Leonardo da Vinci
by Krysta Cardinale“Biographies of the Renaissance Man”
Leonardo da Vinci is, without a doubt, one of the most astute minds in history. He is renowned as a painter, inventor, musician and thinker of unparalleled insight and vision, and a true Renaissance Man. In any discussion of Leonardo da Vinci, biographies of his life and legacy, the phrase "ahead of his time" is inevitably uttered and with due cause. At a time when the world was ripe for discovery, da Vinci was one of the few people asking questions about its mechanics - and looking to the universe for answers. He indeed had one foot planted firmly in the future, developing theories and unearthing mysteries that still influence the world we live in. Leonardo da Vinci art is an example of an elite group of artists that was actually alive during the success of their paintings.
Da Vinci was born on the outskirts of Florence, Italy on April 15, 1452. He was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero da Vinci and a young peasant girl named Caterina. She left the boy in the custody of his father, where he was educated and exposed to academic texts. This fueled the quest for knowledge that would follow him his entire life.
Aside from being interested in academics, Leonardo was also an extremely talented painter. This led his father to allow him to enter the apprenticeship of renowned Florentine painter Andrea del Verrocchio when he was just 15. During his stint with del Verrocchio, da Vinci indulged both his love of art and science, learning about painting, sculpture and the mechanics of engineering.
Da Vinci’s Professional Life
In 1472, the Painter’s Guild accepted da Vinci. Leonardo was 20 years old, but chose to continue working as an apprentice until about 1477.
In 1482, he was offered a post as official painter and engineer of Duke Ludovico Sforza of Milan. During his time in the service of the duke, da Vinci’s mind was allowed to be set free. He embarked on a journey of incredible artistic and scientific growth, devising theories on geometry, architecture and military infrastructure. He also managed to complete six original paintings in addition to flushing out his scientific theories, which were becoming more developed and structured by the day.
Leonardo’s interest in geometry became so engrossing that he neglected his painting for a time so that he could publish a book on the subject in 1498. It was also during this time in the Leonardo da Vinci biographies that he began keeping detailed diaries and illustrations of his thoughts and discoveries. These began to include theories on extraterrestrial matters, such as the moon and the stars. The diaries were generally broken up into four categories: painting, architecture, mechanics and human anatomy.
When the French army invaded Milan in 1499 and Sforza was ousted from power, da Vinci left for his native Florence. Here he continued his more academic pursuits, abandoning his painting almost completely. The artist in him was not completely dead, however. He reportedly began work on his trademark Mona Lisa around this time, though it was not completed until he moved to France many years later.
Leonardo returned to Milan in 1506, this time as a scientist. He advised on hydrodynamics, anatomy, mechanics, mathematics and optics. Da Vinci continued bouncing around Italy lecturing on his scientific theories until 1513, when he accepted an invitation to serve in the court of King Francis I of France.
In France, he held the official post of architect, painter and mechanic to the king but in reality, he was largely left to his own devices. Those included finishing off a few paintings (including the Mona Lisa and Virgin and Child with St. Mary) and editing his scientific research.
Science and Anatomy
Before da Vinci no one saw combinations of art and science possible. However, in his notebooks, Leonardo wrote and drew about his studies of science and engineering for over 13,000 pages. Art and Science were fused by da Vinci. Leonardo’s notebooks used mirror writing. He was left-handed and found it easier to pull a quill pen instead of pushing it. Mirror writing also allowed him to avoid smudging what he had just written.
Da Vinci tried to understand science by observing and recording everything he saw in detail. He never emphasized experiments or theoretical explanations. Many contemporary scholars deny da Vinci as a scientist because he had no formal education in mathematics and Latin, even though he did teach himself Latin.
Leonardo’s focus on the human body began when he apprentice del Verrocchio. He was allowed to dissect human corpses at the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in Florence, and later at hospitals in Milan and Rome. In a thirty year period, da Vinci dissected about 30 male and female bodies. He collaborated with Doctor Marcantonio della Torre, and put together a theoretical book on anatomy. It consisted of over 200 drawings, but was not published until 61 years after his death.
Leonardo da Vinci art on the anatomy focused not only on structure but function as well. He did many drawings of the human skeleton, skull, brain, lungs, sex organs, and more. He also studied the anatomy of animals too. These studies led to the first known robot design. It was made around 1945 and was called “Leonardo’s robot.” It is unknown whether or not this design ever grew into anything more.
Leonardo da Vinci: Inventions and Engineering
Leonardo's inventions focused around several plans for flying machines. He was captivated by the phenomenon of flight, and produced detailed studies of birds. One of the Leonardo da Vinci inventions included a four man powered helicopter, which would never have worked, and a hang glider, which would have flown.
The many talents of Leonardo also included engineering. Due to his employment as a military engineer, da Vinci designed several machine guns, cluster bombs, the parachute, and an armored tank powered by horses and humans. He also designed bridges that people of his time felt were impossible. However, in 2001 Norway produced such a bridge based on this design. And in Turkey, the government decided to also build a Leonardo bridge, which is to be finished by October 2006.
Leonardo da Vinci inventions also included the first mechanical calculator and the first programmable robot. While at the Vatican, he planned an industrial use of solar power with the application of mirrors to heat water. Most of the Leonardo da Vinci inventions were no more than designs during his lifetime, and constructed later and put on display at the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Amboise.
Da Vinci's Art
In all of Leonardo da Vinci paintings there are different techniques that he experimented with. An example of one such technique would be “Chiaroscuro.” This is a color shading technique using a series of custom-made glazes. It is distinguished by slight transitions of color, and a bold contrast between light and dark. Sfumato was another technique used in Leonardo da Vinci paintings. It is a hazy or smoky effect on the painting.
Leonardo da Vinci art can be divided intro three categories: the early works in Florence from 1452 to 1482, the Milan period from 1482 to 1499, and then the nomadic period between Italy and France from 1499 to 1516.
During the early works in Florence, several Leonardo da Vinci paintings include The Baptist of Christ, the Madonna and Child (1478), and The Adoration of the Magi (1482) which was never completely finished. All of the Leonardo da Vinci art of this period was done as he apprenticed for del Verrocchio.
The artist spent his next 17 years in Milan working for Duke Ludovico. During this time period he created many drawings, sculptures, and paintings. During his free time Leonardo spent writing in his notebooks and designed most of his engineering projects. Although he started many projects only six paintings were actually completed. Several of them were Virgin of the Rocks (1494), The Last Supper (1498), and Madonna and Child with St Anne (1499).
Since he spent most of his time traveling during the Nomadic period many paintings or projects were never actually completed. Often described as the most famous Leonardo da Vinci painting, the Mona Lisa was done during this time in the artist’s life. He also focused and designed many of his flying machines during this period as well.
Though he suffered from paralysis of his right hand, da Vinci continued writing, drawing and teaching until his death on May 2, 1519. The story goes that the king himself was at his bedside upon his death, cradling his head in his hands.
As one of the few painters who managed to live long enough to see his achievements celebrated, da Vinci left behind a legacy that has lasted for centuries and will continue to influence thinkers as well as artists for centuries to come.
