This is a detailed study and retrospective of the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci. Each work is shown in full color and various 'Detail' views of many of the pieces shown. The text tells of his life, annalisis of the works, and what substances made up the paints materials from which the work was created. It presents both his most well known works, and those closily attributed to him, such as those of the "Achademia Leonardi Vinci", and those from the Workshop of Leonardo. There are also representations of his works that no longer exist and only the copies other artists made of them. There are many reproductions from his notebooks showing both his drawings and the notes that accompanied them. The book came with a bound-in ribbon bookmark, and was originaly sold in a cardboard books with illustrated front side and bottoms, the top side-edge had a sticker displaying it's ISBN and edition printing. This book was later republished in a abridged, and smaller format version in two volumes, and fewer 'Detail' views, as ISBN: 0681165855, I. The Complete Paintings; and ISBN: 0681165863, II. The Complete Sketches and Drawings, also by Taschen. The chapters "Allegories, emblems and pictographs; Studies of flying machines and bird flight; Studies on light and shade" are not included in the abridged versions.