AJC 2011- Itinerary 38 – HANDwrite

I love ancient handwriting! – especially Da Vinci’s mysterious ‘mirror writing’. There are a few theories out there as to why he wrote that way, but I like the simple one the best: he was left handed and if he wrote in the regular way (left to right) the ink would smear! Leave it to a south paw to find a neat solution. * As to the parchment found on the page: a few coffee fueled excitable scholars have concluded that it appears to be a missing page from Da Vinci’s Diary, though currently they are still not sure who ‘Sophie and Kevin’ are nor where this supposed second portrait of the ‘Mona Lisa with Camel and Kiwi’ currently hangs. * Translated Excerpt from Da Vinci’s Diary - .."Sophie and Kevin dined with me last Saturday night and truly what a delightful pair! Kevin entertained me with his favourite song, “Catch a Falling Star’ in Italian while Sophie practiced her Latin phrasing, (not too bad for a camel, as the hard ‘c’ is difficult for her to pronounce!) She had brought along a signed copy of her Book of Wisdom as gift to me and I in turn, had shown them what I was currently working on in my studio. I was just finishing up a second copy of the Mona Lisa that a Duke had ordered for his palazzo, and just as I was about to take it off the easel, Sophie in her short sighted eagerness, ventured too close to view it and not knowing the oils were still wet, left a splotchy nose-print on the right side of Mona’s shoulder! Poor Sophie! She was absolutely mortified thinking that she had ruined a masterpiece and poor Kevin, agitatedly flew around the studio, trying to find turpentine and a rag. Laughing heartedly and assuring them that it was NOT ruined and could be easily fixed, I quickly took my brushes and oils and began to restore it to its original condition. Mama mia! La Musa Struck! What better way to thank them for making an old man smile, than to immortalize this time traveling pair? I can only wonder what future art historians will make of my ‘Mona Lisa with Camel and Kiwi’? " Leonardo * Credit and Kits: Background: Vitruvian Man by L. Da Vinci – common licence Mona Lisa with Camel and Kiwi by L Da Vinci: Private collection used with Sophie and Kevin’s permission Diary page,and feather: Tangie and McMeen’s AJC11 Parcel 38: Handwrite Font: P22 – Da Vinci : MyFont P.S. as a nod to the famous southpaw, note which hand holds the quill (g)

· Date: 9/26/2011