Discover the science behind Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces—and Mona Lisa's iconic smile. (Aired November 13, 2019)

Official Website: https://to.pbs.org/3ZJHjmY | #NOVAPBS
Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance genius. Not only did he paint masterpieces of art, but he was an obsessive scientist and inventor, dreaming up complex machines centuries ahead of his time, including parachutes, armored tanks, hang gliders, and robots. On the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s death, with the help of biographer Walter Isaacson, NOVA investigates the secrets of Leonardo’s success. How did his scientific curiosity, from dissections of cadavers to studies of optics, shape his genius and help him create perhaps the most famous painting of all time, the "Mona Lisa"?

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
04:47 How Did da Vinci Make a Perfect Painting?
09:07 The Original Mona Lisa
14:29 The Early Life of Leonardo da Vinci: Engineer, Scientist, Artist
23:41 The Science of Painting: Restoring a da Vinci Masterpiece
29:17 Modern Day Painters Using da Vinci’s Process
32:24 Leonardo da Vinci’s Anatomical Accuracy
39:36 Mona Lisa’s Smile: Do Our Eyes Trick Us?
44:21 Shocking Result of the Restoration of Bacchus
46:13 Digital Restoration of the Mona Lisa
50:28 Conclusion

© 2023 WGBH Educational Foundation

All rights reserved

This program was produced by GBH, which is solely responsible for its content.

This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://pbs.org/donate/

Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS App: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR

Stay up to date on the latest science discoveries, full episodes, articles, videos, and more by signing up for NOVA's newsletter here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/newslet...

FOLLOW US:

NOVA
YouTube:    / novaonline  
Facebook:   / novapbs   ​
Twitter:   / novapbs   ​
Instagram:   / novapbs  
TikTok:   / novapbs  

PBS
Facebook:   / pbs  
Twitter:   / pbs  
Instagram:   / pbs  
YouTube:    / pbs  
TikTok:   / pbs  

Shop: https://shop.pbs.org/

#davinci #leonardodavinci #monalisa #renaissance #anatomy #painting #bacchus #finearts