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A review by qulit
The Da Vinci Legacy: How a 16th Century Solitary Genius Became a Global Pop Icon by Jean-Pierre Isbouts, Christopher Brown
3.0
The Da Vinci Legacy: How an Elusive 16th-century Artist Became a Global Pop Icon written by Jean-Pierre Isbouts and Christopher Brown was certainly an interesting read. However, I think the scope was much too wide for the length of the novel, and consequently key details were missed.
Had more attention been paid to the finer details, such as the translation of all quotes rather than select ones; the presence of artworks in line with the discussion and not watermarked; and the phrasing I might have been able to provide the text with a higher rating. When non-fiction is presented as a ‘story’, the integrity of the authors must be interrogated.
There is an expectation that you should have read previous works by the authors as they mention that they’ve already provided information in previous books. This text is supposed to be an authoritative exploration and assessment of Leonardo’s enduring and evolving reputation across five hundred years. A reader should not be expected to read another two books to source necessary information. Had the authors wished to reference more in-depth discussions this should have been placed in the notes.
At times, the tone of the text was rather condescending. This was particularly evident when describing the pre-industrialisation of Europe and subsequent transformation in the nineteenth century. Yet, the tone did not affect the entire text. The biographies of artists and creatives across the centuries were often compelling and well-researched. In particular, I appreciated the mention of Matteo Bandello’s Novelle, which was modelled on Boccaccio’s Decameron and was used as a point of reference and inspiration for a handful of Shakespeare’s plays.
In my opinion, the conclusion of the book was rather weak, and argued that in the 21st century, Leonardo has become ‘a maverick scientist and a brilliant engineer’, but this was their reasoning for him enduring through the twentieth century. The authors never delved into the twenty first century until the conclusion.
The select bibliography was surprising, in a non-fiction book I would expect a complete bibliography and credits for the images used. I also appreciate the limitations of the e-book format, but it would have been better if the notes could have been more easily accessed.
I would recommend this to anyone who knows very little about Da Vinci and would like a neat overview of art history. It’s a good starting place for anyone who is intrigued by the mystique of the Mona Lisa and Last Supper, and how Leonardo’s works infiltrated into the European consciousness.
*I received a free copy of this via NetGalley for review*
Had more attention been paid to the finer details, such as the translation of all quotes rather than select ones; the presence of artworks in line with the discussion and not watermarked; and the phrasing I might have been able to provide the text with a higher rating. When non-fiction is presented as a ‘story’, the integrity of the authors must be interrogated.
There is an expectation that you should have read previous works by the authors as they mention that they’ve already provided information in previous books. This text is supposed to be an authoritative exploration and assessment of Leonardo’s enduring and evolving reputation across five hundred years. A reader should not be expected to read another two books to source necessary information. Had the authors wished to reference more in-depth discussions this should have been placed in the notes.
At times, the tone of the text was rather condescending. This was particularly evident when describing the pre-industrialisation of Europe and subsequent transformation in the nineteenth century. Yet, the tone did not affect the entire text. The biographies of artists and creatives across the centuries were often compelling and well-researched. In particular, I appreciated the mention of Matteo Bandello’s Novelle, which was modelled on Boccaccio’s Decameron and was used as a point of reference and inspiration for a handful of Shakespeare’s plays.
In my opinion, the conclusion of the book was rather weak, and argued that in the 21st century, Leonardo has become ‘a maverick scientist and a brilliant engineer’, but this was their reasoning for him enduring through the twentieth century. The authors never delved into the twenty first century until the conclusion.
The select bibliography was surprising, in a non-fiction book I would expect a complete bibliography and credits for the images used. I also appreciate the limitations of the e-book format, but it would have been better if the notes could have been more easily accessed.
I would recommend this to anyone who knows very little about Da Vinci and would like a neat overview of art history. It’s a good starting place for anyone who is intrigued by the mystique of the Mona Lisa and Last Supper, and how Leonardo’s works infiltrated into the European consciousness.
*I received a free copy of this via NetGalley for review*