“Young Leonardo offers an exceptional insight in the gestation of Leonardo da Vinci as the leading artist of the High Renaissance.”
— Dr. Bernard Luskin, chancellor, Ventura County Community College District

"In this meticulously researched and visually rich book, Jean-Pierre Isbouts and Christopher Heath Brown unravel a historical mystery—and come up with surprising results that will surely change our understanding of the evolution of Leonardo's most iconic work."
—Dr. Rich Appelbaum, Distinguished Research Professor, University of California at Santa Barbara

"Young Leonardo offers a wonderful journey into the wellspring of Leonardo’s creativity and the incredible path to his achievements. A brilliant story well told."
—Dr. Frederick Steier, professor, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa

"Authors Isbouts and Brown bring alive the politics and intrigue of late fifteenth-century Italy and show how they influenced Da Vinci's early career. A deeply engaging and refreshing study, matched with a rich portrayal of the artist's character and motivations."
—Dr. Kerul Kassel, Sustainability Mindset Working Group, United Nations Global Compact

"Modern minds think of Leonardo da Vinci as a fully formed genius, in the same way they might imagine Mozart, Einstein, or Shakespeare. But this satisfying book upends that cozy claim. It takes a corrective look at Leonardo’s first 27 years during which he was snubbed, struggled, and departed Florence thwarted and penniless. Duke Ludovico Sforza’s reception in Milan was disappointingly tepid, and major commissions went to artists whose names are now forgotten."
—New York Journal of Books

“a recent discovery has led two authors to publish a book that has heads turning and minds changing…Regardless of where you fall on the argument, the book should be a fascinating read.” —Andrew Webster, Fine Art Connoisseur