Math and the Mona Lisa The Art and Science of Leonardo da Vinci

Smithsonian (April 2004)
PDF | 352 pages | English | 4.4mb(rar)

Math and the Mona Lisa The Art and Science of Leonardo da Vinci/by Atalay B (Author)
Description
Math and the Mona Lisa sees the transcendant unity of art and science in almost every aspect of Leonardo's life and work. Atalay seeks the consilience of science and art—painting, architecture, sculpture, music, mathematics, physics, biology, astronomy, and engineering—and the unity of the two cultures. He delves deeply into the underlying mathematics and aesthetics of science and art, paying special attention to the mathematical sequence called the Fibonacci series and to the related notion of the "golden ratio" or "divine proportion"—the keys to understanding the unity of art and nature. 32 b/w and 16 color illustrations.
In this readable, if less than compelling, disquisition on the close relationship of art and science, physics professor Atalay uses as his touchstone Leonardo da Vinci, of whom he says in his prologue: "Had [da Vinci] been able to publish the scientific ruminations found in his manuscripts in his own time, our present level of sophistication in science and technology might have been reached one or two centuries earlier." This assertion sets the buoyant tone for the rest of the book. The author marvels at the symmetries to be found in art and the natural world, discussing the Fibonacci series (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8...) and the golden ratio related to it designated by the Greek letter phi (1.618...) with illustrated examples ranging from da Vinci's three portraits of women to the Great Pyramid and the Parthenon. He concedes the existence of asymmetry and dissonance, but chooses not to get into such subjects as chaos theory and fractals that don't fit his harmonious view of the universe. While Atalay makes an agreeable guide, he covers too much ground that will already be familiar to his likely audience.

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