Lecture in English by Sara Taglialagamba

The famous sentence written on a folio of the Codex Atlanticus saying ‘Can there not be beauty and utility, as there are in fortresses and in men?’ can be used to explain the beauty-usefulness equation, inspired by the Platonic definition according to which ‘beauty’ must be both convenient and useful. Leonardo’s paintings were no exception and can be considered as possibly the most amazing examples of undisputable beauty and perfection: ornaments are not used as accessories, they are strictly intertwined with the concepts express by his art. Dr Taglialagamba has published extensively on Leonardo da Vinci and renaissance art. She is currently a Fellow at the Museo della Scienza Galileo, Florence.

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The 2019 opening season is made possible by a generous donation from Michael and Alessandra Griffiths