The da Vinci Legacy: How an Elusive 16th-Century Artist Became a Global Pop Icon Audiobook

Virtually everyone would agree that Leonardo da Vinci was the most important artist of the High Renaissance. It was Leonardo who singlehandedly created the defining features of Western art: a realism based on subtle shading; depth using atmospheric effects; and dramatic contrasts between light and dark.

But how did Leonardo, a painter of very few works who died in obscurity in France, become the internationally renowned icon he is today, with the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper the most visited artworks in the world, attracting nearly a billion visitors each year, and Salvator Mundi selling as the most expensive artwork of all time, for nearly half a billion dollars?

This extraordinary volume is the first book to unravel these mysteries by diving deep into the art, literature, science, and politics of Europe from the Renaissance through today. It gives illuminating context to both Leonardo and his accomplishments; explores why Leonardo's fame vastly overshadowed that of his contemporaries and disciples; and ultimately reveals why despite finishing very few works, his celebrity has survived, even thrived, through five centuries of history.

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"I was so amazed at the amount of history that this book gave. It made it interesting and inspiring, and even the use of the Italian references were well done. I learned things that I had never heard before in many of my art, history courses, and it prepared me with extra facts for a trip to Florence. Anyone who wants to learn more of the renaissance and the characters in the time of da Vinci needs to read this book."

— Animac (5 out of 5 stars)