Turkish Academic Research Review

Öz

Leonardo da Vinci establishes a connection between life and apocalypse in his works due to the turbulent historical conditions of the 16th century and the pessimism he experienced. In his works, he interprets the end of the world and the concealed sections of prophecies in Revelation in conjunction with nature. This study aims to examine, from a scientific and historical-cultural perspective, the four most striking examples from Leonardo da Vinci's Flood (Diluvio) series found in the Codice Atlantico book, starting from the concept of the apocalypse. Additionally, it is a research on his method and content approach, as he had a different perspective from other artists of his time. In this series, the artist is observed to use symbols belonging to the cultural universe of his time, as well as religious concepts and beliefs. He narrates the apocalypse, the end of humanity and the world, with a serious tone from this perspective. He depicts possible disasters on the Day of Judgment with natural events such as storms, floods, and whirlpools. The artist, while aesthetically focusing on the creative spirit of nature, does not reduce his works to pure artistic aesthetics but rather utilizes findings from science, historical knowledge, and nature. In this context, the artist's works that can be considered contemporary art are based on the mutual relationships between subjects and objects. Thus, he offers a systemic interpretation of the metabolic processes and complex dynamics of life. Additionally, with his innovative approach using dynamic thinking, he metaphorically expresses scientific content. In other words, he stimulates thought with images. His comprehensive vision combines all of these with an awareness of all forms of life. In his works, instead of subjugating images of nature, he relies on observations of nature as a model and guide based on inner balances. Thus, natural processes become a methodological paradigm both scientifically and artistically. These works that can be considered contemporary art are seen to be created through an interdisciplinary approach that aims to synthesize different forms of knowledge, a multilingual approach, and a critical perspective.