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Leonardo da Vinci |
Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future
Tech Museum, San Jose, CA
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Leonardo da Vinci |
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Preface: Leonardo da Vinci is celebrated as the visionary of extraordinary ideas
that only were realized several centuries after his death. He is revered as a painter,
architect, engineer, scientist, and philosopher— a true Renaissance man. Since my
college days, I'd browse through Leonardo's Notebooks collecting inspiring quotes.
During my trips to Europe, I saw Leonardo's Last Supper in Milan,
Adoration of the Magi and
The Annunciation at the Uffizi in Florence (1972).
When I attended the First Sickle Cell Symposium in Washington D.C. (1974),
I went to National Gallery of Art to view the newly acquired
Ginevra de' Benci
from Liechtenstein. When I attended the 6th International Biochemistry Conference in
Hamburg, Germany (1976), I visited the Alte Pinakothek, Munich to see
Madonna with the Carnation.
During the "Protein Folding Workshop" at the University of Paris (1979),
I visited the Louvre often to see Leonardo's
Mona Lisa,
Madonna of the Rocks,
Virgin & Child with St. Anne,
St. John the Baptist and
La Belle Ferroniere.
When Lady with an Ermine was
on loan from Cracow and exhibited at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco,
I composed a web page after my visit (May 13, 2003).
So I was excited that Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future was exhibited at the Tech Museum
in San Jose. When Hoyt Smith announced that the Tech Museum was offering a $10 discount to
KDFC listeners on Saturday, November 1, 2008, a friend and I went there despite the heavy
downpour that day. With the exception of the two paintings on loan from the Uffizi Gallery,
the Tech Museum allowed photographs without flash for the rest of the exhibit. I took photos
with a Canon A590 camera and resized them for this web page. Unfortunately, there is no
catalogue for this Leonardo exhibit. The details on the exhibit items are from notes
taken at the Tech Museum. Web links were added when available. The haikus were written
afterwards. From the Tech Museum brochure, a Leonardo da Vinci quote :
“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.” May Leonardo's insights
inspire & illumine us with great joy.
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 4:15 pm San Jose Montgomery Theatre 271 S. Market Street, San Jose Winged Angel Dancing Sculpture Next to the Tech Museum, this sculpture prepared my mind for Leonardo's flight The wingèd dancer leaps up in flight from earth to heavenly delight! | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 4:25 pm Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Heavy rain today— may Leonardo's genius pour down and flood my mind! | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 5:00 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Anonymous, after Leonardo da Vinci "Leda and the Swan" (1500-1510) Uffizi Gallery, Florence (inv. 1890, #9953) Zeus disguised as swan made love to Leda who bore him Helen of Troy. | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 5:17 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) Brunelleschi's Dome, Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, 177 ft above ground level; drumbase to top of dome = 108 ft. height of lantern at top = 72 ft. Brunelleschi's Dome— an engineering marvel! artistic vision! | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 5:48 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Leonardo da Vinci III.f (Forster Ms. I) Victoria & Albert Museum, London (ca. 1487-80 &1505) Facsimile Gianto, 1992 folios 13v-14r: Studies of transformation of solids Leonardo studied the Platonic solids and their transformation. | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 6:07 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Leonardo da Vinci III.w (Ms. E) Institut de France, Paris (ca. 1513-14) Facsimile Gianto, Florence, 1989 folios 42v-43r: Effect of strong wind in birds (left); maneuvers of birds in wind (right) Studied birds in flight, effect of strong wind currents— mind ever moving! | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 6:20 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Leonardo: machines & mechanism— Leonardo's paintings are well known. This exhibit showcases his inventions. Artistic genius and scientific inventor— a Renaissance man! | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 6:43 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Leonardo da Vinci III.3.j: Studies of the spinal column Royal Collection, Royal Library, Windsor, 19007v; K/P 139v Study the spinal column for the Freemason's secret— count the bones! | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 6:48 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Leonardo's Lost Robot— Around 1495 Leonardo built the first humanoid robot, an armored robot knight that's anatomically accurate. 500 years ahead of his time, Leonardo was into robotics! | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 6:55 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Leonardo da Vinci Multimedia— II.1.a: The man in the circle & square [video] Leonardo's Vitruvian Man (circa 1487) The Vitruvian Man with five points spread out— a way to square the circle. | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:00 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Leonardo da Vinci Exhibit Board— II.3: Transformation and metamorphosis (Taking photos of noteboards to save time) Leonardo is a shape shifter, modelling clay, changing man into bird. | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:17 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future Leonardo da Vinci Exhibit— I.7: Pythagorean Table. Model after Leonardo da Vinci, Madrid Ms. II.48v I.8: Fountain pen. Replica after Leonardo, Codex Atlanticus, 51.3bv No need for goose quills dipping into inkwells— this pen will write smoothly. | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:25 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future II.3.B.b5: Transformation of man into bird Model after Leonardo, Ms. B, 74v & Codex on the Flight of Birds, 11v & 7v Man transformed into bird— his arm changing to wings preparing for flight! | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:35 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future II.5.B.9: Anonymous (4th-3rd century B.C.) Equine protome: Reproduction after the original bronze kept in the Museo Archeologica Nationale, Florence, inv. 1639. Leonardo may have been familiar with this Hellenistic sculpture. Where is the chessboard to accomodate this knight— this gigantic horse head? | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:50 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future III.6.f3: Leonardo's mechanical lion (1515) King Francis I commisioned Leonardo to make him the robotic lion and invited him to France (1516-1519). Leonardo died in the arms of Francis I, the King of France | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:55 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future IV.3b2: Vision & Illumination Leonardo da Vinci, "John the Baptist" Copy from Louvre Museum, Paris Saint John the Baptist points to the Platonic One— Beauty, Truth, Goodness. | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:58 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future III.8.B: Motions of the mind Leonardo's "The Last Supper" (1498) Cast of Judas Iscariot Betrayer Judas— his body leaning away from Christ— face in the dark. | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:58 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future III.8.B: Motions of the mind Leonardo's "The Last Supper" (1498) Cast of John (Mary Magdalene?) John in ecstasy— being close to Christ, he feels love overflowing. | |
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Saturday, November 1, 2008, 7:59 pm Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future IV.5B.a1: Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488) "Lady with a bunch of flowers" (1480) Cast of original in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, Italy She has flowers in her hands and looks content— she is so much in love. | |
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Wisdom Portal P.O. Box 390707, Mountain View, CA 94039 email:  (11-11-2008) |
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