Who was Leonardo da Vinci?

Artist's Biography

• Profession: Artist, Inventor, Scientist
• Born: April 15, 1452, Vinci, Italy
• Died: May 2, 1519, Amboise, Kingdom of France
• Famous works: Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, Vitruvian Man
• Style / Period: High Renaissance

Biography:

Leonardo da Vinci was an artist, scientist, and inventor who lived during the Italian Renaissance. He is widely regarded as one of the most talented and intelligent people of all time. The term Renaissance Man (someone who is good at many things) is derived from Leonardo's many talents and is still used today to describe people similar to da Vinci.

Where was Leonardo da Vinci born?

Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, in the town of Vinci, Italy. Little is known about his childhood, other than that his father was wealthy and had several wives. At age 14, he became an apprentice to a famous artist named Verrocchio. Under him, he learned art, drawing, painting, and more.

Artist Leonardo

Leonardo da Vinci is considered one of the greatest artists in history. Leonardo excelled in many areas, including drawing, painting, and sculpture. Today, we still possess many of his paintings, meaning a large portion of the works he painted have survived to the present day. He also gained great fame in his own time for his paintings. Two of his most famous paintings, and arguably two of the most famous paintings in the world, are the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Leonardo's drawings were quite extraordinary. His notebooks are filled with sketches and drawings on various subjects he was working on. Some of his drawings were previews for later paintings, some were anatomical studies, and some were closer to scientific sketches. A famous drawing is the drawing of the Vitruvian Man, a picture of a man with perfect proportions based on the notes of the Roman architect Vitruvius. Other famous drawings include his design for a flying machine and his self-portrait.

Inventor Leonardo

Many of da Vinci's drawings and writings were driven by his pursuit of scientific knowledge and invention. His notebooks were filled with 13,000 pages of world observations. He drew pictures and designs for gliders, helicopters, war machines, musical instruments, various pumps, and more. He was interested in civil engineering projects and designed a single-span bridge, a way to divert the Arno River, and mobile barricades to help protect a city in case of attack.

Works of Leonardo da Vinci

Many of his drawings were on the subject of anatomy. He studied the human body, creating numerous drawings of muscles, tendons, and the human skeleton. He drew detailed figures of various parts of the body, including the heart, arms, and other internal organs. Leonardo did not just study human anatomy. He also had a great interest in animals, such as horses, as well as cows, frogs, monkeys, and other animals.

Facts About Leonardo da Vinci

• The term "Renaissance Man" refers to someone who is good at everything. Leonardo is considered the ultimate Renaissance Man.
• Some people claim he invented the bicycle.
• He was highly logical, and the scientific method was his most frequently used approach when investigating a subject.
• The Vitruvian Man is featured on the Euro currency today.
• The Mona Lisa painting is also called La Giaconda.
• Unlike some artists, Leonardo became famous for his paintings while still alive. His greatness as a scientist and inventor was realized later.