LEONARDO da VINCI

*Leonardo da Vinci – Biography

Introduction
*Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (1452 – 1519)* was an Italian polymath—painter, sculptor, engineer, scientist, inventor, and writer. The epitome of the *Renaissance humanist*, his works blend art and science, imagination and observation, leaving a legacy that still influences fields from anatomy to aerodynamics.

---

Early Life & Education
- *Born 15 April 1452*, *Vinci, Republic of Florence*, to *Piero da Vinci*, a notary, and *Caterina Buti*, a peasant woman.
- Raised in Vinci by his father’s family; received basic reading, writing, and arithmetic.
- Around *1466*, apprenticed to *Andrea del Verrocchio*, a leading artist‑craftsman in Florence. Trained in painting, sculpture, metalwork, and engineering.
- *1472:* Joined the *Compagnia di San Luca* (guild of painters).

Early Career (Florence & Milan)
- *1478:* Began independent work—_The Baptism of Christ_ (collaboration with Verrocchio), _Annunciation_.
- *1482‑1499:* Invited to *Milan* by Duke *Ludovico Sforza*.
- Painted *The Last Supper (1495‑1498)* in Santa Maria delle Grazie.
- Created the *Virgin of the Rocks* (Louvre version).
- Designed engineering projects: weapons, bridges, a *mechanical lion*, and early sketches of flying machines.

The Notebook (Codex) Era
- Kept extensive *notebooks (Codices)*—over 7,000 pages of drawings, observations on anatomy, optics, hydraulics, geology, botany.
- *Anatomical studies:* Dissections (30+ human bodies) → detailed drawings of muscles, heart, fetus.
- *Engineering concepts:* *Parachute*, *helicopter*, *tank*, *bridge designs*, *urban planning*.

Wanderings (1500‑1513)
- *1500‑1506:* Returned to Florence; painted *Mona Lisa (c. 1503‑1506)*—now in the Louvre.
- Served *Cesare Borgia* as military engineer (surveying maps, fortifications).
- *1506‑1513:* Back in Milan under French rule; worked on *The Battle of Anghiari* (lost, known from copies).

Final Years (France)
- *1516:* Invited by *King Francis I* to France, settled in *Clos Lucé*, Amboise.
- Served as “*Premier Painter, Engineer, and Architect to the King.*”
- Continued scientific studies; *Treatise on Painting* compiled posthumously.
- *Died 2 May 1519*, Amboise, France; buried in *Chapel of Saint‑Hubert*.

Artistic Highlights
Work Date Location Note
Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) c. 1503‑1506 Louvre, Paris Enigmatic smile, sfumato technique
The Last Supper 1495‑1498 Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan Narrative drama, perspective mastery
Vitruvian Man c. 1490 Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice Symbol of human proportion & harmony
Virgin of the Rocks (Louvre) 1483‑1486 Louvre Masterful chiaroscuro, intricate detail
Legacy
- *Art:* Influenced generations—Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio.
- *Science:* Precise anatomical drawings used for centuries; early concepts of *flight*, *machinery*, *optics*.
- *Cultural Icon:* “*Renaissance Man*” archetype; countless books, films, exhibitions (e.g., _Leonardo: The Genius_ at the Louvre).

Personality & Traits
- *Curiosity:* Asked “Why?” about everything; filled notebooks with questions.
- *Left‑handed, vegetarian, pacifist.*
- *Perfectionist:* Many works unfinished (e.g., _Adoration of the Magi_).
- *Multilingual, musical (played the lyre).*

*≈ 510 words*

Sources: _Leonardo da Vinci: The Marvellous Works of Nature and Man_ (Martin Kemp), _The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci_ (Ed. Jean Paul Richter), UNESCO World Heritage listings.