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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. In the mid-1490s, Leonardo halted his study of anatomy, and would not return to the subject for how many years?

2. The first version of Leonardo's painting Virgin of the Rocks was completed in what year?

3. How did Florence save itself from plunder by Cesare Borgia and his armies?

4. Leonardo wrote that what type of light is best for a portrait?

5. During Savonarola's rule of Florence, a militia of what was organized to police the streets and to enforce moral righteousness?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the two possibilities concerning the angel's identity within the painting Virgin of the Rocks?

2. For how long did Leonardo live in Florence upon his return there in 1500 and where did he live?

3. When Leonardo moved to Milan in 1482, what did he discover about the study of anatomy in that location?

4. What were the two colors most favored by Leonardo in the tailoring of both his clothes and the clothes of Salai?

5. In one of Leonardo's notebooks, he professed his intention to understand what he called universale misura del huomo. What did Leonardo mean by this?

6. What types of commissions did Leonardo refuse to accept?

7. What was the event known as the Bonfire of the Vanities?

8. In the mid-1490s, Leonardo put aside his work on anatomy and would not return to it for another decade. What endeavor did he begin upon dropping his anatomy studies?

9. When Leonardo returned to Florence in 1500, how had Florence changed in the time he had been away?

10. While Leonardo came to the court of Ludovico Sforza hoping to work primarily as a military and civil engineer, what was the nature of most of the work he completed in the decade he was in service to Ludovico Sforza?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the author's use of the first and second person point of view serve his purposes over the course of the book? Discuss how Walter Isaacson's choice of point of view helps to advance his treatment of at least three particular themes within the text.

Essay Topic 2

How is the theme of obsession portrayed in Walter Isaacson's biography of Leonardo da Vinci? Examine the author's treatment of and messages regarding obsession throughout the book.

Essay Topic 3

What is the author's message regarding human flaws?

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