Math and the Mona Lisa: The Art and Science of Leonardo da Vinci by Bulent Atalay
Synopsis: Leonardo da Vinci was one of history’s true geniuses, equally brilliant as an artist, scientist, and mathematician. Readers of The Da Vinci Code were given a glimpse of the mysterious connections between math, science, and Leonardo’s art. Math and the Mona Lisa picks up where The Da Vinci Codeleft off, illuminating Leonardo’s life and work to uncover connections that, until now, have been known only to scholars.
Following Leonardo’s own unique model, Atalay searches for the internal dynamics of art and science, revealing to us the deep unity of the two cultures. He provides a broad overview of the development of science from the dawn of civilization to today’s quantum mechanics. From this base of information, Atalay offers a fascinating view into Leonardo’s restless intellect and modus operandi, allowing us to see the source of his ideas and to appreciate his art from a new perspective. William D. Phillips, who won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1997, writes of the author, “Atalay is indeed a modern renaissance man, and he invites us to tap the power of synthesis that is Leonardo’s model.”
Published: April 2004 | ISBN: 978-0060851194
Author’s Homepage: http://www.bulentatalay.com
Author’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/bulentatalay
“The broad sweep of Professor Atalay’s brilliant mind brings us an approach to understanding the Vincian genius that is so insightful, so original, and so well-reasoned that it immediately becomes an essential volume in the canon of Leonardiana. I read this monumental achievement in awe of the author’s perceptions.”—Sherwin Nuland, author of Leonardo da Vinci and winner of the 1994 National Book Award for How We Die.
“A masterful examination of the differences and similarities in the sciences and the arts, as embodied by that genius of both fields: Leonardo da Vinci. Professor Bülent Atalay has penetrated Leonardo’s mind, in a way that is both highly readable and very informative.”—Jamie Wyeth
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