Leonardo da Vinci

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Primary Source for These Notes
1. How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci, by Michael J. Gelb, published by Dell Publishing, a division of Random House, Inc., New York .
2. Author contact information - Michael J. Gelb, 114 The Promenade, Edgewater NJ 07020, Tel: 201-943-5303, Email: DaVincian@aol.com, Website: www.michaelgelb.com.
3. The book has been a Washington Post bestseller, a New York Times business bestseller, and an Amazon.com No. 1 pick. It has been published in 18 languages.
The Seven Principles of Leonardo da Vinci for Creative Thinking
(Gelb's book has a chapter devoted to each principle with enhancement exercises.)
1. Curiositá - an enthusiastically curious approach to life with an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.
2. Dimostrazione - a commitment to test knowledge through experience with a willingness to learn from mistakes.
3. Sensazione - a commitment to the continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as a means to enliven experience.
4. Sfumato (literally "Going up in Smoke") - a willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.
5. Arte/Scienza - a commitment to "whole-brain" thinking by developing a balance between science and art. (Left side of brain does logical, analytical thinking, while right side does imaginative, big-picture thinking.)
6. Corporalita - a commitment to cultivate grace, ambidexterity, fitness, and poise.
7. Connessione - a commitment to systems thinking by the appreciating the interconnectedness of all things.
Leonardo's Advice on: (pages 194, 200, 251 of Gelb)
1. Eating
  1. Eat simple (vegetarian) food.
  2. Eat only when you want and sup light.
  3. Keep upright when you rise from the dining table.
  4. Chew well.
  5. Go to the toilet regularly.
2. Relationships
  1. Ask advice of him who governs himself well.
  2. Reprove a friend in secret but praise him before others.
  3. Beware of anger and avoid grievous moods.
  4. Rest your head and keep your mind cheerful.
3. Exercise
  1. Exercise moderately.
  2. Be covered well at night.
  3. Do not be with the belly upwards or the head lowered.
Leonardo's Life and Times (page 309 of Gelb)
1. 1452 - Birth of Leonardo on April 15.
2. 1473 - Leonardo admitted to the painters' guild.
3. 1475 - Birth of Michelangelo.
4. 1481 - Leonardo works on The Adoration of the Magi.
5. 1482 - Leonardo moves to Milan and works under the patronage of Ludovico Sforza.
6. 1490 - Leonardo establishes his own workshop.
7. 1497 - Leonardo works on The Last Supper.
8. 1499 - Sforza equestrian model destroyed.
9. 1506 - Mona Lisa completed.
10. 1519 - Death of Leonardo on May 2 at age 67.
Leonardo's Horse (Il Cavallo)
1. Leonardo receives a commission from Ludovico Sforza to build an equestrian monument honoring his father, Francesco Sforza, the previous grand duke of Milan.
2. After more than a decade of work, Leonardo constructs a 24 foot high full-scale model.
3. In 1499, the French overwhelm Milan and destroy the model horse by using it for archery target practice.
4. In 1977, Charles Dent of Allentown, Pennsylvania, conceives a dream to build Leonardo's horse, Il Cavallo, and give it to the Italian people as a thank-you gift for the treasures of the Renaissance.
5. On September 10, 1999 (500 years from the day the original model was destroyed), the completed Il Cavallo is unveiled in Milan.
6. For more information on Il Cavallo, see www.leonardoshorse.org.
Internet Resources

(This page was last edited on April 28, 2011 .)