Leonardo Da Vinci free essay sample

Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, in the Tuscan hill town of Vinci, in the lower valley of the Arno River in the territory of Florence. Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, a Florentine notary was his father, and Catherina, a peasant who may have been a slave from the Middle East was his mother. Leonardo had no surname in the modern sense, da Vinci simply meaning of Vinci: his full birth name was Leonardo di Ser Piero da Vinci, meaning Leonardo, son of Ser Piero from Vinci. Little is known about Leonardos early life. He spent his first five years in the hamlet of Anchiano, and then lived in the household of his father, grandparents and uncle, Francesco, in the small town of Vinci. His father had married a sixteen-year-old girl named Albiera, who loved Leonardo but died young. One, which he regarded as an omen, was when a kite dropped from the sky and hovered over his cradle, its tail feathers brushing his face. We will write a custom essay sample on Leonardo Da Vinci or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The second occurred while exploring in the mountains. He discovered a cave and was both terrified that some great monster might lurk there, and driven by curiosity to find out what was inside. Educational Background: In 1466, at the age of fourteen, Leonardo was apprenticed to the most successful artists of his day, Andrea di Cione, known as Verrocchio. Verrocchio educated Leonardo humanities. Other famous painters such as Ghirlandaio, Perugino, Botticelli, and Lorenzo di Credi were apprenticed with the workshop. Leonardo was exposed to technical and artistic skills. He had the opportunity to learn drafting, chemistry, leather working, mechanics, carpentry, drawing, painting, sculpting and modeling. Much of the painted production of Verrocchios workshop was done by his employees. According to Vasari, Leonardo work with Verrocchio on his Baptism of Christ, painting the young angel holding Jesus’ robe in a manner that was so far superior to his masters that Verrocchio put down his brush and never painted again. Leonardo himself was the model for two works by Verrocchio, which were the bronze statue of David in the Bargello and the Archangel Michael in Tobias and the Angel. By 1472, at the age of twenty, Leonardo qualified as a master in the Guild of St Luke, the guild of artists and octors of medicine, but even after his father set him up in his own workshop, his attachment to Verrocchio was such that he continued to work with him. Leonardos earliest work was done in pen and ink on August 5th, 1473; Arno valley. Training: Practically nothing is known about Leonardo’s boyhood, but Vasari informs us that Ser Piero, impressed with the remarkable character of his sonâ₠¬â„¢s genius, took some of his drawings to Andrea Del Verrocchio, an intimate friend, and begged him earnestly to express an opinion on them. Verrocchio was so astonished at the power they revealed that he advised Ser Piero to send Leonardo to study under him. Leonardo thus entered the studio of Andrea Del Verrocchio about 1469-1470. In the workshop of that great Florentine sculptor, goldsmith, and artist he met other craftsmen, metal workers, and youthful painters, among whom was Botticelli, at that moment of his development a jovial _habitue_ of the Poetical Supper Club, who had not yet given any premonitions of becoming the poet, mystic, and visionary of later times. There also Leonardo came into contact with that unoriginal painter Lorenzo di Credi, his junior by seven years. He also, no doubt, met Perugino, whom Michelangelo called â€Å"that blockhead in art. † The genius and versatility of the Vincian painter was, however, in no way dulled by intercourse with lesser artists than himself; on the contrary he vied with each in turn, and readily outstripped his fellow pupils. Influences: Da Vinci studied under Verrocchio, where Botticelli was also a student. His main influences were Masaccio, Donatello, Fra Filippo Lippi, Piero Della Francesca and Uccello. Younger artist who were in Florence while Da Vinci was there included Michelangelo, whom he despised, and Raphael. Leonardo was the son of a very rich and influential man (Yes, he was illegitimate, but he had a very extensive education and was surrounded by important people all his life). Da Vinci would study from the great people who came before you. Da Vinci the scientist observed nature and systematically recorded his observations. He studied every detail of the human body by dissecting corpses. In his study of animals da Vinci focused on the mystery of flight. His copious notes covered a vast range of topics from the sun, moon, and stars, to fossils and flying. His works provided a base for scientists to work from for centuries. During the Renaissance, math and science went hand in hand, thanks to the Greeks. da Vinci, along with other artists of the day, used geometry to produce a new style of painting, a style that allowed the observe to see the scene as in real life. This developed into the concept of perspective, which used light and depth perception to depict a 3D scene on a 2D surface. Because he typified the idea of the Renaissance. The term Renaissance Man refers to one who was capable of excelling at a wide variety of activities. Leonardo was an accomplished scientist, architect, engineer, painter, designer, physiologist, etc. Truly he was not simply a man of the Renaissance; he was the prototype of the Renaissance Man. Personality issues Subject matter: idk Life story: 452: Leonardo is born close to the town of Vinci in the countryside near Florence 1466-1469: Leonardo moves to Florence and becomes an apprentice in the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio 1472: Leonardo paints one of the angels in Verrocchio’s painting ‘The baptism of Christ’. He also finishes his apprenticeship, becoming a master artist and a member of Florence’s Guild of Saint Luke 1481: Leonardo leaves Florence for Milan, where he finds work at the court of Duke Ludovico Sforza 1490: Leonardo works on the Sforza horse and draws the Vitruvian Man, among other things. Salai joins the studio as an apprentice. 1497: Work on ‘The last supper’ in under way. 1498: Ludovico Sforza gives Leonardo a vineyard in Milan, but there is not much time for him to enjoys it, as in the fall of 1499, French troops invade the city and Leonardo leaves 1500-1505: Leonardo works in Florence again, along with his great rival, the artist and sculptor Michelangelo 1503: Leonardo begins work on his most famous painting the ‘Mona Lisa’. In 1506-1513, he is back in Milan-the city is now ruled by French 1513: Leonardo moves to Rome, where he lives and works at the Vatican court(the pope’s headquarters). 516: Leonardo moves to France to work for the king, Francis I. Salai is one of his companions. In 1519, Leonardo dies, at the age of 67, in Amboise, France. Level of success: Today, there are records of only few Da Vinci paintings, and 20 notebooks. Thankfully, these works have been preserved over the hundreds of years since Leonardos time, and while his works are scattered in different areas of the globe, everyone can enjoy Da Vinci through the numerous books detailing his life, or through any of the many Da Vinci posters that have been printed. A well-known master in the history of art, Leonard Da Vinci is renown by people all over the map, and those of us who cannot travel to view the true works that the genius created can at least bring home a piece of him when we buy Da Vinci posters or prints. His most famous paintings are among the most influential works ever created. Legacy, Impact: Leonardos greatness lies in the diversity of his knowledge. His depth of understanding across a broad range of disciplines sets him aside from his contemporaries. Even by todays standards it would be difficult to find an individual who embraced Anatomy, Biology, Engineering, Architecture, and Science in addition to being one of the greatest painters of all time. The tragedy is that much of his scientific work was not published in his lifetime, and was only re-discovered many years after his death at a time when science had already embraced many of his ideas. There is little doubt that had his work been publicised in the Renaissance era it would have advanced the knowledge of the time. His left handed mirror-writing also caused problems. It created a code that needed breaking before his unpunctuated manuscripts could be understood. Also many of his scientific papers have been lost or damaged and are dispersed throughout the world. As an artist it is universally agreed that Leonardos marriage of art and science was significant for the advancement of painting techniques. He was famous for being a great painter long before his scientific work was acknowledged and appreciated. So the basis of his genius lies in his artistic achievements. The contradiction is that he designed weapons of war and, at the same time, marveled at the beauty of nature that these devices could ultimately destroy. Some historical characters stride like giants through the pages of history, think of Newton, Einstein, and Aristotle, Leonardo is certainly cast in the same mold. If art is about an emotional response then Leonardo da Vinci delivers at the highest level. I have been privileged to see a number of Leonardos paintings in the flesh; at the Louvre in Paris and also at the National Gallery in London. On 21st February 2009 I traveled to Manchester to view 10 of his drawings from the Royal Windsor collection. Needless to say these small works oozed quality. In a society were fame is fleeting and celebrity is often acquired very cheaply, it is refreshing that an artist, who died 500 years ago, can cause a queue to form, waiting in line to view his work. Famous works: Mona Lisa, the last supper, St. John the Baptist, and The Baptism of Christ are the most famous paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci. Especially Mona Lisa. Annunciation, Ginevra de’ Benci, Benois Madonna, Madonna of the Carnation, St. Jerome in the Wilderness, Adoration of the Magi, Virgin of the rocks, Lady with an Ermine, Madonna Litta, Portrait of a Musician, La belle ferronniere, the virgin and child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist, Madonna of the yarn winder, The virgin and child with St. Anne, and Bacchus are less famous paintings of Da Vinci. Leonardo Da Vinci not only painted great paintings, but he have invented many of the transportation/vehicles and other things we use in today’s life. For flight, there are glider, helicopter, and parachute, for military; there are automobile car, machine gun, scaling gun, and tank. Viola organista and double hull are the most famous between people. Viola organista is an experimental musical instrument Da Vinci invented. It was the first bowed keyboard instrument ever to be devised and Double hull is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom and sides of the ship have two layers of watertight hull surface. And the space between the two hulls is sometimes used for storage of fuel or ballast water. Old age Court records of 1476 show that Leonardo and three other young men were charged with sodomy, and acquitted. From that date until 1478 there is no record of his work or even of his whereabouts, although it is assumed that Leonardo had his own workshop in Florence between 1476 and 1481. From September 1513 to 1516, Leonardo spent much of his time living in the Belvedere in the Vatican in Rome, where Raphael and Michelangelo were both active at the time. In October 1515, Francois I of France recaptured Milan. On 19th December, Leonardo was present at the meeting of Francois I and Pope Leo X, which took place in Bologna. It was for Francois that Leonardo was commissioned to make a mechanical lion which could walk forward, then open its chest to reveal a cluster of lilies. In 1516, he entered Francois service, being given the use of the manor house Clos Luce near the kings residence at the royal Chateau Amboise. It was here that he spent the last three years of his life, accompanied by his friend and apprentice, Count Francesco Melzi, supported by a pension totaling 10,000 scudi. Leonardo died at Clos Luce, France, on May 2, 1519. Francois I had become a close friend. Vasari records that the King held Leonardos head in his arms as he died, although this story, beloved by the French and portrayed in romantic paintings by Ingres, Menageot and other French artists, may be legend rather than fact. Vasari also tells us that in his last days, Leonardo sent for a priest to make his confession and to receive the Holy Sacrament. In accordance to his will, sixty beggars followed his casket. He was buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert in the castle of Amboise. Melzi was the principal heir and executor, receiving as well as money, Leonardos paintings, tools, library and personal effects. Leonardo also remembered his other long-time pupil and companion, Salai and his servant Battista di Vilussis, who each received half of Leonardos vineyards, his brothers who received land, and his serving woman who received a black cloak of good stuff with a fur edge. Some twenty years after Leonardos death, Francois was reported by the goldsmith and sculptor Benevento Cellini as saying: There had never been another man born in the world who knew as much as Leonardo, not so much about painting, sculpture and architecture, as that he was a very great philosopher. A painter, a sculptor, an architect and an engineer, Leonardo Da Vincis numerous skills have earned him the title of renaissance master. Da Vincis fascination with science and his in-depth study of human anatomy aided him in mastering the realist art form. While Leonardos counterparts were known to create static figures in their works, Leonardo always tried to incorporate movement and expression into his own paintings. All the personages in his works are painted with great accuracy and detail that it is sometimes said that Da Vinci painted from the bones outward. Having lived until the age of 67, Leonardo experienced a very long career that was filled with times during which the painter was celebrated, but at times he was also humiliated and cast away. His life experiences all influenced his works and often, his paintings never left the sketchpad, or were only partially completed, as Leonardo often abandoned his commissions in order to flee from social situations. Leonardo was home schooled, his father taught him only simple things. Leonardo used math in some of his artwork. He used the Golden ratio in his paintings, Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, His Self Portrait and Madonna of the Rocks. He studied mathematics, geometry and polymath. Leonardo Da Vinci lived and took math lessons from Luca Pacioli. Luca Pacioli was making a book, and Leonardo Da Vinci was illustrating for him. Many other scientists ignored Leonardo Da Vinci because he did not know Latin or algebra. Leonardo studied, hydraulics, pyrotechnics, science, acoustics, optics, medicine, biology, anatomy, natural history, zoology, cartography, philosophy and botany. Leonardo Da Vinci was so fascinated by human anatomy, that he would sneak into hospitals at night, and dissect human bodies. He only studied anatomy for 20 years, and then moved on.