Dr. Jill Pederson, associate professor of Visual and Performing Arts, was one of eight speakers who presented at the “Leonardo da Vinci: 500 anos depues,” an interdisciplinary conference hosted by the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and the Humanities at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City on May 2 and 3.

The conference, which is part of the 2019 celebration of Leonardo da Vinci’s life and achievements on the 500th anniversary of his death, brought together scholars from mathematics, literature, design, and art history to explore the master’s creative and intellectual contributions.

Dr. Pederson presented on da Vinci’s paintings and drawings with an analysis of his architectural studies. She was one of only two scholars invited from the United States to present.

“Generally, I looked at Leonardo’s designs for centrally planned buildings that fill his famous notebooks,” said Dr. Pederson about her paper, “Imaginative Intersections in Leonardo’s Centrally-Planned Buildings.” “Although these drawings are mostly theoretical, they eventually give way to more specific projects, including those for the crossing of the Milanese cathedral and the cathedral of Pavia. Unfortunately, we have no extant buildings designed by Leonardo, but his designs remain important evidence of his interdisciplinary studies.”