The Leonardo da Vinci Society of the Bay Area is celebrating its 70th Anniversary.
Founded by Italiophiles who were captivated by the genius of Leonardo, the Society will be sponsoring and co-sponsoring a number of events honoring and commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Master’s death.
What makes Leonardo’s death worth celebrating? Why do we honor a 15th century man of illegitimate birth who was born and grew up in the insignificant town of Vinci in Tuscany, was denied a classical education and never mastered the language of the intelligentsia of his period, Latin? The only formal training he had was in art, under the tutelage of the artist Andrea del Verrocchio in whose workshop he labored from the age of 15 to 25. Only 15 or 16 unsigned painting are attributed to Leonardo and many of these are unfinished, but they are pivotal to the evolution of Western Art.
Leonardo was a man driven by curiosity of all he encountered and by the impetus to invent new and heretofore unheard-of things. He constantly experimented, studied and wrote about the nature of water currents and the wind, and was intent on discovering the laws of nature. His anatomical studies are remarkable, especially since he uncovered many anatomical errors that had been passed down for centuries as established facts. He was enchanted by machines and invented many, including some that could not really work for centuries more to come, such as his flying machine.
He uncovered many principles of nature that were not recognized during his time and that had to be rediscovered centuries later. He had a vision of the future that few people have ever equaled. So, it is this unique curiosity and ingenuity that characterized the man and his extraordinary accomplishments that we honor and celebrate. Leonardo was the quintessential Renaissance Man.
Leonardo 500 Award
The Leonardo Da Vinci Society San Francisco and the Italian Scientists and Scholars of North America Foundation (ISSNAF) Bay Area Chapter are seeking applications for the 2019 Leonardo 500 Award. This award was established on the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death to recognize Italian or Italian American early-career researchers working in the San Francisco Bay Area. The winner will be presented an award certificate and a $1,000 prize at our annual
Gala Dinner, on April 5, 2019.
Deadline: February 15, 2019