The Fantasia of Leonardo da Vinci
Ross King

Leonardo da Vinci was a polymathic genius, but he was also playful, fanciful, funny—and often angry about the mistreatment of animals. Ross King shows the Leonardo behind the paintings, as the artist tells the tales he might have told at court and to friends over dinner, including fables about animals and a funny story about monks. King’s perceptive narrative guides us through this little-known Leonardo: his bestiary, fables, jests and riddles. It’s a revealing portrait of a Leonardo unknown to all but the most diligent and perceptive of scholars, beautifully illustrated with images from the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.