Leonardo da Vinci’s multifaceted genius is well known for his paintings, drawings, architectural and mechanical designs – many of which remained unrealized and impossible to realize.
We are, however, far less familiar with Leonardo the writer of fables: brief texts, sometimes mere sketches, generally describing natural phenomena or featuring animals, insects, plants, and even inanimate objects as protagonists.
In order to preserve this invaluable narrative legacy, this book adapts and reinterprets Leonardo’s original texts – both by “translating” them from their archaic Italian and by expanding upon their still remarkably relevant themes. It also explores the connections between these fables and Leonardo’s life, as well as the imaginary that inspired so many of his celebrated works, whether artistic, engineering, or literary.
What emerges is the true essence of the Renaissance homo faber – a creator of prosperity and beauty through the study and reverence of nature. A message of great importance in an era of reflection on humanity’s responsibility in environmental disasters.