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NOVA· Season 46 · Episode 21

Decoding da Vinci

S46E21·8.3·November 13, 2019·1h·PBS

Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance genius. Not only did he paint masterpieces of art, but he was an obsessive scientist and inventor, dreaming up complex machines centuries ahead of his time, including parachutes, armored tanks, hang gliders, and robots. On the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's death, with the help of biographer Walter Isaacson, NOVA investigates the secrets of Leonardo's success. How did his scientific curiosity, from dissections of cadavers to studies of optics, shape his genius and help him create perhaps the most famous painting of all time, the "Mona Lisa"?Journey to Florence to discover how Leonardo da Vinci used science, from human dissections to innovative painting techniques, to create his legendary artwork. Learn why Mona Lisa's smile is so captivating - and what it took to create it.

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#13In Season 46of 23 rated episodes
#95All-timeof 287 rated episodes
−0.1vs season avgSeason 46 averages 8.4
2019First airedNovember 13, 2019

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