2 Audley Square
London W1K 1DB
Established in 1994, The Course offers Art History, Music, Opera and Literature Lectures.
We have all heard of the great master of the Renaissance – Leonardo da Vinci. Speculation regarding the true life and meaning of his work has been rife for centuries. Books such as the Da Vinci Code and many others only serve to confirm and equally to confuse us. So how much do we really know? How did he become such a great artist, how famous was he in his own lifetime, was he rich and where and how did he learn his craft? This series of lectures will give you an insight into the life of this great artist; charting the beginnings of his career, the highs and the lows, and finding out just how and why he became the ultimate and universal genius we now regard him.
The Art Of War & Mechanical Engineering
In the middle and latter part of Leonardo’s life, he became increasingly in demand for his designs and this would see him ultimately working for powerful patrons such as Isabella d’Este and Lodovico Sforza. We will look at his complex mechanical designs for flying machines, underwater breathing apparatus and ultimately weapons of mass destruction. Why did Leonardo carry out such work and what were his thoughts on these?