TEDTalks: Ancient Clues Season 1 Episode 16 Siegfried Woldhek: The Search for the True Face of Leonardo

Siegfried Woldhek: The Search for the True Face of Leonardo is the sixteenth episode of the first season of the informative TEDTalks: Ancient Clues series. In this episode, Siegfried Woldhek, an artist and writer, presents his fascinating research into Leonardo da Vinci's true appearance.

Woldhek begins his talk by explaining how he stumbled upon the mysterious and enigmatic artwork of Leonardo da Vinci, and how it piqued his curiosity enough to want to delve deeper into the life and personality of one of the most celebrated artists of his time. He reveals that at the time, the only known portrait of Leonardo was the famous drawing by his own hand from 1510, which depicted an older, feeble-looking man with a long beard and a sunken face. However, Woldhek believed this image didn't capture the essence of who Leonardo really was, so he set out on a mission to find the true face of the artist.

To start his search, Woldhek looked at various other self-portraits by artists of da Vinci's time and found that they shared similar traits, such as a certain look in the eyes or a specific facial structure. Using these observations as a guide, Woldhek began to study portraits of other men from the same time period, analyzing their characteristics and trying to link them to da Vinci. He then examined the written descriptions of Leonardo's physical appearance and compared them to the portraits he had collected.

After several years of research, Woldhek came across a portrait of a young man that he believed was Leonardo, painted by an artist named Francesco Melzi, who had been a close friend and disciple of da Vinci's. Woldhek's incredible attention to detail had lead him to believe that the portrait was an actual representation of Leonardo, with the same facial features and appearance that he had deduced from his research.

Throughout the talk, Woldhek presents various clues and details that he uncovered in his search for da Vinci's true face. He shares the various likenesses and comparisons he drew between the artist and other men of his time, as well as his own theories as to why da Vinci's true appearance was hidden for so long.

In the end, Woldhek's talk leaves a lasting impact on viewers, inspiring them to explore the true lives and identities of the people who shaped our world, and reminding us that there is always more to learn and discover about history and its secrets.