“Leonardo, The dream and the nightmare” is a historical graphic novel that looks at three moments in Leonardo da Vinci’s life through the prism of the conflict between the pursuit of dreams and obedience to the war plans of power.
•Part I (Florence): The young Leonardo leaves Vinci for Florence. He is possessed by the dream of flying.
•Part II (Milan): Leonardo is in Milan, which is under siege by the French army. He is preparing to test a flying machine when he is summoned by Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan and his patron. Ludovico asks him to set aside everything else he is doing and design war machines that will help him win the war. Leonardo faces a dilemma: should he serve death and destruction, or refuse and lose the support and means to pursue his dreams?
•Part III (Amboise, France): In the twilight of his life, Leonardo prepares for one last attempt to fly. However, the nightmares of his past continue to haunt him. The French King Francis I has learned of his plans for war machines and wants to claim them.
Through an examination of Leonardo’s life, the comic conveys a timeless anti‐war message: what concessions must an intellectual make to those in power while pursuing his dreams, and where should he draw the line
