Paperblanks Journal ULTRA 7x9" FLEXIS Lined Soft Leonardo Da Vinci SUN & MOONLIT

• Original Art: Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester
• Era: early 1500s
• Region: Italy

In a body of work that is perhaps unparalleled in history, Leonardo da Vinci’s (1452–1519) sketches and copious notes allow us to peer into the mind of a genius. He was a consummate draftsman and sketch artist, and carefully recorded the travels of his mind in mirror-image cursive. A man of unquenchable curiosity spanning an infinite spectrum, he was especially taken with the concepts of grace and geometric structure of the universe.

Renaissance biographer Giorgio Vasari describes Leonardo as having qualities that “transcended nature,” a man who displayed an “infinite grace in everything he did.” French critic and historian Hippolyte Taine likely agreed, saying Da Vinci was “so far ahead of his own century and the following centuries.” And, indeed, it is not just the man’s artwork (such as the Mona Lisa) that continues to transcend cultural and temporal boundaries, but his scientific thoughts and discoveries, as well.

This Sun & Moonlight journal features Da Vinci’s observations on the light of the moon relative to the radiance of the sun, as recorded in the Codex Leicester. Currently owned by Bill Gates, this seventy-two-page document is exhibited just once a year in different cities around the world. The only major scientific work written in Da Vinci’s own hand, the Codex Leicester offers a glimpse into one of history’s most celebrated minds and reveals how he shone a light on humanity’s potential for greatness.

Five centuries after his death, his abilities remain as remarkable to comprehend now as they were during his lifetime.