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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Leonardo believed that deep observation must be done in what manner?

2. Leonardo was known to buy birds from the marketplace and do what with them?

3. What was the population of Florence when Leonardo moved there in 1464?

4. Leonardo's first studies of flight were completed as a means to create which type of art?

5. What was the function of the official known as a count palatine?

Short Essay Questions

1. What information was recently discovered in 2017 about Leonardo's birth mother?

2. What symbolism did Leonardo see in the reeds he included in his drawing of Pleasure and Pain?

3. What does Walter Isaacson say was the main lesson he tried to take from Leonardo's life in order to apply it to his own life?

4. What are the reasons that Renaissance Italy has come to be known as "a golden age for bastards" (9)?

5. What plan did Leonardo have for the casting of the horse monument that no one had ever attempted before?

6. What was the main source of information used by Walter Isaacson in his writing of Leonardo's biography?

7. Discuss an example of Leonardo's use of analogies that led him to new scientific discoveries.

8. Which branch of mathematics interested Leonardo above all others?

9. Who was Salai and what were some of his character traits?

10. What occasion prompted Leonardo to paint The Last Supper?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's decision to include full-color images of Leonardo's work within the text. What purpose did he have in mind when including these images and how does the inclusion of these images support the overarching themes and messages of the text? Back up your strong, specific claim about the author's use of photographs with concrete details from the images he includes in the book.

Essay Topic 2

What is the author's message regarding human flaws?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's treatment of the suspenseful unfolding of the story behind La Bella Principessa and what techniques he uses in order to build suspense for the reader.

(see the answer keys)

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