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To: Liz
Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari is interesting reading. Vasari was a contemporary of many of the artists he discusses and was a personal friend of Michelangelo. His introduction to the chapter on Leonardo da Vinci is thought-provoking and beautiful writing:

"In the normal course of events many men and women are born with various remarkable qualities and talents; but occasionally, in a way that transcends nature, a single person is marvelously endowed by heaven with beauty, grace and talent in such abundance that he leaves other men far behind, all his actions seem inspired, and indeed everything he does clearly comes from God rather than from human art. Everyone acknowledged that this was true of Leonardo da Vinci, an artist of outstanding physical beauty who displayed infinite grace in everything he did and who cultivated his genius so brilliantly that all problems he studied he solved with ease. He possessed great strength and dexterity; he was a man of regal spirit and tremendous breadth of mind. [...] This marvelous and divinely inspired Leonardo was.[...] so favored by nature that to whatever he turned his mind or thoughts the results were always inspired and perfect; and his lively and delightful works were incomparably graceful and realistic. " - link (Penguin translation)

26 posted on 05/18/2005 3:54:54 PM PDT by wideminded
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To: wideminded; NYer
"........Leonardo da Vinci (was) an artist of outstanding physical beauty who displayed infinite grace in everything he did and who cultivated his genius so brilliantly that all problems he studied he solved with ease. He possessed great strength and dexterity; he was a man of regal spirit and tremendous breadth of mind. [...] This marvelous and divinely inspired Leonardo was.[...] so favored by nature that to whatever he turned his mind or thoughts the results were always inspired and perfect; and his lively and delightful works were incomparably graceful and realistic. " - link (Penguin translation)....

Wonderful tribute to an extraordinary artist.

27 posted on 05/18/2005 4:16:44 PM PDT by Liz (A society of sheep must, in time, beget a government of wolves. Bertrand de Jouvenal)
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