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    Math and the Mona Lisa : the art and science of Leonardo da Vinci / Bülent Atalay.

    • Title:Math and the Mona Lisa : the art and science of Leonardo da Vinci / Bülent Atalay.
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    • Author/Creator:Atalay, Bülent.
    • Published/Created:Washington, D.C. : Smithsonian Books, 2004.
    • Holdings

       
    • Library of Congress Subjects:Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519--Criticism and interpretation.
      Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519. Mona Lisa.
      Art and science.
    • Description:xix, 314 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 22 cm.
    • Summary:"Bulent Atalay examines the science and mathematics that underlie Leonardo's work, paying special attention to the proportions, patterns, shapes, and symmetries that scientists and mathematicians have also identified in nature. He argues that while most artists inform their works with certain symmetries and regularities unconsciously, Leonardo often did so with conscious effort. Atalay looks closely at the famous mathematical expression known as the Fibonacci Series, a sequence of numbers whose relationships express what scientists and artists sometimes call the golden ratio or divine proportion, and its repeated expression in Leonardo's few but famous paintings, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper." "Following Leonardo's own unique and powerful model, Atalay searches for the internal dynamics of art and science, revealing to us the deep unity of the two cultures, their methods, modes of analysis, and forms of expression. He provides a broad overview of the development of science from the dawn of civilization and the invention of numbers to today's quantum mechanics. From that base of information Atalay succeeds in offering a new and fascinating view into Leonardo's restless intellect, extraordinary psyche, and modus operandi, allowing us to see the source of his ideas and to appreciate his art from a new perspective." "Math and the Mona Lisa is a celebration of the science of art and the art of science, to the timelessness and universality of Leonardo's work, and to the wonders of nature revealed through science and mathematics."--BOOK JACKET.
    • Notes:Includes bibliographical references and index.
    • ISBN:1588341712 (alk. paper)
    • Contents:1. Leonardo Fiorentino : a life well spent
      2. The confluence of science and art
      3. Painting by numbers
      4. The nature of science
      5. The nature of art
      6. The art of nature
      7. The science of art
      8. The eye of the beholder and the eye of the beheld
      9. Leonardo, part-time artist
      10. The manuscripts of the consummate scientist
      11. Unifying the physics of heaven and earth
      12. The greatest collective piece of art of the twentieth century
      13. Bridging the cultural divide.
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