Martin Kemp discusses 'La Bella Principessa', a profile portrait of a Milanese lady, and the role... more Martin Kemp discusses 'La Bella Principessa', a profile portrait of a Milanese lady, and the roles of himself, Pascal Cotte, and others including Paul Biro, in attributing this radiant and exciting picture to Leonardo da Vinci. Martin describes his story in coming across the picture, and moves on to the attribution process, first in terms of materials and technique, and then the new technology used in scientific investigation, and social and cultural aspects of the sitter. Martin is interviewed by Kathryn Barush and Maya Corry.
AnthologyThe Renaissance WorldMona Lisa ReimaginedThe Fabrication of Leonardo da Vinci’s Trattato... more AnthologyThe Renaissance WorldMona Lisa ReimaginedThe Fabrication of Leonardo da Vinci’s Trattato della pitturaThe Rise of the ImageThe Second Mrs. GiocondaIdea of the Temple of PaintingLeonardo Da VinciRenaissance Art ReconsideredLeonardo on PaintingThe Notebooks of Leonardo da VinciPaul ValéryA Treatise on PaintingThe NotebooksLeonardo Da Vinci: Quotes and FactsMathematics and ArtHistory of Italian Renaissance ArtThe Shadow DrawingLeonardo on Art and the ArtistLeonardo on Art and the ArtistChrist to CokePainting in Renaissance VeniceJesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in ArtSideshow: Fine Art PrintsArt and ArtistsWomen, Art, and TechnologyThe Simple Art of FlyingLeonardo's NotebooksArtThe Oxford History of Western ArtThe Science of ArtThe Peterborough AnthologyPainting and Experience in Fifteenth Century ItalyMona LisaLeonardo Da Vinci Master DraftsmanRenaissance HumanismModernismDa Vinci ReconstructedChallengers, Competition, and ReelectionLeonardo
The sequencing of the human genome was the last major goal to be set by leaders of science in the... more The sequencing of the human genome was the last major goal to be set by leaders of science in the twentieth century. Its achievement was certainly as spectacular a triumph as the launching of the first spacecraft or landing on the Moon. It was also an amazing example of cooperation and competition between scientists, government funding agencies, charities, and public and privately funded projects. In a symbolic way it is a manifestation of the dramatic cultural changes that humanity undergoes at the turn of a new millennium. Nature was an active supporter of the project to sequence the human genome, promoting ideas, lobbying for more funds and publishing outstanding achievements, including a completed draft sequence. So it is natural to see two senior editors of Nature compiling a book on this epochal achievement. The book is aimed at both nonspecialists and students in the field, and presents the goals, history and consequences of obtaining the genome sequence. With a foreword by James Watson, the book describes early achievements in DNA structure and human genome mapping, followed by a detailed account of the dramatic course of events that led to the sequencing the human genome ahead of schedule. The style is very clear and the authors present not only the facts, but also the spirit of this dramatic race. Although it is probably too early for a full understanding, the authors have tried to assess the future impact of human genome sequencing on biology, medicine and society. The book contains very good illustrations and historical photographs of key participants of the project. The original article reporting the sequence obtained by the public consortium, with schematic gene maps and accompanying papers, makes up more than half of the book. It will be a pleasure for any scientist to have this milestone book in their personal library. ■ Daniel Cohen is at GENSET, 24 rue Royale, F75008 Paris, France. book reviews
Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 1972
T he methodology of Leonardo's anatomical researches after 1509 tends increasingly towards th... more T he methodology of Leonardo's anatomical researches after 1509 tends increasingly towards the resolution of functions to fit known forms; and away from the creation of forms to fit preconceived functions, the approach which had dominated his quattrocento researches.1 However, his development as an anatomist cannot be adequately characterized in isolation, solely as an inductive tightening of his anatomical technique, as a prophetic anticipation of Vesalian methods. When his late anatomies are set (as they must be) in the general context of his intellectual development, they can be shown to play a complex and profound role in the realization of his magnificent vision of universal dynamics. And, more than this, they are intimately associated with his increasingly positive realization of theological concepts in relation to scientific inquiry.
Martin Kemp discusses 'La Bella Principessa', a profile portrait of a Milanese lady, and the role... more Martin Kemp discusses 'La Bella Principessa', a profile portrait of a Milanese lady, and the roles of himself, Pascal Cotte, and others including Paul Biro, in attributing this radiant and exciting picture to Leonardo da Vinci. Martin describes his story in coming across the picture, and moves on to the attribution process, first in terms of materials and technique, and then the new technology used in scientific investigation, and social and cultural aspects of the sitter. Martin is interviewed by Kathryn Barush and Maya Corry.
AnthologyThe Renaissance WorldMona Lisa ReimaginedThe Fabrication of Leonardo da Vinci’s Trattato... more AnthologyThe Renaissance WorldMona Lisa ReimaginedThe Fabrication of Leonardo da Vinci’s Trattato della pitturaThe Rise of the ImageThe Second Mrs. GiocondaIdea of the Temple of PaintingLeonardo Da VinciRenaissance Art ReconsideredLeonardo on PaintingThe Notebooks of Leonardo da VinciPaul ValéryA Treatise on PaintingThe NotebooksLeonardo Da Vinci: Quotes and FactsMathematics and ArtHistory of Italian Renaissance ArtThe Shadow DrawingLeonardo on Art and the ArtistLeonardo on Art and the ArtistChrist to CokePainting in Renaissance VeniceJesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in ArtSideshow: Fine Art PrintsArt and ArtistsWomen, Art, and TechnologyThe Simple Art of FlyingLeonardo's NotebooksArtThe Oxford History of Western ArtThe Science of ArtThe Peterborough AnthologyPainting and Experience in Fifteenth Century ItalyMona LisaLeonardo Da Vinci Master DraftsmanRenaissance HumanismModernismDa Vinci ReconstructedChallengers, Competition, and ReelectionLeonardo
The sequencing of the human genome was the last major goal to be set by leaders of science in the... more The sequencing of the human genome was the last major goal to be set by leaders of science in the twentieth century. Its achievement was certainly as spectacular a triumph as the launching of the first spacecraft or landing on the Moon. It was also an amazing example of cooperation and competition between scientists, government funding agencies, charities, and public and privately funded projects. In a symbolic way it is a manifestation of the dramatic cultural changes that humanity undergoes at the turn of a new millennium. Nature was an active supporter of the project to sequence the human genome, promoting ideas, lobbying for more funds and publishing outstanding achievements, including a completed draft sequence. So it is natural to see two senior editors of Nature compiling a book on this epochal achievement. The book is aimed at both nonspecialists and students in the field, and presents the goals, history and consequences of obtaining the genome sequence. With a foreword by James Watson, the book describes early achievements in DNA structure and human genome mapping, followed by a detailed account of the dramatic course of events that led to the sequencing the human genome ahead of schedule. The style is very clear and the authors present not only the facts, but also the spirit of this dramatic race. Although it is probably too early for a full understanding, the authors have tried to assess the future impact of human genome sequencing on biology, medicine and society. The book contains very good illustrations and historical photographs of key participants of the project. The original article reporting the sequence obtained by the public consortium, with schematic gene maps and accompanying papers, makes up more than half of the book. It will be a pleasure for any scientist to have this milestone book in their personal library. ■ Daniel Cohen is at GENSET, 24 rue Royale, F75008 Paris, France. book reviews
Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 1972
T he methodology of Leonardo's anatomical researches after 1509 tends increasingly towards th... more T he methodology of Leonardo's anatomical researches after 1509 tends increasingly towards the resolution of functions to fit known forms; and away from the creation of forms to fit preconceived functions, the approach which had dominated his quattrocento researches.1 However, his development as an anatomist cannot be adequately characterized in isolation, solely as an inductive tightening of his anatomical technique, as a prophetic anticipation of Vesalian methods. When his late anatomies are set (as they must be) in the general context of his intellectual development, they can be shown to play a complex and profound role in the realization of his magnificent vision of universal dynamics. And, more than this, they are intimately associated with his increasingly positive realization of theological concepts in relation to scientific inquiry.
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