Leonardo da Vinci was fascinated by motion, whether in human or animal movement, mechanical motion, flight or moving water. Throughout his life he was in the habit of drawing and writing, and his twenty or so notebooks are now treasured in collections across England, Italy, France, Spain and North America. Leonardo da Vinci: A Mind in Motion brings together, for the very first time, an important selection of drawings and notes from three of Leonardo’s notebooks: the Codex Arundel, held in the British Library; the Codex Forster II, held in the Victoria and Albert Museum; and the Codex Leicester, from the Bill Gates Collection.

Unlocking the secrets to each aspect of motion in Leonardo’s work, a detailed catalogue of studies from his handwritten notebooks is followed by seven essays, written by leading Leonardo experts from across Europe.

The innovative thoughts and theories of Leonardo’s curious mind are brought to life, demonstrated through large-scale reproductions of dozens of pages from the Codex Arundel, alongside other complementary manuscripts and paintings. Leonardo’s ingenious, cutting-edge ideas about the art and physics of motion – the dynamics of motion in water; the movement of the human body; and motion as a force in artistic composition – are revealed in a clear and accessible form as never before.

This captivating new book explores the central importance of motion in Leonardo’s art and thought – studies which underpin how we understand the world around us today.

Author: Edited by Juliana Barone

Brand: British Library Publishing

Number of pages: 248 pages, 70 colour illustrations

Binding: Hardback

Dimensions: 255 x 190 mm