To Leonardo, With Love

Video

Yesterday was Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday.

To celebrate, I made and posted it on YouTube yesterday. Last night, I noticed a few mistakes. So I decided to take the original down and post a new cut this morning.

Mistakes happen. And it seems like something Leonardo would do.

Forensic research and his notebooks show da Vinci was a fan of revising his work. Sometimes many, many times. Sometimes for many years on end.

So at least I’m good company.

While making the video, I debated giving a little history lesson via voiceover. Ultimately, I decided it detracted from the art.

Based on Wikipedia and other articles, here’s what I wrote, recorded, and decided to leave on the cutting room floor:

Born on April 15, 1452, Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian painter, illustrator, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect.

While most famous for his paintings, including the Mona Lisa, his notebooks have become almost as famous. 

Filled with drawings and notes on anatomy, astronomy, botany, and art, Leonardo's notebooks remain popular with both art historians and art lovers.

Leonardo da Vinci and his life’s work have become iconic examples of The Renaissance.

Despite the thousands of pages Leonardo left in notebooks and manuscripts, Leonardo made few references to his personal life. He kept his private life secret. 

Leonardo's sexuality has been the subject of satire, analysis, and speculation since the 16th century. 

In the early 19th and 20th centuries, Sigmund Freud revived this speculation with his book Leonardo da Vinci, A Memory of His Childhood in which he psychoanalyzed da Vinci posthumously.

In 1476, when he was twenty-four, records show that Leonardo and three others were charged with sodomy involving a known male prostitute. The charges were dismissed for lack of evidence. Speculation is that his patrons helped secure the dismissal.

Leonardo's most intimate relationships were with two of his pupils. Writing to inform Leonardo's brothers of his death, one described his relationship with Leonardo as both loving and passionate.

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”
Leonardo da Vinci
(April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519)

While no work may ever truly “done,” there comes a time when “good enough” wins the day and it’s time to move on other things.

Thanks for reading!
Clint

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