| Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the most well known | | | | construction, mechanics and architecture. |
| artists today. He was not only an artist though; he | | | | Leonardo was interested in so many different things |
| was also a scientist and an inventor. His Mona Lisa is | | | | that he often failed to finish what he started. Many |
| probably the most recognized painting ever! Leonardo | | | | of his paintings are left unfinished. During the |
| had a very interesting, busy life. | | | | seventeen years that he worked for the Duke, he |
| Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452 in Vinci, Italy | | | | actually only completed six works. Two of the most |
| which is just outside of Florence. He was an | | | | famous ones are "The Last Supper" and "The Virgin |
| illegitimate son of Ser Piero, a 25 year old notary and | | | | on the Rocks". |
| Caterina, a peasant girl. Shortly after Leonardo's birth, | | | | Starting in 1490, Leonardo began to write down his |
| his father took custody of him. Caterina moved to a | | | | studies in illustrated notebooks. His work all falls into |
| nearby town and married another man. Both | | | | the category of four different themes: architecture, |
| Leonardo's mother and father continued having | | | | painting, human anatomy and the elements of |
| children, just not with each other. He ended up having | | | | mechanics. Today, these notebooks are very |
| seventeen half brothers and sisters. | | | | valuable. Bill Gates actually paid thirty million dollars for |
| While Leonardo was growing up, he was able to read | | | | the Codex Leicester! |
| many scholarly texts that his family and friends | | | | After 1499, the Duke fell from power and Leonardo |
| owned. The city of Vinci also had a very long painting | | | | no longer worked for him. Over the next sixteen |
| tradition that he was exposed to. At the age of | | | | years, he worked for many different people and |
| fifteen, Leonardo was apprenticed to Andrea del | | | | traveled all throughout Italy. During this time, he |
| Verrochio in Florence. He painted many works of art | | | | painted the "Battle of Anghiari" and even designed a |
| during this period. One of his most popular works | | | | bridge in Constantinople. |
| during this time was when he painted an angel in | | | | In 1503, Leonardo started working on the very |
| Verrochio's "Baptism of Christ". Leonardo's angel was | | | | popular "Mona Lisa". From 1513 to 1516, he worked in |
| so much better than Verrochio's works that | | | | Rome and did many projects for the Pope. In 1516, |
| Verrochio resolved to never paint again. | | | | he was even offered the title of Premier Painter and |
| In 1477, Leonardo left the Verrochio workshop and | | | | Engineer and Architect of the King. |
| got a place for himself. In 1482, he went into the | | | | Even though Leonardo suffered from paralysis of his |
| service of the Duke of Milan. He even abandoned his | | | | right hand, he could still draw and teach. He also still |
| first commission in Florence, "The Adoration of the | | | | produced many studies of various topics. Leonardo |
| Magi", to do this. Leonardo stayed in Milan for | | | | died on May 2, 1519 in France. There is a legend that |
| seventeen years. During this time he made many | | | | the king was at his side when he died and cradled his |
| artistic and scientific achievements. The Duke had | | | | head in his arms. |
| Leonardo paint and sculpt a lot but he also had him | | | | Leonardo was an extraordinary Renaissance artist. He |
| design buildings, weapons and machinery. In addition, | | | | was a brilliant man who deserves the recognition he |
| Leonardo produced many studies on lots of topics, | | | | gets. It is amazing that he knew so much about so |
| such as flying machines, nature, geometry, municipal | | | | many different topics! |
