<p><b>The first unabridged translation and only edition in print of Merzhkovsky's most popular book</b></p><p></p><p><i>'You seek to uncover the divine proportions,' the scholar addressed the artist with a condescending smile, 'to reduce beauty to mathematics?'</i></p><p>This evocative account of the life of the Renaissance's greatest figure traces Leonardo's early development as an artist and court figure to his final years in exile, portraying his loves and sufferings, as well as his intellectual curiosity and tireless loyalty to his ideals. But it is the background to his famous painting <i>La Gioconda</i>, or<i> Mona Lisa</i>, and his relationship with the mysterious Florentine woman who modeled for it that are at the heart of the novel, and make for an engrossing and unforgettable read. An unjustly forgotten masterpiece of Russian literature that inspired one of Freud's most important essays,<i>Leonardo da Vinci </i>also offers an illuminating snapshot of the society of the period—beset with intrigue and religious and social tension—and a host of memorable historical figures such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Machiavelli, and the infamous Borgias.</p>