnny Klein is back! The new thriller from the music, film and TV legend.‘Johnny Klein is a great character!’ Kimberley ChambersThe bigger the star, the harder they fall.Johnny Klein, fallen ‘80s pop icon, thinks life is finally on the up. He’s basking in the luxury of the French Riviera – hoping his worst days are behind him.But when a man falls from a window to his death in London, Johnny is forced to confront the darkest corners of his fame.Thrust into a dangerous game of lies and betrayal, Johnny must uncover a deadly secret, before somebody else dies…

A personally compelling introduction to Leonardo's genius, a classic monograph of Leonardo's art and his development.

Read this book and the world''s most famous image will never look the same again. For the world''s greatest cultural icon still has secrets to reveal - not the silly secrets that the ''Leonardo loonies'' continue to advance, but previously unknown facts about the lives of Leonardo, his father, Lisa Gherardini, the subject of the portrait, and her husband Francesco del Giocondo. From this factual beginning we see how the painting metamorphosed into a ''universal picture'' that became the prime vehicle for Leonardo''s prodigious knowledge of the human and natural worlds. We learn about the new money of the ambitious merchant who married into the old gentry of Lisa''s family. We discover Lisa''s life as a wife and mother, her association with sexual scandals, and her later life in a convent. We meet, for the first time, previously undiscovered members of Leonardo''s immediate family and discover new information about his early life. The tiny hill town of Vinci is placed before us, with its widespread poverty. We find out about the career and possessions of his father, a notable lawyer in Florence. The meaning of the portrait that resulted from these human circumstances is vividly illuminated though Renaissance love poetry and verses specifically dedicated to Leonardo. We come to understand how Leonardo''s sciences of optics, psychology, anatomy and geology are embraced in his poetic science of art. Recent scientific examinations of the painting disclose how it evolved to assume its present appearance in Leonardo''s experimental hands. Above all, we cut through the suppositions and the myths to show that the portrait is a product of real people in a real place at a real time. This is the book that brings back a sense of reality into the creation of the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo. And the actual Mona Lisa, it turns out, is even more astonishing and transcendent than the Mona Lisa of legend.

Read this book and the world''s most famous image will never look the same again. For the world''s greatest cultural icon still has secrets to reveal - not the silly secrets that the ''Leonardo loonies'' continue to advance, but previously unknown facts about the lives of Leonardo, his father, Lisa Gherardini, the subject of the portrait, and her husband Francesco del Giocondo. From this factual beginning we see how the painting metamorphosed into a ''universal picture'' that became the prime vehicle for Leonardo''s prodigious knowledge of the human and natural worlds. We learn about the new money of the ambitious merchant who married into the old gentry of Lisa''s family. We discover Lisa''s life as a wife and mother, her association with sexual scandals, and her later life in a convent. We meet, for the first time, previously undiscovered members of Leonardo''s immediate family and discover new information about his early life. The tiny hill town of Vinci is placed before us, with its widespread poverty. We find out about the career and possessions of his father, a notable lawyer in Florence. The meaning of the portrait that resulted from these human circumstances is vividly illuminated though Renaissance love poetry and verses specifically dedicated to Leonardo. We come to understand how Leonardo''s sciences of optics, psychology, anatomy and geology are embraced in his poetic science of art. Recent scientific examinations of the painting disclose how it evolved to assume its present appearance in Leonardo''s experimental hands. Above all, we cut through the suppositions and the myths to show that the portrait is a product of real people in a real place at a real time. This is the book that brings back a sense of reality into the creation of the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo. And the actual Mona Lisa, it turns out, is even more astonishing and transcendent than the Mona Lisa of legend.

Image, branding, and logos are obsessions of our age. Iconic images dominate the media.Christ to Coke is the first book to look at all the main types of visual icons. It does so via eleven supreme and mega-famous examples, both historical and contemporary, to see how they arose and how they continue to function. Along the way, we encounter the often weird and wonderful ways that they become transformed in an astonishing variety of ways and contexts. How, for example, has the communist revolutionary Che become a romantic hero for middle-class teenagers?The stock image of Christ''s face is the founding icon - literally, since he was the central subject of early icon painting. Some of the icons that follow are general, like the cross, the lion, and the heart-shape. Some are specific, such as the Mona Lisa, Che Guevara, and the famous photograph of the napalmed girl in Vietnam. The American flag, the "Stars and Stripes", does not quite fit into either category. Modern icons come from commerce, led by the Coca-Cola bottle, and from science, most notably the double helix of DNA and Einstein''s famous equation E=mc2. The stories, researched using the skills of a leading visual historian, are told in a vivid and personal manner. Some are funny; some are deeply moving; some are highly improbable; some centre on popular fame; others are based on the most profound ideas in science. The diversity is extraordinary. There is no set formula, but do the images share anything in common?So famous are the images that every reader is an expert in their own right and will be entertained and challenged by the narratives that Martin Kemp skilfully weaves around them.

Image, branding, and logos are obsessions of our age. Iconic images dominate the media.Christ to Coke is the first book to look at all the main types of visual icons. It does so via eleven supreme and mega-famous examples, both historical and contemporary, to see how they arose and how they continue to function. Along the way, we encounter the often weird and wonderful ways that they become transformed in an astonishing variety of ways and contexts. How, for example, has the communist revolutionary Che become a romantic hero for middle-class teenagers?The stock image of Christ''s face is the founding icon - literally, since he was the central subject of early icon painting. Some of the icons that follow are general, like the cross, the lion, and the heart-shape. Some are specific, such as the Mona Lisa, Che Guevara, and the famous photograph of the napalmed girl in Vietnam. The American flag, the "Stars and Stripes", does not quite fit into either category. Modern icons come from commerce, led by the Coca-Cola bottle, and from science, most notably the double helix of DNA and Einstein''s famous equation E=mc2. The stories, researched using the skills of a leading visual historian, are told in a vivid and personal manner. Some are funny; some are deeply moving; some are highly improbable; some centre on popular fame; others are based on the most profound ideas in science. The diversity is extraordinary. There is no set formula, but do the images share anything in common?So famous are the images that every reader is an expert in their own right and will be entertained and challenged by the narratives that Martin Kemp skilfully weaves around them.

This fascinating exploration of Leonardo da Vinci''s life and work identifies what it was that made him so unique, and explains the phenomenon of the world''s most celebrated artistic genius who, 500 years on, still grips and inspires us.Martin Kemp offers us exceptional insights into what it was that made this Renaissance man so special, and the ''real'' meaning behind such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. Tracing Leonardo''s career in all its variety, we learn of his unfulfilled dreams, relationships with powerful patrons, and the truth about his views on God, humans, and nature.The famous notebooks are the key to understanding the secret of Leonardo''s success and genius, as they clearly reveal the workings of his mind and display the true innovative and investigative nature of his creative vision. Over 20,000 pages of drawings and notes detail his incredible discoveries and inventions - from the workings of the human eye to designs for flying machines and giant crossbows. Bringing the story up to the present day, Martin Kemp considers what he means to us today,investigates the ''Leonardo industry'', and speculates about what he would be doing if he were alive today.This updated edition of Martin Kemp''s best-seller is the first book on Leonardo to include two newly discovered works, the most important such discoveries in over a hundred years.

This fascinating exploration of Leonardo da Vinci''s life and work identifies what it was that made him so unique, and explains the phenomenon of the world''s most celebrated artistic genius who, 500 years on, still grips and inspires us.Martin Kemp offers us exceptional insights into what it was that made this Renaissance man so special, and the ''real'' meaning behind such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. Tracing Leonardo''s career in all its variety, we learn of his unfulfilled dreams, relationships with powerful patrons, and the truth about his views on God, humans, and nature.The famous notebooks are the key to understanding the secret of Leonardo''s success and genius, as they clearly reveal the workings of his mind and display the true innovative and investigative nature of his creative vision. Over 20,000 pages of drawings and notes detail his incredible discoveries and inventions - from the workings of the human eye to designs for flying machines and giant crossbows. Bringing the story up to the present day, Martin Kemp considers what he means to us today,investigates the ''Leonardo industry'', and speculates about what he would be doing if he were alive today.This updated edition of Martin Kemp''s best-seller is the first book on Leonardo to include two newly discovered works, the most important such discoveries in over a hundred years.

The Salvator Mundi is the first Leonardo painting to be discovered for over a century. Following its re-emergence, it played a leading role in the landmark Leonardo exhibition at the National Gallery in London in 2011, after which it was purchased by a Russian oligarch. In 2017 it was auctioned by Christie''s in New York, fetching the world record price of $450m, and now forms part of the collection of Louvre Abu Dhabi.The Salvator Mundi may be seen as the devotional counterpart to the Mona Lisa, having an extraordinary, communicative presence. The artist has reformed the very traditional subject matter in a number of ways. The elusiveness of Christ''s expression suggests his spiritual origins beyond the world of the senses. The traditional sphere of the earth has been transformed into a rock-crystal orb and signifies a crystalline sphere of the heavens. In addition to its spiritualdimension, the image exploits Leonardo''s optical knowledge and his growing sense of the illusiveness of seeing. Only the blessing hand is in reasonably sharp focus, with his features softly veiled. The scintillating curls of his hair are characterised in line with his theory that the physics of the curling of hair is analogousto vortex motion in water.This book looks at evidence of Leonardo''s Salvator Mundi in the collections of Charles I and Charles II. It explores the appraisal of works by Leonardo at the Stuart courts, and proposes that how works attributed to Leonardo were first encountered and understood in seventeenth-century Britain would shape the wider evolution of Leonardo as a cultural icon.This volume gives a dramatic first-hand account of the modern-day discovery of the painting, from its purchase in a minor New Orleans auction house, to the cleaning of the picture that would disclose it as Leonardo''s startling original, and the research processes that would uncover illustrious and obscure former owners. The book presents the definitive study of the new masterpiece.

The Salvator Mundi is the first Leonardo painting to be discovered for over a century. Following its re-emergence, it played a leading role in the landmark Leonardo exhibition at the National Gallery in London in 2011, after which it was purchased by a Russian oligarch. In 2017 it was auctioned by Christie''s in New York, fetching the world record price of $450m, and now forms part of the collection of Louvre Abu Dhabi.The Salvator Mundi may be seen as the devotional counterpart to the Mona Lisa, having an extraordinary, communicative presence. The artist has reformed the very traditional subject matter in a number of ways. The elusiveness of Christ''s expression suggests his spiritual origins beyond the world of the senses. The traditional sphere of the earth has been transformed into a rock-crystal orb and signifies a crystalline sphere of the heavens. In addition to its spiritualdimension, the image exploits Leonardo''s optical knowledge and his growing sense of the illusiveness of seeing. Only the blessing hand is in reasonably sharp focus, with his features softly veiled. The scintillating curls of his hair are characterised in line with his theory that the physics of the curling of hair is analogousto vortex motion in water.This book looks at evidence of Leonardo''s Salvator Mundi in the collections of Charles I and Charles II. It explores the appraisal of works by Leonardo at the Stuart courts, and proposes that how works attributed to Leonardo were first encountered and understood in seventeenth-century Britain would shape the wider evolution of Leonardo as a cultural icon.This volume gives a dramatic first-hand account of the modern-day discovery of the painting, from its purchase in a minor New Orleans auction house, to the cleaning of the picture that would disclose it as Leonardo''s startling original, and the research processes that would uncover illustrious and obscure former owners. The book presents the definitive study of the new masterpiece.

Read this book and the world's most famous image will never look the same again. For the world's greatest cultural icon still has secrets to reveal - not the silly secrets that the 'Leonardo loonies' continue to advance, but previously unknown facts about the lives of Leonardo, his father, Lisa Gherardini, the subject of the portrait, and her husband Francesco del Giocondo. From this factual beginning we see how the painting metamorphosed into a 'universal picture' that became the prime vehicle for Leonardo's prodigious knowledge of the human and natural worlds. We learn about the new money of the ambitious merchant who married into the old gentry of Lisa's family. We discover Lisa's life as a wife and mother, her association with sexual scandals, and her later life in a convent. We meet, for the first time, previously undiscovered members of Leonardo's immediate family and discover new information about his early life. The tiny hill town of Vinci is placed before us, with its widespread poverty. We find out about the career and possessions of his father, a notable lawyer in Florence. The meaning of the portrait that resulted from these human circumstances is vividly illuminated though Renaissance love poetry and verses specifically dedicated to Leonardo. We come to understand how Leonardo's sciences of optics, psychology, anatomy and geology are embraced in his poetic science of art. Recent scientific examinations of the painting disclose how it evolved to assume its present appearance in Leonardo's experimental hands.Above all, we cut through the suppositions and the myths to show that the portrait is a product of real people in a real place at a real time. This is the book that brings back a sense of reality into the creation of the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo. And the actual Mona Lisa, it turns out, is even more astonishing and transcendent than the Mona Lisa of legend.

The Salvator Mundi is the first Leonardo painting to be discovered for over a century. Following its re-emergence, it played a leading role in the landmark Leonardo exhibition at the National Gallery in London in 2011, after which it was purchased by a Russian oligarch. In 2017 it was auctioned by Christie's in New York, fetching the world record price of $450m, and now forms part of the collection of Louvre Abu Dhabi.The Salvator Mundi may be seen as the devotional counterpart to the Mona Lisa, having an extraordinary, communicative presence. The artist has reformed the very traditional subject matter in a number of ways. The elusiveness of Christ's expression suggests his spiritual origins beyond the world of the senses. The traditional sphere of the earth has been transformed into a rock-crystal orb and signifies a crystalline sphere of the heavens. In addition to its spiritual dimension, the image exploits Leonardo's optical knowledge and his growing sense of the illusiveness of seeing. Only the blessing hand is in reasonably sharp focus, with his features softly veiled. The scintillating curls of his hair are characterised in line with his theory that the physics of the curling of hair is analogous to vortex motion in water.This book looks at evidence of Leonardo's Salvator Mundi in the collections of Charles I and Charles II. It explores the appraisal of works by Leonardo at the Stuart courts, and proposes that how works attributed to Leonardo were first encountered and understood in seventeenth-century Britain would shape the wider evolution of Leonardo as a cultural icon.This volume gives a dramatic first-hand account of the modern-day discovery of the painting, from its purchase in a minor New Orleans auction house, to the cleaning of the picture that would disclose it as Leonardo's startling original, and the research processes that would uncover illustrious and obscure former owners. The book presents the definitive study of the new masterpiece.

This new edition of Leonardo Da Vinci's Codex Leicester is the most comprehensive scholarly edition of any of Leonardo's manuscripts. It contains a high-quality facsimile reproduction of the Codex, a new transcription and translation, accompanied by a paraphrase in modern language and a page-by-page commentary, and a series of interpretative essays.This important endeavour introduces important new research into the interpretation of the texts and images, on the setting of Leonardo's ideas in the context of ancient and medieval theories, and above all into the notable fortunes of the Codex within the sciences of astronomy, water, and the history of the earth, opening a new field of research into the impact of Leonardo as a scientist after his death.

Leonardo's greatest work of science beautifully reproduced for the 500th anniversary of his death.This edition offers a high-quality facsimile reproduction of Leonardo Da Vinci's Codex Leicester, a collection of his scientific writings. Named after Thomas Coke (later Earl of Leicester) who purchased it in 1719, Codex Leicester holds the record as the most expensive book ever when it was bought by Bill Gates in 1994. Consisting of 72 pages, it was handwritten in Italian by Leonardo using his characteristic mirror writing, and is supported by drawings and diagrams. The Codex Leicester is an extraordinary mixture of Leonardo's observations and theories. Topics include his explanation of why fossils can be found on mountains; the flow of water in rivers; and the luminosity of the moon which Leonardo attributed to its surface being covered by water which reflects light from the sun. The facsimile reproduction is complemented by three further volumes that include a new transcription and translation, accompanied by a paraphrase in modern language, a page-by-page commentary, and a series of interpretative essays. These four volumes together introduce important new research into the interpretation of the texts and images, on the setting of Leonardo's ideas in the context of ancient and medieval theories, and above all into the notable fortunes of the Codex within the sciences of astronomy, water, and the history of the earth, opening a new field of research into the impact of Leonardo as a scientist after his death.

This new edition of Leonardo Da Vinci's Codex Leicester is the most comprehensive scholarly edition of any of Leonardo's manuscripts. It contains a high-quality facsimile reproduction of the Codex, a new transcription and translation, accompanied by a paraphrase in modern language and a page-by-page commentary, and a series of interpretative essays.This important endeavour introduces important new research into the interpretation of the texts and images, on the setting of Leonardo's ideas in the context of ancient and medieval theories, and above all into the notable fortunes of the Codex within the sciences of astronomy, water, and the history of the earth, opening a new field of research into the impact of Leonardo as a scientist after his death.

This new edition of Leonardo Da Vinci's Codex Leicester is the most comprehensive scholarly edition of any of Leonardo's manuscripts. It contains a high-quality facsimile reproduction of the Codex, a new transcription and translation, accompanied by a paraphrase in modern language and a page-by-page commentary, and a series of interpretative essays.This important endeavour introduces important new research into the interpretation of the texts and images, on the setting of Leonardo's ideas in the context of ancient and medieval theories, and above all into the notable fortunes of the Codex within the sciences of astronomy, water, and the history of the earth, opening a new field of research into the impact of Leonardo as a scientist after his death.