Our Leonardo da Vinci and Mona Lisa collection of books includes everything from history to fiction - something for everyone brought together here by the Starving Artists Club. The following are books referenced and/or recommended throughout our "Mona Lisa" topic.

Leonardo - The Artist and the Man, by Serge Bramly, Sian Reynolds (Translator): First published in France, Serge Bramly's acclaimed biography reveals Leonardo to be as complicated, seductive, and profoundly sympathetic as the figures he painted. Bramly spent five years gathering evidence to reconstruct the artist's life--from his early years as an illegitimate child to his death in the arms of the King of France. Four pages of color photographs; 75 Black and White photos.

Leonardo Da Vinci (An Abrams First Impressions Book) by Richard McLabathan, Richard B. McLanathan Reading level - Young Adult: Here, the life of one of the greatest, most versatile figures in the history of art is told in a fresh, anecdotal style. Beginning with Leonardo's boyhood, we are guided through ducal palaces, the papal court, and from his teacher's workshop to the world's leading museums. 56 illustrations, including 32 in full color.

Leonardo Da Vinci - Origins of a Genius by David Alan Brown Published 1998: Leonardo's stature as a giant who changed the course of western art is uncontested. Yet until now there has been no full-length study of the young Leonardo and his earliest works. This beautiful book presents the most complete account ever written of Leonardo's mysterious beginnings as an artist.

The private life of Mona Lisa by Pierre La Mure: Although the theory the work is based upon, that the Mona Lisa was painted for Guilio de Medici, and is of an old lover, is outdated, the book does not loose its historical significance. The work also made one think of the circle of life. Recommended for anyone with an interest in history.

The Memory Cathedral - A Secret History of Leonardo Da Vinci by Jack Dann FICTION Here's a good "what if..." book portraying Da Vinci during the Rennaisance period... (Not recommended for the "squeamish")

The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa by Robert Noah FICTION A lightweight tale with its roots and outlines in both the actual theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911 and the revelation of the intricate plot surrounding that theft in 1932. You can have an art mystery adventure with this one.