The Friends of the Johns Hopkins University Libraries present “Polymath: Leonardo da Vinci’s Life and Legacy.”
Join the Friends this Friday, October 23, at 6:15 pm in the Mason Hall Auditorium, for a talk by renowned Leonardo expert Jonathan Pevsner on the life, library, and legacy of Leonardo da Vinci.
Centuries after his death, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) continues to fascinate and inspire. He is perhaps best known as the creator of the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But he was also a brilliant scientist and engineer, with discoveries that advanced understanding of human anatomy and inventions that presaged the rise of the industrial age. Leonardo epitomized the ideal of a Renaissance Man, and his writings and sketches touch on areas ranging from music to metaphysics to mechanics. Leonardo expert Jonathan Pevsner will discuss the life and legacy of Vinci’s favorite son, including how his mind worked; what scientific, artistic, and engineering projects interested him and why; and what he read and collected over his lifetime.
Jonathan Pevsner, Ph.D. is a faculty member in the department of neurology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Haverford College and his doctorate in pharmacology and molecular sciences from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Pevsner specializes in childhood neurological disorders, including Down syndrome and autism, and holds a primary faculty appointment in the department of neuroscience at the School of Medicine. A longtime student of Leonardo’s work, Pevsner has delivered lectures around the world and is the expert adviser for the Discovery Channel’s Doing da Vinci, which chronicles the attempts of modern-day builders and technicians to create some of the machines Leonardo envisioned.
A 5:30 pm reception precedes the lecture. Please RSVP to Stacie Spence at libraryfriends@jhu.edu or 410.516.7943. The event is free and open to the public.