About[]
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. He was born on April 15, 1452, in, or close to, the Tuscan hill town of Vinci, 20 miles from Florence, to Piero da Vinci and a peasant woman named Caterina. He was educated in the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio, where he learned painting, sculpture, and metalworking. While his fame initially rested on his achievements as a painter, he also became known for his scientific contributions. His notebooks reveal a spirit of scientific inquiry and a mechanical inventiveness that were centuries ahead of their time. He was principally active in Florence and Milan, but spent the last years of his life in Rome and France, where he died. Leonardo da Vinci created some of the most famous images in European art, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Though many of his works were never finished, and even fewer have survived, he influenced generations of artists, and he continues to be revered as a genius as an artist and inventor. His curiosity and insatiable hunger for knowledge led him to study a wide range of subjects, including perspective, proportion, anatomy, cosmology, and architecture.
Early Life and Education[]
Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, in the town of Vinci, Italy, to a young peasant girl named Caterina and Ser Piero da Vinci, a well-renowned Florentine notary. He received a simple education in reading, writing, and mathematics at home, but he did not attend any formal school or university. His father noticed and encouraged his artistic talent, and he allowed him to work as an apprentice in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio, a prominent Florentine artist and craftsman. There, Leonardo learned painting, sculpture, and metalworking, as well as mathematics, engineering, and anatomy. He also developed an interest in science and technology, which he pursued throughout his life. Leonardo's education was completed informally, and he acquired knowledge solely from his own observation and curiosity.
Career[]
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. He was one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance, and his influence on painting was enormous to the following generations. Although he is best known for his dramatic and expressive artwork, Leonardo also conducted dozens of carefully thought-out experiments and created futuristic inventions that were groundbreaking for the time. His keen eye and quick mind led him to make important scientific discoveries, yet he never published his ideas. Leonardo's work spans both the fine arts and the more technical and scientific ones, and he frequently worked under the patronage of kings and nobles in the 15th and 16th centuries. He was said to be a Renaissance man, who had far more to offer to the world during his period than just art. His talents were noted to greatly exceed the arts of work that he created during his career. He did not create a divide between science and art, like many others of his time, and his collective works comprise a contribution to later generations of artists matched only by that of his younger contemporary, Michelangelo.
Personal life[]
There is little information available about Leonardo da Vinci's personal life. He never married and left no records of his personal relationships. There has been much speculation and interest in his personal life, including his sexuality, philosophy, religion, vegetarianism, left-handedness, and appearance. Some sources suggest that he may have been homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, asexual, or queer, but there are no firm accounts of him having sexual relationships with men, women, or animals. He was known for his work as an Italian painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist, and his influence on painting was enormous to the following generations. His work spans both the fine arts and the more technical and scientific ones, and he frequently worked under the patronage of kings and nobles in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Controversies[]
There are several controversies surrounding Leonardo da Vinci, including his sexuality, education, and personal life. There is no definitive answer to his sexuality, and scholars' opinions on the issue fall along a spectrum between 'maybe' and 'very, probably.' Some sources suggest that he may have been homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, asexual, or queer, but there are no firm accounts of him having sexual relationships with men, women, or animals. There is also controversy surrounding his education, as he did not attend any formal school or university, but he was taught reading, writing, and mathematics at home. Additionally, there is little information available about his personal life, and he never married or left any records of his personal relationships. Despite these controversies, Leonardo da Vinci is widely regarded as one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance, and his influence on painting, science, and engineering was enormous to the following generations.
Filmography[]
There is no filmography for Leonardo da Vinci, as he lived during the 15th and 16th centuries, long before the invention of cinema. However, there have been several films and documentaries made about his life and work, including the 2019 television series “Leonardo,” which tells the story of his life as a fifteenth-century Italian polymath.
Awards and legacy[]
Leonardo da Vinci's legacy is significant and far-reaching. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance, and his influence on painting, science, and engineering was enormous to the following generations. He was a universal man who possessed a spirit of scientific inquiry and mechanical inventiveness that was centuries ahead of its time. His genius as a painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer exemplified the Renaissance Humanist ideal. He made substantial discoveries in anatomy, civil engineering, hydrodynamics, geology, optics, and tribology, but he did not publish his findings, and they had little direct influence on later science. He has been honoured with the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts, which is conferred upon artists, sculptors, writers, poets, cinematographers, photographers, architects, musicians, or other performing artists whose work constitutes a significant contribution to the artistic legacy of the world. His most famous works include the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, while his drawings such as Vitruvian Man have become instantly recognizable.
Litigation[]
There have been several litigations involving Leonardo da Vinci's works of art. In 2017, Sotheby's auction house filed a pre-emptive lawsuit seeking to absolve itself from an international art feud involving the $80 million sale of Leonardo da Vinci's “Salvator Mundi.” The complaint against two New York art galleries, four LLCs, and three people stems from a larger tussle between Russian billionaire art collector Dmitry Rybolovlev and Swiss businessman Yves Bouvier. Rybolovlev has claimed in numerous lawsuits around the world that Bouvier cheated him out of $1 billion in transactions involving 38 works of art. There have also been controversies surrounding the authenticity of some of Leonardo's works, including the “Salvator Mundi,” which was sold for a record-breaking $450 million in 2017. Some experts have questioned the painting's authenticity, and there have been several lawsuits filed over its ownership and provenance. Despite these controversies, Leonardo da Vinci's works of art remain some of the most valuable and sought-after in the world, and his legacy as a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist continues to inspire and influence artists and thinkers to this day.
Quotes[]
Leonardo da Vinci was known for his profound musings on life and art. Some of his most famous quotes include “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen,” and “Every action needs to be prompted by a motive.”
See also[]
For further information on Leonardo da Vinci, one can explore his life and achievements through various resources, including biographies, essay topics, and documentaries. Some useful resources include SparkNotes' essay topics on Leonardo da Vinci, IvyPanda's essay topic ideas and examples, and the comprehensive biography of Leonardo da Vinci's life on Notable Biographies. There are also several films and documentaries made about his life and work, including “Inside the Mind of Leonardo,” “Leonardo: The Man Behind the Shroud,” and “Leonardo da Vinci: The Genius in Milan.” Additionally, one can explore some of his most profound musings through his quotes, which can be found on websites such as Inc.com.