This collection of essays emerged from the research projects that 24 NEH Scholars developed during the NEH Summer Institute “Leonardo da Vinci: Between Art and Science” (Florence, Italy, June-July 2012), hosted bythe Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (KHI).

Over a period of three weeks, NEH Scholars explored the relations between art and science in the works of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), the versatile, canonical artist of western art who moved with equal ease among artistic, literary, intellectual and scientific circles.

The Institute was organized around three major themes:

• ■ Word and Image
• ■ Painting and Drawing
• ■ Craftsmen and Scholars

Selected to address cogent issues in the study of Leonardo's works and writings, these three themes are more generally significant to understand the relations between art and science in the early modern period.

Within these three themes, NEH Scholars developed their individual research projects and the essays gathered here are the first outcomes of those projects.

The essays vary greatly in themes and approaches, reflecting the diverse background, training and interests of their authors. They all provide unique points of entry into the many aspects of Leonardo da Vinci’s works and writings and suggest possible use of new materials for undergraduate teaching and scholarly research.

This website includes also additional bibliographical resources and the program of the NEH Institute.