Leonardo Da Vinci (1904)
Great Masters In Painting And Sculpture "THIS is a far more creditable performance than the majority of the volumes which have hitherto appeared in this series. Mr. McCurdy not only knows his authorities, but he has read them with intelligence." (A. L., "The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs", 07/1904)https://archive.org/details/leonardodavinci00mccugoog/page/n10/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/leonardodavinci00mccurich/page/n9/mode/2up
Essays In Fresco (1912)
https://archive.org/details/essaysinfresco00mccuiala/page/n7/mode/2up
Roses Of Paestum (1912 Edition)
"THESE Essays treat of Italy and the mediaeval spirit, — and Italy is a wayward sovereign, and her beauty leads a man far afield.Let me say — now that the work is done in such measure as I am able — that my purpose was to trace the mediaeval spirit in deed and dream by considering some of its imaginative activities, — its questings of the ideal in art, in faith, in love, and in fantasies of things more visionary than these.
They were the roses of mediaeval beauty that I set out to gather, and therefore the leaves are named of the Paestan roses because these also were of seed of Greece and bloomed in Italy.
Now that the leaves are all placed together I know that they are but wind-flowers. Some day I hope to gather of the roses of the garden." (To The Reader)
https://archive.org/details/rosesofpaestum00mccuiala/page/n11/mode/2up
Raphael Santi (1917)
https://archive.org/details/raphaelsanti00mccurich/page/n7/mode/2up
Leonardo Da Vinci's Note-Books (1923)
Leonardo da Vinci has been styled "the man whose genius has the best right to be called universal of any that have ever lived." Best known, perhaps as one of the great painters of the world, he was also eminent as sculptor, architect, musician, and critic, while, in the very different spheres of science and mathematics, he was a great mechanician and engineer, an anatomist, botanist, physiologist, astronomer, chemist, geologist and geographer. He was the friend of Marc Antonio della Torre, the Professor of Anatomy in the University of Pavia, whom he assisted in his studies, and he has been described by Dr. William Hunter as "the best anatomist at that time in the world." He was the friend of Fra Luca Pacioli, the mathematician, and drew the diagrams for his "De Divina Proportioned ' He had a true insight into the real nature of the science of astronomy, rating the astrologers of his day at their proper value. His instruments were scientific, and even at times suggestively modern. "He has been spoken of," writes Mr. McCurdy, "as the forerunner of Bacon, of James Watt, of Sir Isaac Newton, of William Harvey. He cannot be said to have anticipated the discoveries with which their names are associated. It may, however, be claimed that he anticipated the methods of investigation which, when pursued to their logical issue, could not but lead to these discoveries." Among the many subjects which he studied with peculiar care was the problem of flight. He has left a number of drawings well worth the attention of the aeronauts of to-day ; he designed a parachute free from the dangerous oscillation which has cost many lives, and he appears to have anticipated the balloon. The manuscripts containing the records of his extraordinarily varied studies consist, in their present form, of some twenty note-books and bound volumes of loose sheets of various sizes. On many of these there are only drawings or scientific diagrams, with perhaps a word or two of explanation. Mr. McCurdy's object has been "to present Leonardo as a writer, and to include in this work all passages from the note-books of philosophical, artistic, or literary interest," and from the mass of his scientific writings he has only selected a few passages which either possess a general interest, or serve to express his method of exposition. The selection appears to bave been made with sound judgment ; the translation is excellent ; and the book gives a fair impression of that amazing mind whose depth and versatility have been the wonder of all succeeding thinkers. ("Journal Of The Royal Society Of Arts", 22/04/1910)
https://archive.org/details/leonardodavincis00leon/page/n9/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/leonardodavincis0000leon_f0r8/page/n9/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/leonardodavincis007918mbp/page/n9/mode/2up
The Mind Of Leonardo Da Vinci (1928)
https://archive.org/details/mindofleonardoda0000edwa/page/n7/mode/2up