Leonardo da Vinci is an enigmatic figure around whom many myths have taken shape. The real Leonardo is, however, an even more intriguing character than the legends suggest. This discussion will clarify the known facts of his life, allowing us to place his works in their proper historical and personal contexts.

The Mona Lisa began life in an orthodox manner, as a commissioned portrait of a bourgeois woman. From there, as confirmed by the technical examinations, it evolved into a “universal picture” embodying Leonardo’s science of art - optics, geology, anatomy, psychology, and also expressing the notion of the “beloved lady” as evoked in poetry from Dante onwards. We will explore the origin, details, and universal reaction to this historic work.

Walter Isaacson discusses the lessons to take away from Leonardo Da Vinci's body of work.

We’ll explore Florence and Milan — with a short stop in France — to illuminate the particular aspects of the era’s political structure, patronage system, the Church, and key scientific debates and discoveries that yielded this magical mix. If Leonardo had been born elsewhere in another century, would he be the icon we revere today? What lessons can we apply to our own society?

In this two-part session, we will begin with an overview of the incredible world of the codices — the notebooks that Leonardo used to record thousand ...

How did Leonardo, who began his career as an artist and a technician in Verrocchio’s workshop in Florence, slowly transform himself into a scientist?

This illustrated lecture will put the painting in the context of its times, revealing how Leonardo tells the biblical story of The Last Supper through a series of fascinating historical details.

What did Leonardo’s artistic and scientific innovations ultimately yield for those who came after him?

When Leonardo came to Florence from Vinci as a teenager, he partly supported himself by being a musician. What would the music he played have sounded like?

Artist Jeff Koons explains the influence that Leonardo has had on his art, tracing direct lines to works such as Christ and the Lamb, St. John the Baptist, and his recent Gazing Ball

This session will also address conflicts that have arisen as scientists, conservators, and local authorities consider whether to uncover what may be left of Leonardo’s unfinished masterpiece under later frescoes in Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio. Marco Cianchi, Gary Radke Moderator: Joel Achenbach

Take a deep dive into the iconic image and learn why Leonardo’s famed drawing is both an artistic and scientific feat, as well as how the work represents his times and philosophy.