Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was a brilliant inventor, artist, and writer.
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Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) born out of wedlock in the region of Vinci (Italy). Despite his lowly birth, his father took him and his mother into his own house, where Leonardo was treated as a legitimate son and giving an education. At age 15, his father apprenticed him to Andrea del Verrocchio, a painter and sculptor in Florence. Verrocchio's studio was involved not only in painting and sculpture, but in bronze casting and architectural projects as well. Leonardo was accepted into the Florentine painter's guild in 1472, but stayed in the Verrocchio studio for five more years. It is said that Leonardo was once assigned to paint an angel in a painting Verrochio was working on (The Baptism of Christ). After Verrochio saw Leonardo's handling of light and shadow (angel on far left), he laid down his brushes and never painted again. Leonardo's biggest contribution to painting was his method of painting light. In 1482, Leonardo left Florence for Milan where he worked as an artist for the Duke of Milan, as well as consulting on architectural and military engineering projects.He spent 17 happy, productive years in the court of the duke, though he finished only 6 paintings in those years. His biggest disappointment was the interruption of a project that many called impossible: the casting of of a 16' high statue of Francisco Sforza on horseback. Leonardo was obsessed with this project for over 12 years, but the project was called off due to the unstable political climate in the area. Anticipating war, the bronze was ordered to be used for cannon balls instead of the sculpture. In the early 1490s, Leonardo's energies turned to writing. His notebooks indicate that he was planning to write at least 4 books. It is during this period in Milan that he began his habit of journaling. Leonardo was particularly fascinated with nature, including anatomy, which led him into a study of the sciences. He was an inveterate journaler, writing down his findings, experiments, observations, and ideas in his notebooks, along with sketches illustrating his observations. Over a thousand pages of his studies, observations, and sketches have been found - 31 notebooks in all have been preserved. Leonardo was left-handed. He undertook his journals in "mirror writing", not as a way of keeping the contents secret as it is easily read. Rather, it is believed that he just didn't care to write as a mode of communication. The notes were for himself and he wrote them in the way that was most natural to him. Throughout the journals, Leonardo makes reference to his lack of learning. He undertook ambitious programs to improve himself, including learning Latin on his own and working to increase his vocabulary. Leonardo returned to Florence at the turn of the century where he was received with great acclaim. At this time, however, he was more interested in mathematics than painting and turned down several portrait commissions. He was employed by Cesare Borgia as senior military architect and engineer. In Borgia's court, Leonardo met Niccolo Machiavelli and became fascinated by politics. In 1503, while investigating a scheme to divert the Arno river, but Leonardo was captured again by the beauty of the area and began making studies for paintings. It was during this period that the Mona Lisa was painted. While in Florence, Leonardo also became fascinated by anatomy and undertook disections at the local hospital. In addition to human anatomy, he studied avian anatomy, hydrology, and the movement of air. In 1506, Leonardo returned to Milan where he worked with Giovanni Francesco Rustici on some bronze statues. He painted very little during this 7 year stay in Milan, but did accept some apprentices. He was commissioned for another sculpture by Gian Giacomo Trivulzio who, at the last minute, decided to forego the massive monument planned by Leonardo for a more modest one. During this period, Leonardo continued with his study of comparative anatomy and began to delve into physiology as well. His journals of this period also contain notes on mathematics, optics, mechanics, geology and botany. In 1513, due to continued political unrest in Milan, Leonardo moved to Rome. Leonardo's natural curiosity had the unfortunate effect of scattering his energies. He was forever fascinated by the workings of the world around him, believing that observation was the most important skill an artist could develop. He liked to criticize his contemporaries for their slavish copying of past art rather than developing a style of their own. He was criticized in turn for starting paintings and never finishing them. He started sculptures and other projects, only to abandon them for a new fancy that had caught his eye. The atmosphere in Rome was congenial for artists - Raphael, Michaelangelo, and many others were working steadily, but Leonardo could not get any commissions because of his reputation for leaving projects unfinished. He studied mathematics and engineering experiments while writing bitter letters to potential patrons. In 1516, Leonardo left Italy at the invitation of King Francis I. He lived in France for the remainder of his life. The king granted him complete freedom in his pursuits and treated him as an honored guest. Leonardo spent most of his time writing and studying anatomy. He died on May 2, 1519 in Cloux. Random Quote from Leonardo da Vinci"[an error occurred while processing this directive]" Search the Database for QuotesQuotes by Leonardo da VinciOnline Resources
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