catherine.wang

Catherine Wang __The Life and Times of Leonardo Da Vinci__



When people think of Leonardo Da Vinci, they think of the artist who painted great works like the Mona Lisa, and of the Da Vinci code. But who was this genius? This man who found it more convenient to write backwards, and produced designs for inventions centuries ahead of his time. Da Vinci’s genius was virtually unheard of, and it is said that he had one of the greatest minds of all time.

Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italy, in the center of the Renaissance era. To truly understand Da Vinci’s character, it’s important to bring forth the Renaissance. This era was a great cultural movement which began in Italy at around 1300. Florence was flourishing with merchants, artisans, and scholars abroad. In this active city, new ideas were spreading, and more and more discoveries were made about the physical world. It was a time of innovation and vicissitudes. It can be presumed that young Leonardo was greatly influenced by the great workings of those around him, and this helped him shape his view of the world.

Leonardo was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero, a 25 year old notary, and Caterina, a peasant girl. The boy was raised by his father, who immediately recognized his child’s extraordinary talent. So, at the age of fifteen, Leonardo was sent to Florence as an apprentice to the renowned Andrea del Verrocchio. There, he painted an angel in Verrocchio’s “Baptism of Christ.” His work was so much better than his master’s, that it was said Andrea resolved to never paint again. After a few years, Leonardo moved out and set up his own studio. He received a major church commission for his “Adoration of the Magi” in 1481, and the next year, the left Florence to accept the post of court artist to the Duck of Milan. There, Leonardo was put to work designing weapons, buildings, and machinery. His workshop was full of innovation and activity. He left Milan in 1499 when the Duke was overthrown by a French invasion, and returned to Florence in search of a new patron. There, he became a military engineer for Cesare Borgia. From 1500 to 1506, he completed more projects than any other period of his life. One of these projects was the famous Mona Lisa, which he completed in 1503.

After the death of his current patron, Da Vinci was awarded the title of Premier Painter and Engineer and Architect of the King by King Francis I. In old age, Leonardo suffered from paralysis in his right hand, possibly arthritis. He died on May 2, 1519 in Cloux, France, at the age of 67.

Leonardo had a unique and divine personality. He had such a great range of interests, and was so intrigued in new subjects, that he rarely finished any projects he started. His notebooks were full of unfinished sketches and designs, and what was finished being drawn was never built or painted. An example of this was the giant bronze horse he was commissioned to make. It was to be twenty-three feet high and weighing nearly eighty tons. He spent years studying the movement of horses and creating detailed sketches. All he had managed to create by the time the French invaded Milan, was a huge clay sculpture. In addition to being a creative genius, Leonardo was an extremely handsome man with a melodic singing voice and a fit body. He never married or had children and this may be because of his alleged homosexuality. Leowas a vegetarian, a traitvirtually unheard of in the 15thcentury, and his love of animals drove him to buy caged animals on the street just to set them free. Da Vinci was left-handed, and he often found it more convenient to write backwards, from right to left. His words could only be easily deciphered by using a mirror. It can be said that these strange character traits contributed to Da Vinci’s genius.

Leonardo Da Vinci was famous for his great works, like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. However, few know about his deep care for animals and his fondness for discovering new things. I chose to write about him because of his fascination for not only the arts, but for learning anything new he hadn’t come across before. From astronomy to zoology, Da Vinci was determined to understand what made things work, and how to make them better. He was truly a divine human being.

Encyclopedia Americana Title of Article: Leonardo Da Vinci Place of Publication: USA Publishing Company: Grolier Inc. Year of Publication: 1998
 * __BIBLIOGRAPHY__**

World Book Encyclopedia Title of Article: Leonardo Da Vinci Place of Publication: Chicago Publishing Company: Worldbook Inc. Year of Publication: 2006

Grolier Online Title of Article: Renaissance Publishing Company: Grolier Online Date accessed: 10/2/09 URL: gme.grolier.com

Grolier Online Title of Article: Leonardo Da Vinci Publishing Company: Grolier Online Date accessed: 10/2/09 URL: gme.grolier.com

Infotrac Title of Article: Leonardo Da Vinci Title of Original Publication: Leonardo Da Vinci Publishing Company: Gale Year of Publication: 1998 Date accessed: 9/30/09 URL: www.galenet.galegroup.com