130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Happy Long Weekend! We're open all 3 days! 📚 Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

Leonardo da Vinci

By Giorgio Vasari
Penguin Classics
Series: Penguin Little Black Classics
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.5 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 799 ratings, 78 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Leonardo da Vinci by Giorgio Vasari offers a captivating glimpse into the life and works of one of history's greatest artists and thinkers. As part of Vasari's larger collection of artist biographies, this account highlights Leonardo's incredible artistic talent, innovative spirit, and his profound influence on the Italian Renaissance. Blurring the lines between art and science, the book reveals how Leonardo's insatiable curiosity and diverse interests led to groundbreaking achievements across various fields.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Leonardo da Vinci. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are fascinated by the life and genius of one of history's most iconic artists. Offering rich insights into the Renaissance era and Leonardo’s unparalleled talents, it provides an engaging look at his contributions to art and science through the eyes of one of his contemporaries.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Often called "the first art historian", the author writes with delight on the lives of Leonardo and other celebrated Renaissance artists.

The first art historian' explores genius and madness in Leonardo and other celebrated Renaissance artists.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
Little Black Classics - the new series to celebrate Penguin's 80th anniversary 'In this painting of Leonardo's there was a smile so pleasing that it seemed divine rather than human.'

Series: Penguin Little Black Classics

View all
  • White Nights
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946 My God! A whole minute of bliss! Is that really so little for the whole of a man's life?
    By Fyodor Dostoyevsky
    Paperback
    $1200
    Elsewhere:
    $1299
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • On Sale
    11% off
    Letters to a Young Poet
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946 What matters is to live everything. Live the questions for now.
    By Rainer Maria Rilke
    Paperback
    $800
    Elsewhere:
    $999
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Communist Manifesto
    Little Black Classics - the new series to celebrate Penguin's 80th anniversary. One of 80 Little Black Classics - 80 books at 80 pence each to celebrate Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of the Penguin Classics list - from drama to poetry, from fiction to history, with books taken from around the world...
    By Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx
    Paperback
    $900
    Elsewhere:
    $999
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Death of Ivan Ilyich
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Launched in 2015, the extraordinarily successful Little Black Classics series has now sold nearly 1 million copies in the UK alone and over 2 million worldwide, making their way into retailers such as Tesco and the series' most popular book. This...
    By Leo Tolstoy
    Paperback
    $800
    Elsewhere:
    $999
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Book of Tea
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. "Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle." In this charming book from 1906, Okakura explores Zen, Taoism,...
    By Kakuzo Okakura
    Paperback
    $900
    Elsewhere:
    $999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • To Be Read at Dusk
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. The monstrous thought came into my mind as I perused the fixed eyes and the saturnine face, that this was a spirit, not a man.
    By Charles Dickens
    Paperback
    $999
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • A Nervous Breakdown
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946 \"I did have hallucinations, but did they harm anyone? Who did they harm, that's what I'd like to know!'
    By Anton Chekhov
    Paperback
    $999
    Backorder
    Ships mid November
  • Why I Am so Clever
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Why I Am so Clever Why do I know a few more things? Why am I so clever altogether?
    By Friedrich Nietzsche
    Paperback
    $900
    Elsewhere:
    $999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Matilda
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Matilda by Mary Shelley is a compelling and haunting tale of forbidden emotions and tragic destinies. "I gained his secret and we were both lost for ever." This evocative narrative follows the tumultuous life of Matilda, delving into themes of isolation...
    By Mary Shelley
    Paperback
    $900
    Elsewhere:
    $999
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Anecdotes of the Cynics
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Anecdotes of the Cynics It's you who are the dogs... These tales capture the wit and wisdom of the Cynics, exploring their unique philosophical perspectives through engaging anecdotes.
    Paperback
    $900
    Elsewhere:
    $999
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The World is Full of Foolish Men
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. The pleasure is twice as sweet When you cheat a cheat. The World is Full of Foolish Men by Jean de la Fontaine captures the essence of these timeless words, enticing readers into a world of wit and wisdom.
    By Jean de la Fontaine
    Paperback
    $999
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • A Modern Detective
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946 He is fond of enigmas, of conundrums, hieroglyphics; exhibiting in his solutions of each a degree of acumen which appears to the ordinary apprehension praeternatural.
    By Edgar Allan Poe
    Paperback
    $900
    Elsewhere:
    $999
    Backorder
    Ships mid November

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141397764

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 February 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 5.0mm

Width: 111.0mm

Height: 160.0mm

Weight: 54g

Pages: 64

Collections

Arts & Culture Giorgio Vasari Non-Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: Arts & Culture Series: Penguin Little Black Classics

About the Author

Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574). Vasari's works available in Penguin Classics are Lives of the Artists Volume I and Volume II.

Also by Giorgio Vasari

View all
  • The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects
    Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of the Italian Renaissance with Giorgio Vasari's seminal work, The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects. Often hailed as the first art historian, Vasari offers readers an unparalleled look at the artistic achievements that defined an era. This masterful collection of artist biographies transports you from the humble beginnings of the...
    By Giorgio Vasari
    Paperback
    $3900
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Lives of the Artists
    Lives of the Artists made Vasari one of the most influential art historians of all time, fusing literary and artistic ability. In his Lives of the Artists of the Italian Renaissance, Vasari demonstrated a literary talent that outshone even his outstanding abilities as a painter and architect. Through character sketches and anecdotes, he depicts Piero di Cosimo shut away in...
    By Giorgio Vasari
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • The Life of Leonardo da Vinci
    Giorgio Vasari's Lives of the Most Famous Painters, Sculptors and Architects (1550 and 1569) is a classic of cultural history. A monumental assembly of artists' lives from Giotto to Michelangelo, it paints a vivid picture of the progress of art in the hands of individual masters. No Life is more vivid than that of Leonardo, a near-contemporary of Vasari—not even...
    By Giorgio Vasari
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Lives of the Artists
    Vasari (1511-1574) was himself a painter, but he is really remembered for these biographies which begin with Cimabue and Giotto in the late 13th century and trace the developments in Italian art down to the golden epoch of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Titian. Lives of the Artists also conveys much about the author himself and his abilities as a critic inspired...
    By Giorgio Vasari
    Paperback
    $2599
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday

More from Arts & Culture

View all
  • Dylan's Pick
    Bold Types
    A tribute to 32 truly independent bookshops throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from north of Auckland down to Dunedin, and coast to coast. Jane Ussher's photographs show every bookstore in its unique nature - including behind the counter, smoko rooms, the mess which tells the hardworking story behind the joy of matching books with customers. Jemma Moreira's careful editing has crafted...
    By Jane Ussher
    Hardback
    $5999
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    I’ll Believe in Anything
    From Jacob Tierney, the creator of Heated Rivalry, in partnership with Brendan Brady and Accent Aigu, comes I’ll Believe in Anything, an official and complete collection of annotated scripts for the biggest cultural sensation of the year, with all new exclusive behind-the-scenes content.Based on Rachel Reid’s blockbuster Game Changers book series, Heated Rivalry premiered on Crave and HBO in late 2025 and immediately took the world by storm. I’ll...
    By Jacob Tierney
    Hardback
    $5499
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • On Sale
    16% off
    New Release
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    By Jon Toogood
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • On Sale
    20% off
    The Odyssey
    Composed at the rosy-fingered dawn of world literature almost three millennia ago, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty and power; about marriage and family; about travellers, hospitality, and the yearning for home. This fresh, authoritative translation captures the beauty of this ancient poem as well as the drama of its narrative....
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • On Sale
    21% off
    The Iliad
    When Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey appeared in 2017—revealing the ancient poem in a contemporary idiom that was "fresh, unpretentious and lean" (Madeline Miller, Washington Post)—critics lauded it as "a revelation" (Susan Chira, New York Times) and "a cultural landmark" (Charlotte Higgins, Guardian) that would forever change how Homer is read in English. Now Wilson has returned with an...
    By Homer
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • New Release
    A Life in Lyrics
    Freddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world. But behind the glamour lived a musician and lyricist talented beyond measure, and the creative force behind one of the most culturally significant and musically diverse...
    By Freddie Mercury
    Hardback
    $5000
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    On Sale
    20% off
    Disney Moana: The Official Cookbook
    Embark on a culinary adventure with Moana of Motunui with Pacific recipes inspired by Moana and Moana 2! After a long day of sailing to see how far you’ll go or keeping the demigod Maui out of trouble with Te Fiti, catch a break with the delicious dishes in Moana: The Official Cookbook! Featuring more than 50 recipes spanning the...
    By Monique Fiso
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Birdlands Birdlands
    New Release
    Birdlands
    A rare, intimate journey into the wild islands where Aotearoa's birds live beyond the reach of most human lives. In the most remote outposts of Aotearoa, our islands are populated not with people, but with birds. From the storm-lashed Subantarctic Islands in the deep south to the scattered volcanic islands of Tikapa Moana/Hauraki Gulf in the north, Birdlands offers a...
    By Edin Whitehead
    Hardback
    $4199
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • On Sale
    21% off
    This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    By Layne Staley
    Hardback
    $5800
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Beautiful Chaos
    New Release
    Beautiful Chaos
    Featuring five exclusive new poems, this stunning foil-embossed hardback edition is a collector's item and a gorgeous gift. The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller. Selected poems on motherhood from bestselling author and Instagram poet, Jessica Urlichs. 'Reading Jess's poems makes me feel like she's somehow reached into my own personal reflections and articulated them in a way I never could.' –...
    By Jessica Urlichs
    Hardback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Split Enz
    New Release
    Split Enz
    'My favourite band. Ever! And certainly the best dressed.' Sam Neill Split Enz were never designed to fit. Emerging from art school mischief in early-1970s New Zealand, they turned pop into surreal theatre: costume, character and melody colliding in a rock band that refused to behave like one. At the centre of that vision was Noel Crombie—percussionist, performer and the...
    By Michael Dwyer and Noel Crombie
    Hardback
    $5199
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday
  • Mah Jong Player's Companion
    Since the arrival on the market of Patricia Thompson and Betty Maloney's two previous books, The Game of Mah Jong Illustrated and Improve Your Mah Jong, a wide range of hands from many parts of the world has been sent to them. In this player's companion, the authors have put together a cross-filled reference guide where over 120 hands, illustrated...
    By Patricia Thompson and Betty Maloney
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Tuesday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

Arts & Culture lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all