Life of Leonardo da Vinci
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The Life of Leonardo da Vinci
Summary:
Leonardo da Vinci was a 15th-century polymath?"a painter, sculptor, architect, cartographer, engineer, scientist, and inventor.
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Leonardo da Vinci: A Multifaceted Genius
Leonardo da Vinci, born in the 15th century, excelled as a painter, sculptor, architect, cartographer, engineer, scientist, and inventor. Despite his immense talent, Leonardo humbly referred to himself as "senza lettere" or “the man without letters,” due to his late acquaintance with reading and writing Latin, the dominant language of Renaissance scholars. He wasn't familiar with mathematics until his 30s.
Born out of wedlock, Leonardo was raised by his father, a wealthy Florentine notary. In 1466, he began a ten-year apprenticeship with the artist Andrea del Verrocchio, contributing to Verrocchio’s works until he established himself independently in 1478 at age 26.
His early career was rocky. His first commission, an altarpiece for Florence's Palazzo Vecchio, was never completed. Similarly, his large works like "The Adoration of the Magi" and "Saint Jerome" remained unfinished in 1481. Leonardo’s abundant sketches and engineering studies were often found alongside mundane notes and personal shopping lists.
He guarded his workspace closely. Giorgio Vasari described Leonardo’s studio as housing "a number of green and other kinds of lizards, crickets, serpents, butterflies, locusts, bats, and various strange creatures."
Leonardo's clients frequently complained about his slow pace and inability to finish projects. In 1483, the Cofraternity of the Immaculate Conception sued him for not completing the altarpiece "Virgin on the Rocks," a legal battle lasting ten years. Even "The Last Supper" was left incomplete, as Leonardo struggled to capture the head of Jesus. Similarly, he worked on the "Mona Lisa" for four years without finishing it, always carrying it with him.
In 1499, a terra cotta model for a bronze statue commissioned by his patron Ludovico Sforza suffered destruction at the hands of invading French soldiers who used it for target practice. The metal intended for the sculpture was instead made into cannonballs.
Leonardo also participated in various commissions, including where to place Michelangelo's "David." His innovative cartographic work was ahead of its time?"the modern highway from Florence to the sea still traces the route Leonardo once proposed for a canal. His studies in anatomy, hydraulics, mechanics, ornithology, and botany remain influential, with some of his scientific notebooks now owned by Bill Gates.
Leonardo's allegiance shifted frequently. He switched to serve France’s Charles D'Amboise, the governor of Milan, in 1506, and later became a court painter for King Louis XII of France. In 1516, he moved to France to serve King Francis I and remained there until his death.
His teachings and artistic insights were compiled by his associate Francesco Melzi into "A Treatise on Painting," which was published posthumously in 1651 and 1817. Leonardo da Vinci’s legacy endures as a testament to human creativity and curiosity.
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