# The Shadow Drawing: How Science Taught Leonardo How to Paint

The Shadow Drawing: How Science Taught Leonardo How to Paint is Francesca Fiorani’s interpretation of how Leonardo da Vinci’s early interest in optics and science shaped his art. The Kindle edition presents a 449-page account linking his paintings, notebooks, and ambitions as an author.

- [Original product page](https://best-deals.pro/product/the-shadow-drawing-leonardo-science-art-kindle-ebook)
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- Market: US
- Language: en-US
- Currency: USD
- Category: Books, Music & Hobbies > Books, Music & Movies > Books & Comics
- Price: 3.99 USD
- Previous price: 17.99 USD
- Discount: 78%
- Price checked: 2026-11-12T11:13:45.160Z
- Rating: 4.5 / 5
- Reviews: 53

Prices and deal status are the latest recorded data, not a guarantee of availability. Confirm the price and availability with the store.

## At a glance

- Argues that Leonardo’s scientific interests began early, rather than emerging only later in his life.
- Focuses on his study of optics and its connection to his effort to depict the inner lives of his subjects.
- Revisits Leonardo’s paintings and notebooks through an art-and-science perspective.

## Pros

- Offers a focused interpretation of Leonardo’s art and scientific thinking rather than treating them as separate phases.
- Kindle listing includes accessibility and reading features such as screen-reader support, Word Wise, and Page Flip.

## Specifications

### Publication details
- Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date: November 17, 2020
- Language: English
- Print length: 449 pages
- ISBN-13: 978-0374715298
### Kindle edition
- File size: 32.6 MB
- Screen Reader: Supported
- Enhanced typesetting: Enabled
- X-Ray: Enabled
- Word Wise: Enabled
- Page Flip: Enabled

## Before you buy

- This is an interpretive biography and art-history study, not a practical painting-instruction book. The listed digital reading features apply to the Kindle edition.

## A good fit for

- Readers interested in Leonardo da Vinci’s life, paintings, and notebooks.
- Readers exploring the connections between Renaissance art, optics, and science.
- Art-history readers who want a perspective centered on Leonardo’s intellectual development.

## Less suited to

- Readers seeking step-by-step painting lessons or a technical manual for practicing artists.
- Readers looking primarily for a visual art book, since the listing describes a text-focused Kindle edition.

## Customer feedback

Aggregate ratings lean positive, with most recorded ratings in the top two star categories, but some lower ratings are also present. Without customer-comment evidence, the ratings do not establish what readers liked or disliked. For a book whose appeal depends on its interpretation of Leonardo’s art and science, buyers should judge it by that subject focus rather than assuming a particular reading experience.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is The Shadow Drawing about?
Francesca Fiorani presents Leonardo da Vinci’s early engagement with science, especially optics, and how it informed his artistic aims and his approach to painting.
### Is this a painting guide?
No. The listing describes a biography and art-history interpretation of Leonardo’s work and ideas, not practical painting instructions.
### What reading features are listed for the Kindle edition?
The listing says screen-reader support, enhanced typesetting, X-Ray, Word Wise, and Page Flip are enabled.
### How long is the book?
The Kindle product details list a print length of 449 pages.

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## Images

![The Shadow Drawing: How Science Taught Leonardo How to Paint — 1](https://best-deals.pro/i/wK4DPBolwB8AFfpfRjR7ESL2w0gXBlDXR8s_rdfWyaecsKDWZSJyhJbP7PU4XznRYqwX59LYI8geZmBZt9zjkjB74DJ1pmsoCgEhJJz53L59bZRwXbEz.jpg)