Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the greatest and most ingenious men that history has ever known. Leonardo’s genius was not limited to one aspect of life, but spanned many fields; including science, art, music and mathematics. Leonardo is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time, who pioneered new standards in drawing and painting. Leonardo is also known for his anatomical drawings. Leonardo was the archetype of the Renaissance Man, a person who embodies several fields of expertise and knowledge, which Leonardo indeed did.
One of Leonardo’s first projects was a drawing called ” Madonna with the Yarnwinder”, it shows a young woman holding a yarn winder in her left hand, Leonardo’s mother was a weaver, Leonardo grew up with her and was very interested in seeing how yarns were made. Leonardo’s paintings are notable for his use of sfumato, Leonardo used this technique to make the boundaries between areas look less harsh. Leonardo is also widely known as a musician and is even attributed as the inventor of musical instruments such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Harp and Leonardo Da Vinci’s Guitar.
Leonardo was also a notable inventor, he made designs for flying machines, which were probably never built at the time. Leonardo’s most famous piece of art is “The Last Supper”. Leonardo considered himself primarily to be a sculptor, but in fact he was an architect, an urban planner and was also a military engineer; Leonardo even made designs for military machines. Leonardo’s genius extended to many fields of science, Leonardo designed the first known parachute, he also sketched plans for some sort of armoured fighting vehicle.
Leonardo is known as the father of modern anatomy because Leonardo paid great attention to animal dissection, Leonardo’s observations of how the muscles and tendons worked provided a foundation for modern anatomical study. Leonardo also studied hydraulics, he even designed machines to make rivers navigable. Leonardo is known as one of the founders of geology because Leonardo paid great attention to fossils. Leonardo was born on 15 April 1452 in Anchiano, which was near Vinci in Italy, Leonardo was the son of a Florentine notary and a peasant woman.
Leonardo’s life is surrounded by some mystery, Leonardo left no written records of his life so much of what we know about Leonardo comes from paintings and other people’s writings about him. Leonardo had three sisters and one brother who died shortly after Leonardo was born. Leonardo’s father, Ser Piero Da Vinci, married Leonardo’s mother; however Leonardo was not recognized as his son until he came of age. Leonardo’s family were middle-class citizens and though they weren’t rich by any means Leonardo’s father wanted Leonardo to be a respected member of society so he ensured that Leonardo would receive a good education.
In 1466 when Leonardo was 12 years old Leonardo started an apprenticeship with Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence, which is where he received most of his training as an artist. In early 1476 it is believed that Leonardo travelled to Milan just days before Ludovico Sforza seized the rule from the previous duke. During his stay in Milan it is said Leonardo carried out several projects for Ludovico, Leonardo even designed a huge equestrian monument of the duke’s father. Leonardo was also a notable military engineer and Leonardo made design drawings that were used to create some sort of armoured vehicle.
In 1499 Leonardo went back into Milan after being forced away from Florence by an invading French army, it is believed that Leonardo may have worked as a military architect there on the defences of the city. In 1513 Leonardo left Milan once more when Francis I invaded Lombardy and Leonardo stayed in Rome until 1516. In 1517 he returned to Milan but only spent about ten months there before travelling around Italy again, this time going as far south as Naples. In May 1519 at the age of 63 Leonardo travelled to France at the invitation of king Francis I, Leonardo was given a place at the royal Chateau de Cloux near Amboise.
Leonardo died on 2 May 1519 and Leonardo was buried in the chapel in Saint Florentin at Amboise. Leonardo’s interests were many and varied, Leonardo is widely considered as one of the greatest painters that ever lived; Leonardo painted such works as “The Last Supper”, “Mona Lisa” and “Virgin on the Rocks”. Leonardo was also an inventor like no other; he designed everything from flying machines to military tanks and even musical instruments such as violins and harps. Leonardo Da Vinci is remembered for his extraordinary genius in various fields including science and art.
Leonardo was a true inventor so Leonardo’s inventions were not just fantastical notions they were actually built, Leonardo even made plans for military weapons that never took from the drawing board. Leonardo is known as the father of modern anatomy because Leonardo paid great attention to animal dissection. Leonardo studied hydraulics and machines to make rivers navigable, Leonardo also designed some sort of armoured fighting vehicle too he even sketched plans for a parachute, Leonardo Da Vinci will always be remembered for his genius in various fields including science and art.
Leonardo’s full name was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci. Leonardo’s father was a successful notary and landlord in Florence . Leonardo’s mother was Caterina, who may have been a slave from the Middle East bought after the battle of Cascina (1455). Leonardo spent his childhood in Anchiano. While Leonardo didn’t attend school until he was 10 years old , Leonardo showed interest in various forms of art saying at eight years old that he would rather be a painter than a soldier which earned him scorn and teasing from classmates and companions.
Leonardo loved to read and study during his childhood, being tutored by a famous poet named Antonio da Coreggio. Leonardo began his apprenticeship with master artist Andrea del Verrocchio at the age of fourteen in 1472. Leonardo mastered the arts of fresco painting, sketching, sculpturing, model making, architecture, cartography and much more. Leonardo was a true genius whose skills ranged from perfecting paintings to advanced mathematics and mechanics that were centuries ahead of their time.
In times when most people believed that the world was flat Leonardo showed that it is round through detailed anatomical studies and research on gravity In 1476 when Leonardo was 24 years old he painted “The Adoration of the Magi” which is a painting Leonardo had worked on for four years. Leonardo’s father was not too fond of Leonardo’s career as an artist and Leonardo left Florence to settle in Milan in 1482. Leonardo continued working and gaining fame and success early on in his time spent in Milan.
Leonardo wrote about one work depicting a white horse “I am hoping that I shall be able, rather more quickly, to execute a much larger work which is the portrait of the Duke Ludovico il Moro. ” Leonardo went on to paint many pieces during his life including The Last Supper, Mona Lisa, Virgin on the Rocks , Lady with an Ermine, Leda and The Swan, among others. In 1502 Leonardo received a commission from Cesare Borgia to create a silver lyre in the shape of a horse’s head.
Leonardo would also spend time working with Cesare on military inventions such as an armored tank, a spring-loaded repeating crossbow and more. Leonardo spent his last years living outside of Mila where he continued to work on many pieces of art, science and other pursuits. Leonardo died peacefully at Clos Luce, France on May 2, 1519. Leonardo is known today as one of the greatest painters of all time but people did not know him that way during his lifetime. Leonardo was constantly doubted by his peers because Leonardo was left handed and many thought it made him less talented than right handed artists.
