A Renaissance Man

Considering such witnesses of the time as Shakespeare, Dante, Petrarch, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Montaigne, More and Bacon, Agnes Heller looks at both the concept and the image of a Renaissance man. The concept was generalised and accepted by all; its characteristic features were man as a dynamic being, creating and re-creating himself throughout his life. The images of man, however, were very different, having been formed through the ideas and imagination of artists, politicians, philosophers, scientists and theologians and viewed from the different aspects of work, love, fate, death, friendship, devotion and the concepts of space and time. Renaissance Man thus stood as both as a leading protagonist of his time, one who led and formulated the substantial attitudes of his time, and as one who stood as a witness on the sidelines of the discussion. This book, first published in English in 1978, is based on the diverse but equally important sources of autobiographies, works of art and literature, and the writings of philosophers. Although she uses Florence as a starting point, Agnes Heller points out that the Renaissance was a social and cultural phenomenon common to all of Western Europe; her Renaissance Man is thus a figure to be found throughout Europe.

Painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer, Leonardo da Vinci was a genius who was well ahead of his time and the best example of the Renaissance man. This is the story of one of the greatest painters of all time, and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived. Leonardo grew up in the hamlet of Anchiano in Tuscany where he received an informal education. Young Leonardo had an unquenchable curiosity in life and moved to Florence where he took an interest in painting. At the age of fourteen, Leonardo began an apprenticeship with Andrea del Verrocchio. Here, his talent blossomed and as fate would have it, he was soon employed by the rich and powerful Duke of Milan. Soon, Leonardo moved to the city of Rome, where some of the greatest artists of the time lived. This tale traces the fascinating life of one of the best and most famous artists that the world has ever seen.

The first history of the western polymath, from the fifteenth century to the present day From Leonardo Da Vinci to John Dee and Comenius, from George Eliot to Oliver Sacks and Susan Sontag, polymaths have moved the frontiers of knowledge in countless ways. But history can be unkind to scholars with such encyclopaedic interests. All too often these individuals are remembered for just one part of their valuable achievements. In this engaging, erudite account, renowned cultural historian Peter Burke argues for a more rounded view. Identifying 500 western polymaths, Burke explores their wide-ranging successes and shows how their rise matched a rapid growth of knowledge in the age of the invention of printing, the discovery of the New World and the Scientific Revolution. It is only more recently that the further acceleration of knowledge has led to increased specialisation and to an environment that is less supportive of wide-ranging scholars and scientists. Spanning the Renaissance to the present day, Burke changes our understanding of this remarkable intellectual species.

Many of Rickett's letters discuss his studies of the Pacific littoral and his theories of "phalanx" and transcendence. Epistles to family members, often tender and humorous, add dimension and depth to Steinbeck's mythologized depictions of Ricketts." "Editor Katharine A. Rodger has enriched the correspondence with an introduction, a biographical essay, and a list of works cited. The book will be important for students of John Steinbeck and the development of 20th-century American fiction, as well as for those interested in the history of science, especially in the fields of marine biology and ecology."--Jacket.

Walt Disney once said of Marc Davis, "Marc can do story, he can do character, he can animate, he can design shows for me. All I have to do is tell him what I want and it's there! He's my Renaissance man." As such, Davis touched nearly every aspect of The Walt Disney Company during his tenure. He began as an animator, whose supporting work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi inspired Walt to promote him to full animator. In the ensuing years, Davis breathed life into a bevy of iconic Disney characters, including Cinderella, Alice (in Wonderland), Tinker Bell, Maleficent, and Cruella De Vil. Then, in 1962, Walt Disney transferred the versatile Davis to the Imagineering department to help plan and design attractions for Disneyland and the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. While at Imagineering, Davis conceived of designs for such classic attractions as Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion. As Davis had so many talents and hats, it is only fitting that this tribute be composed by a multitude of talented writers. Experts in fine art, animation, Imagineering, and filmmaking have come together to honor Davis's contributions to their realms. Each chapter is accompanied by a wealth of artwork, much of which was offered up by Alice Davis exclusively for this book. This volume is both the biography and the portfolio of a man who was, on any given day, animator, Imagineer, world traveler, philanthropist, husband, and teacher.

This series of short talks was collated from over twenty years of lecturing in Lodges and Chapters, in Europe and the United States, by a Past Grand High Priest of New York State. The author covers a broad range of topics, covering elements of Blue Lodge, York Rite and Scottish Rite, and explores both history and symbolism in this series of papers. Some go more deeply into the esoteric symbolism and the messages hidden in the Degrees. This is a book for anyone who has an interest in the Gentle Craft, of any fraternal line, and will satisfy the need of both younger members entering the Craft with a strong idea of what they wish to learn, and the mature member who seeks to make that daily advance in knowledge.

Lin-Manuel Miranda created the Broadway hit-musical of the decade in Hamilton. His earlier production In The Heights set theater audiences dancing to a hip hop/ Latin beat. And if you have children or are a child at heart, you know all about the music of Moana. But there’s a lot you don’t know about this pop culture genius. Miranda’s story is the classic American Dream on full display. The son of Puerto Rican immigrants, Miranda’s life-long obsession with music, theater and the possibilities of creating for The Great White Way drove him through the ups and downs of the highly competitive world of Broadway and, through sheer drive, determination and an abundance of creative talent has made his way to the top of the entertainment world. Through extensive research in a number of widely divergent sources, Shapiro has pieced together the life and times of Lin-Manuel Miranda, replete with all the large and small moments that comprise the character of a literal creative renaissance man, composer, actor, culturally and socially savvy and multi-Tony-Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning giant of the Broadway stage whose future is only limited by his imagination which is always on the go and creating worlds to come Renaissance Man: The Lin Manuel Miranda Story is a blueprint for success, an inspirational guide to following one’s dreams and, perhaps most important, the answer to the question of what following your dreams can bring.

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