No artist was more important to what we now understand as the Italian Renaissance than Leonardo da Vinci. In drawings, Leonardo studied everything he encountered in the world around him, from the humblest plants and animals to the largest landscapes and geographies. In notebooks, he recorded observations, theories and precepts for himself and for his students. In paintings, he experimented with new techniques and representational means and profoundly affected the history of that art both in the major centers where he worked and in other cities where his art was known. Leonardo's inventions helped reshape the image of the artist in his time, and knowledge of his work changed the nature of the ambitions of those who followed in his profession.

This course will focus on major themes and issues Leonardo's work raises. Looking both at Leonardo's writings and at his art, it will consider the historical background of his own interests, the relationship between his theory and practice, and the importance of his work for the art and art-writing of the following century.