Leonardo Da Vinci Conference

Leonardo's Painting Legacy in The Design RealmsDr. Naomi Meiri Dann, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design

Abstract

The 500^th anniversary of Leonardo’s death is commemorated throughout the world in a variety of exhibitions dedicated to him, to his work and to the world in which he lived and acted. A fraction of them deals also with his legacy, as it concerns the impact his oeuvre and thought had (and still has) upon artists, designers and scientists of the following generations. There is no point in whacking words to the fact that his Last Supper (Milan) and Mona Lisa (Paris) infiltrated the arts and influenced countless painters who learned from them the secrets of perspective, composition and portraiture.

This lecture will be dedicated to the various aspects of imprint these two paintings, as well as other paintings, scientific drawings and written meditations made by Leonardo, had upon the different fields of design: graphic design, industrial design and even interior design. A special emphasis will be put on visual communication: from political posters, through covers of Life-Style and fashion magazines and advertisements to video clips and new media apps and sites. Despite the fact that the list of Leonardo’s works that served so many designers (and artists) as a source of inspiration seems to be so short (and maybe because of it), it is challenging to examine the very special elements (be it iconographic, stylistic or scientific) which served each of them time and again as a starting point for a new and original message.