Myriad forms of genius
Leonardo da Vinci applied his “multiform genius” to so many different fields – from studies of the principles of flight to anatomy, and from painting to engineering – that he has become the prototype of homo universalis. Of Greek-Roman origin, this concept was drawn on by humanist and Renaissance culture, and essentially describes an intellectual who excels in a range of practical and theoretical, artistic and scientific fields.

Two interesting museums in Vinci pay tribute to Leonardo’s abilities as an artist, scientist and inventor: the Museo Leonardiano and the Museo ideale Leonardo da Vinci. Situated in Palazzina Uzielli and the Castello dei Conti Guidi, the Museo Leonardiano houses machines and models illustrating Leonardo’s skills as an inventor, technologist and engineer, with specific references to the artist’s sketches and notes. Models and experiments reconstructed on the basis of manuscripts from the period and reinterpreted in accordance with rigorous historical and technical studies enable visitors to see and tangibly appreciate Leonardo’s inventions and get a better idea of the scientific culture of the Renaissance. Besides the museum complex there is also the Biblioteca Leonardiana, a top-quality documentation centre.

Housed in the atmospheric underground gallery and ancient cellars of the town’s castle is the Museo ideale Leonardo da Vinci, which offers an all-round perspective on Leonardo by means of 128 theme-based points ranging from his birth to his death, from art to technology, from his native land to his dreams of the East. Viewing Leonardo as a universal and very human genius, the museum does not separate out the themes of his personality and work, but adopts an interdisciplinary approach, weaving together many themes and moving in many directions in a kind of museum hypertext (a mix of accounts and ancient originals, with as many as 50 models, some of which actually work, reconstructed from original projects) that Leonardo would undoubtedly have appreciated. The Museum has recently aquired a sort of extension in t Florence, at the Museo del Bigallo, in the very heart of the city, where the Libera Achademia Leonardi Vinci has its seat.

In Florence, the Galleria degli Uffizi houses – in addition to numerous drawings, sketches and an unfinished Adoration of the Magi – an Annunciation by Leonardo. On display from March to June 2007 at the National Museum of Tokyo as part of The Genius of Leonardo exhibition, this painting dates to the period of his apprenticeship in Verrochio’s workshop, eight decisive years (1469-77) during which Leonardo learnt the art of drawing, the use of perspective, and anatomy. These technical skills lie at the heart of Leonardo’s so-called sfumato technique, a form of chiaroscuro with which it is possible to achieve particularly atmospheric pictorial effects.

Finally, visiting the Salone dei Cinquecento (in Leonardo’s time, the Sala del Maggior Consiglio of the Republic of Florence), one cannot help speculating about the Battle of Anghiari fresco Leonardo was commissioned to produce – actually realized with the encaustic technique, which better suited his propensity for ripensamenti (‘second thoughts’) and his slow working practice – and which was probably destroyed or covered over by subsequent modifications to the chamber carried out to a design by Giorgio Vasari.