Leonardo’s letter to the Defterdar of Syria: A new twist on Leonardo’s puzzling identity

Abstract

Drawing on certain life events and the cultural ethos of the time, this study aims to shed some light on Leonardo’s puzzling personality. Guided by Eriksonian insight, some psycho-social issues of his young adult years will be highlighted. Thus, this paper brings forth various biographical and historical data that points to a tragic image of Leonardo quite different from what has been traditionally presented to us.