There is no historical figure that fits the definition of “Renaissance man” better than Leonardo da Vinci. However, the term became so overused as to become misleading.
One collection of papers, which has 1119 pages, and which is called the Codex Atlanticus, was entirely digitalized and then put online so that people will have the ability to explore it. This codex, in fact, showcases the impressing and wide range of abilities and interests of Leonardo da Vinci, from anatomy to flying machines and weaponry, and even to engineering and astronomy.
What does Codex Atlanticus represent?
In fact, Codex Atlanticus represents the most extensive papers collection of Leonardo da Vinci, and it actually covers his whole career. The collection begins somewhere in 1478, at the time when he has been working in Tuscany, his hometown, to 1519, during the time when Leonardo died in the country of France.
Its name, Atlanticus, originates from the fact that Leonardo utilized big sheets, which were similar to the ones which have been utilized for the geographic Atlases. This diverse portfolio, in fact, includes diagrams and sketches for the creative inventions of da Vinci, such as war machines, hydraulic pumps, and parachutes. Moreover, it features the detailed anatomy studies and architectural sketches he created.
Moreover, the digitalization process and project has been done in collaboration with the so-called Biblioteca Ambrosiana, which preserves every single page from this collection of papers. The company called Visual Agency also designed a color-coded and easy-to-utilize application which will permit the uses to browse by subject, topic, and year.
The ability of Leonardo da Vinci to combine fine engineering and fine arts may not have been quite surprising to his contemporaries, even though he was an extraordinarily brilliant example of the phenomenon. The more we learn about him and his work, the more we see how an extraordinary person he was during his time.
The company that released the digitalized version of Codex Atlanticus
In recent times, the Visual Agency, which is a company for data visualizing, has released the complete digitalized version of the 12-volume, the 1119-page long Codex Atlanticus of Leonardo da Vinci.
This interactive application gives people the ability to browse for information through different pages, which are filled with scribbled notes and sketches which are finely-detailed. Exploring this extraordinary collection feels like entering the mind of this legendary Renaissance artist, inventor, and engineer.
Explore the complete digitized version of Da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus here. You can click “EN” for English at the bottom-right of the screen.
