Leonardo da Vinci and the Italian High Renaissance

Lecture List

01: Introducing Leonardo da Vinci – Contexts and cultural groundwork of the High Renaissance. (36 min)
02: Who Was Leonardo? Facts and Fictions – Myths, Vasari, and early sources. (28 min)
03: Leonardo’s Artistic Origins – Training under Verrocchio and influences. (32 min)
04: From Apprentice to Partner – Early career breakthroughs. (35 min)
05: Annunciation—Leonardo’s First Commission – Analysis of his first masterpiece. (31 min)
06: A New Kind of Portrait—Ginevra de’ Benci – Revolutionizing portraiture. (32 min)
07: Leonardo’s Early Madonnas – Reinventing depictions of the Virgin Mary. (29 min)
08: Scandal, Reprieve, and the Penitent St. Jerome – Arrest and artistic independence. (30 min)
09: Inventing Early Modern Classical – The Adoration of the Magi. (32 min)
10: Arrival in Milan—Madonna of the Rocks – First fully realized High Renaissance painting. (29 min)
11: Leonardo at Court—Portrait of a Musician – Milanese works and court politics. (33 min)
12: Leonardo and the Ladies – Lady with an Ermine and La Belle Ferronniere. (30 min)
13: Threats to the Italian Renaissance—The 1490s – Geopolitical turbulence. (31 min)
14: Leonardo the Inventor and Engineer – Machines, hydraulics, and designs. (28 min)
15: Vitruvian Man, Perfection, and Architecture – Geometry and proportion. (32 min)
16: Leonardo the Military Scientist – Tanks, crossbows, and defense systems. (28 min)
17: Leonardo and Flight – Gliders, parachutes, and flying machines. (28 min)
18: Drawing Human Figures and Caricatures – Studies, battles, and humor. (31 min)
19: Colossus—The Sculpture for Ludovico Sforza – Ambitious bronze horse. (33 min)
20: The Making of The Last Supper – Technical and artistic analysis. (29 min)
21: The Meaning of The Last Supper – Symbolism and restoration. (31 min)
22: Mantua, Isabella d’Este, and Venice – Travels and intellectual networks. (31 min)
23: Return to Florence—Sfumato and Exhibition – Early one-man art show. (31 min)
24: Leonardo, Cesare Borgia, and Machiavelli – Maps, machines, and politics. (30 min)
25: Michelangelo and Leonardo – Rivalry and comparisons. (31 min)
26: Mona Lisa—La Gioconda – Mystery, sfumato, and identity. (32 min)
27: Raphael and Leonardo – Mentor-protégé dynamics. (33 min)
28: Leonardo in Milan and Pope Julius II in Rome – Avoiding papal Rome. (33 min)
29: The Anatomical Drawings—His Greatest Works? – Groundbreaking studies. (32 min)
30: In Praise of Painting—Leonardo’s Manifesto – Philosophy of art. (30 min)
31: Leonardo and the Medici in Rome – Conflicts with Pope Leo X. (31 min)
32: High Renaissance Art from Rome to Venice – Influence on contemporaries. (31 min)
33: Last Years—Leonardo in France – Patronage under King François I. (32 min)
34: Renaissance Man and Man of the Renaissance – Cultural and political climate. (32 min)
35: The End of an Era – Decline of the High Renaissance. (31 min)
36: The Legacies of Leonardo da Vinci – Artist, inventor, engineer, observer. (34 min)