Annotated Bibliography: The Inventions Of Leonardo Da Vinci

Madison Rumler

Dr. Alden Cavanaugh

ARTH 574

March 24, 2023

Annotated Bibliography - Inspirations and Inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci

Gibbs-Smith, Charles Harvard and Gareth Rees. The Inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci. New York: Scribner, 1978. According to The Inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci his creations can be divided into 6 categories: aeronautics, weapons of war, elements of machinery, ocean exploration, land vehicles, and investigations of nature. The first two groups of inventions are arguably the most well-known of his designs and the ones he spent a remarkable amount of time refining. Many of the innovations in aeronautics were centered around his invention, the ornithopter, which is essentially a piloted bird suit powered by a partially

There were many different versions of this created within his lifetime, as none of the models yielded fruitful results in testing. Eventually after more study of birds, he realized that his understanding of aviary flight was incorrect and shifted his design to stationary wings, more akin to a glider. Leonardo’s armament engineering blueprints were far more varied, ranging from cannon modifications to an early version of a tank. One curious sketch even presents an enormous fantastical crossbow, three times bigger than a man. In his more sensible illustrations, quite a few of his inventions provide the inspirations for modern warfare. Missiles, gatling guns, mortars, and belt-fed munitions all found their origins within the pages of his journals.

Hart, Ivor B. The Mechanical Investigations of Leonardo Da Vinci. Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Company, 1925. Contrary to popular belief, Leonardo Da Vinci did not start his research with nothing.

It also caused a restructuring of ideology and dogma as the Catholic church was no longer the dominant influence in the lives of laymen. This resulted in the beginnings of scientific exploration unobstructed by Christian scripture, and thus boomed the industrial development for northern Italy. Leonardo da Vinci was one of the men spearheading innovation as he produced an incredible amount of research to support the advancements. Da Vinci was certainly a multifaceted genius, but his personality seemed to exist in a dichotomy. While he lived around theological greats, he also dedicated himself to science with monastic fervor. Similarly, his capacity to render natural beauty in his creations was unmatched, however he also considerably contributed to the horrors of war. The combination of art and science within his works, the warring analytical and metaphorical nature of his mind established a strength for visual reproduction never seen before. Da Vinci was gifted with the ability to interpret science into art and brought peace to two long opposed