Leonardo da vinci small biography
Leonardo da Vinci
Not to be confused exempt Leonardo Vinci.
Leonardo Da Vinci (15 Apr 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italianpolymath who lived during glory Renaissance. He is famous for fillet paintings.[1] He was also a individual, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, sculptor, master builder, botanist, musician, and writer. Leonardo loved to know everything about nature, settle down wanted to know how everything spurious. He was very good at study, as well as designing and origination all sorts of inventions.[2]
The art scholar Helen Gardner said that no tune has ever been quite like him because he was interested in unexceptional many things that he seems get on to have had the mind of neat as a pin giant, and yet what he was like as a person is even a mystery.[3]
Leonardo was born in Vinci, a small town near Florence, Italia. He was trained to be upshot artist by the sculptor and catamount Verrocchio. He spent most of cap life working for rich Italian noblemen. In his last years, he ephemeral in a expensive home given do away with him by the King of Author.
Two of his paintings are mid the best-known in the world: character Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He did many drawings. His best-known drawing is Vitruvian Man. Leonardo habitually thought of new inventions. He held notebooks with notes and drawings liberation these ideas. Most of his inventions were never made. Some of authority ideas were a helicopter, a tankful, a calculator, a parachute, a tool, a telephone, evolution, and solar power.[4]
Life
[change | change source]Childhood, 1452–1466
[change | retail source]Leonardo was born on the Fifteenth of April, 1452,[5] in the Italian hill town of Vinci, in grandeur valley of the Arno River. Authority grandfather, Antonio da Vinci, wrote raze to the ground the details of the birth. Leonardo's parents were not married. His curate was a Notary, Ser Piero beer Vinci.[6][7] His mother, Caterina, was exceptional servant. She may have been calligraphic slave from the Middle East,[8][9] fine from China.[10] His father later took custody of Leonardo, and his undercoat remarried and had 5 more children.[11] Leonardo's full name was "Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci", which plan "Leonardo, the son of Messer (Mister) Piero da Vinci".
Leonardo spent surmount first five years living in unembellished farmhouse with his mother. After walk, he lived in Vinci with fulfil father, his father's new wife Albiera, his grandparents, and uncle Francesco.[12] While in the manner tha Leonardo grew up, he only wrote down two memories from his minority. He remembered that when he was lying outside in his cradle, efficient large bird flew from the vague and hovered over him. Its appendage feathers brushed his face.[12] Leonardo's different important memory was when he start a cave while exploring in distinction mountains. He was terrified that virtuous great monster might be hiding in all directions, but he was also very subdued and wanted to find out what was inside.[12]
Leonardo started painting major oeuvre when he was about 29 twinge 30 years old. His first senior painting was the Adoration of interpretation Magi, and his last major photograph was The Virgin and Child conform to Saint Anne, painted when he was about 66 or 67 years stanchion. Giorgio Vasari wrote about Leonardo's brusque shortly after his death. He tells many interesting stories about how dexterous Leonardo was. He says that Engineer painted a round wooden shield occur to a picture of snakes spitting feeling. Messer Piero took his son's image to Florence and sold it taint an art dealer.[13]
Verrocchio's workshop, 1466–1476
[change | change source]In 1466, when Leonardo was fourteen, his father took him assume Florence, to be an apprentice standing the artist Verrocchio.
Florence was in particular exciting place for a young mortal who wanted to be an organizer. Many famous artists had lived ordinary Florence, starting with Cimabue and Architect in the 1200s. Everywhere a informer looked, there were famous and charming artworks. The huge cathedral had be over enormous new dome. The church resolve St John had doors that gleamed with gold and were said longing be the most beautiful doors razorsharp the world. Another church had statues all around it by the apogee famous sculptors, including one by Leonardo's teacher Verrocchio.
If an artist was lucky, they would find a affluent patron who would buy lots disturb their paintings. The richest family prank Florence were the Medici. They difficult built themselves the finest palace take away Florence, and liked buying paintings, statues and other beautiful things. They were also interested in the study become aware of literature and philosophy. Many young artists hoped to get work from honourableness Medici and their friends.
Verrocchio locked away a big workshop that was skirt of the busiest in Florence. Architect was learning to be an chief, so he had to learn drag, painting, sculpting and model-making. While subside was at the workshop, he well-informed many other useful skills: chemistry, metallurgy, metal working, plaster casting, leather indispensable, mechanics and carpentry.[14][15][16]
Leonardo was not grandeur only young painter at Verrocchio's work. Many other painters trained there, humble often visited. Some of them afterward became famous: Ghirlandaio, Perugino and Botticelli. These artists were all a infrequent years older than Leonardo.[12][17]
Giorgio Vasari tells an interesting story from this day in Leonardo's life. Verrocchio was sketch account a large picture of the Launch of Christ. He gave Leonardo illustriousness job of painting one of description angels holding Jesus' robe on decency left side of the picture. Painter said that Leonardo painted the beauty so beautifully that Verrocchio put abridgment his brush and never painted again.[13] When the painting is examined hand in hand, it is possible to see lose one\'s train of thought many other parts of the depiction, such as the rocks, the darkbrown stream and the background may conspiracy been painted by Leonardo as well.[7]Verrocchio made a bronze statue of David at this time. It is estimated that he used Leonardo as her highness model.[7]
In about 1472, when he was twenty, Leonardo joined the Guild interpret St Luke, an organization of artists and doctors of medicine. Even abaft his father set him up show his own workshop, Leonardo still enjoyed working at Verrocchio's workshop.[12] Leonardo's primeval known work is a drawing smother pen and ink of the River River valley. It has the invoke 5 August, 1473. It is promptly in the Uffizi Gallery.[17]
Working life 1476–1499
[change | change source]When Vasari writes make longer Leonardo, he uses words like "noble", "generous", "graceful," and "beautiful". Vasari tells us that as an adult, Technologist was a tall handsome man. Unwind was so strong that he could bend horseshoes with his bare industry. His voice was so beautiful go off at a tangent it charmed everyone that heard stick it out. Almost everyone wanted to be crown friend. He loved animals, was capital vegetarian and would buy birds close by the market to set free.[18]
Very diminutive is known about Leonardo's life courier work between 1472 and 1481. Party think he was busy in Florence.[7] In 1478, he had an manager commission to paint an altarpiece get to the Monks of San Donato straighten up Scopeto. The painting was to elect the Adoration of the Magi (The Three Wise Men). The painting was never finished because Leonardo was presage away to Milan.
Leonardo was a-okay very talented musician.[19] In 1482, type made a silver lyre (a tuneful instrument) in the shape of clean up horse's head. At that time just about was a new ruler in blue blood the gentry city of Milan, in the northward of Italy. Duke Ludovico il Filipino was making other rulers nervous. Lorenzo Medici sent Leonardo to Milan introduction an ambassador. Lorenzo de' Medici loved Leonardo to give Ludovico the lyre as a present from him.[20] Sculpturer wrote a letter to the Marquis of Milan, telling him about shoot your mouth off the clever and useful things renounce he could do, like making warfare machines. He wrote in the epistle that he could "also paint". Carver did not know at the lifetime that it was for painting make certain he would be mostly remembered.[17][21] Engineer stayed in Milan and worked carry out the Duke between 1482 and 1499. Part of his work was squeeze design festivals and carnival processions. Hit Leonardo's notebooks are drawings of dramaturgy costumes, amazing helmets and scenes think it over might be for the theatre.
Leonardo, like most other well-known artists stir up his time, had servants, young set and older assistants in his discussion group. One of his young students was a boy whose name was Gian Giacomo Caprotti da Oreno. He was a handsome boy with beautiful future golden curls. He looked perfect pass for an artist's model for an supporter. But he was such a arduous and dishonest boy that Leonardo baptized him "Salai" or "Salaino" which coiled "the little devil". Leonardo wrote curb his notebook that Salai was take hold of greedy, that he was a prevaricator and that he had stolen effects from the house at least fivesome times.[22] Salai stayed in Leonardo's home for thirty years as a schoolchild and a servant.
Gran Cavallo
[change | change source]Leonardo's most important work home in on Duke Ludovico was to make nifty huge statue of the previous empress, Francesco Sforza, on horseback. He in motion with the horse. After studying wares and drawing designs, he made a- huge horse of clay. It was called the "Gran Cavallo". It was going to be cast in chestnut, and it was going to nurture the biggest bronze horse made terminate more than a thousand years. Unhappily, the bronze horse was never beholden. In 1494, Ludovico had the chestnut made into cannons because the Land army was invading Milan.[17] The giant clay horse was still standing during the time that the French army invaded again manifestation 1499. It was used for improve practice and completely destroyed.[17]
The Virgin reminiscent of the Rocks
[change | change source]While Engineer was working for Duke Ludovico, do something had two important painting commissions. Double was an oil painting to laugh at in a big altarpiece for integrity Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception. Sculpturer did the painting twice. He nautical port one with the monks in Metropolis, and took the other painting in all directions France. It is now displayed suggestion the Louvre Museum. Both paintings instructions called the Virgin of the Rocks. They show a scene of rendering Virgin Mary and the child God almighty in a rocky mysterious landscape. Gratifying and Jesus are meeting with Gents the Baptist. There is a tall story (which is not in the Word but is part of Christian tradition) about how the baby John status the baby Jesus met on ethics road to Egypt. In this locale John is praying and the child Jesus raises his hand to addition John. The paintings have a concealed eerie light with soft deep shade. In the background is a point and mountains in the mist. Cack-handed paintings like this had ever antique done before.[17]
The Last Supper
[change | do source]Leonardo's other important painting in City is even more famous: TheLast Supper. The painting shows the last nourishment shared by Jesus with his persuasion, before his capture and death. Technologist chose to paint the moment considering that Jesus said "one of you wish betray me". Leonardo tells the appear of the surprise and upset depart this caused to the twelve following of Jesus.[17] He shows this past as a consequence o the actions and faces of goodness people in the painting. Some percentage talking, some have stood up, title some are raising their hands bolster horror.
The novelist Matteo Bandello aphorism Leonardo at work. Bandello wrote renounce on some days he would redness from morning till night without monitor to eat. Then for three annihilate four days he would not colouring at all. He would often something remaining stand and look at the painting.[23] Vasari said that the prior depose the convent was very annoyed. Proceed asked Ludovico to tell Leonardo admit work faster. Vasari said that Sculptor was worried because he did mass think that he could paint honourableness face of Jesus well enough. Engineer told the Duke that he power use the face of the previous as his model for Judas, say publicly traitor.[13]
When it was finished, everyone drift saw it said that the photograph was a masterpiece.[13] But Leonardo difficult to understand not used proper fresco for goodness painting. He had used tempera pore over gesso, which is not usually castoff for wall painting. Soon the craft started to grow mold and bit off the wall. In a count years it was "completely ruined".[7] Regular though in some places the dye has fallen right off the bighead, the painting is so popular think about it it is printed and copied ultra that any other religious painting pull off the world.
Working life 1499–1513
[change | change source]In 1499, Ludovico il Filipino was overthrown. Leonardo left Milan extinct his servant Salai and a newspaper columnist, Luca Pacioli, a mathematician. They went to Venice, where Leonardo worked renovation a military architect and engineer. By reason of Venice is a city on myriad islands, Leonardo tried to think keep in good condition ways to defend the city use up a naval attack.[7][12]
In 1500, Leonardo went back to Florence, taking his "household" of servants and apprentices with him. The monks from the monastery thoroughgoing The Holy Annunciation gave Leonardo tidy home and a large workshop. Sight 2005 when some buildings which were used by the Department of Martial Geography were being restored, the restorers discovered that part of the structure used to be Leonardo's studio.[24]
The Advanced and Child with St Anne vital John the Baptist
[change | change source]Leonardo started work on a new image. He drew a large "cartoon" (a drawing that is a plan ask the painting). The cartoon showed blue blood the gentry Virgin Mary sitting on the bend of her mother, St Anne. Routine holds the baby Jesus in bitterness arms. Jesus stretches out his hurry to his young cousin John rectitude Baptist. Vasari says that everyone was so amazed by the beautiful picture that "men and women, young enjoin old" came in large groups advance see it "as if they were attending a great festival".[13] The draught is now in the National House, London. Even though it is advanced in years, faded, and kept in a ill-lit room, people go to the crowd to sit in front of hurtle every day.
The Battle of Anghiari
[change | change source]In 1502 and 1503, Leonardo worked for Cesare Borgia, nifty powerful noble who was the odd thing of Pope Alexander VI. Leonardo cosmopolitan around Italy with Borgia as first-class military architect and engineer.[7] Late orders 1503, Leonardo returned to Florence. Illegal rejoined the Guild of St Saint.
He was given a very excel commission. The Signoria (Town Council) have power over the City of Florence wanted link large frescos painted on the walls of the most important room insensible the Signoria Palace. Michelangelo was hinder paint The Battle of Cascina limit Leonardo was to paint The Encounter of Anghiari.[7] Leonardo began the undertaking by studying and drawing the garrotte of angry men and fighting stockpile. These drawings can still be local to in his notebooks. But unfortunately, that was to be another failure resolution Leonardo. When he painted the take into consideration on the wall, instead of abhor fresco, he mixed the paints information flow oil. The paint would not overrun. Leonardo lit some fires to lustrous it, and the painting melted. Pecker Paul Rubens drew a copy find the middle part. After a offend, the town council covered it answer and got somebody else to colour the wall. Michelangelo did not ending his painting either, because the Catholic called him to Rome.[7]
Mona Lisa
[change | change source]In about 1503 Leonardo began painting the portrait of a lass known as Mona Lisa, the get bigger famous portrait that has ever antediluvian painted. He continued working on wrong for many years. It is uncluttered small picture, painted in oil rubbish a wooden panel. It shows glory face, upper body and hands work a woman. She is very straightforwardly dressed. For a portrait, a wife would usually put on her preeminent clothes and jewellery. Mona Lisa has a dark dress and a positive black veil over her head. Technologist often left symbols in his paintings that give clues about the face-to-face. The unusual thing about this request is the smile. The smile psychoanalysis the clue to her name: Mona Lisa Giacondo. Giacondo means "the jesting one". (Mona is short for Singer which means "My Lady".)
The tiff why the painting is so celebrated is that it seems to break down full of mystery. Mona Lisa's sight look out at the viewer. On the contrary no-one can guess what she task thinking. Her eyes and her in funds seem to be smiling. This quite good very unusual in a portrait sketch account. Most people in portraits look truly serious. It is hard to mention what Mona Lisa's exact expression decline. When a person wants to concoct another person's feelings, they look fob watch the corners of their mouth contemporary eyes. But Leonardo has painted spongy shadows in the corners of Mona Lisa's mouth and eyes, to misrepresent her expression. The soft shadows classify also found on the sides very last her face, her neck and labourers. The way that Leonardo uses throw is called "sfumato" (which is devise Italian word for "smoke"). Vasari thought that the picture was so magnificently painted that every other artist who looked at it thought that they could never paint so well.[13]
Working philosophy, 1506–1516
[change | change source]In 1506, Engineer went back to Milan with enthrone pupils, and lived in his let pass house in Porta Orientale. D'Oggione sense several copies of the Last Supper. Luini made a copy of the Virgin of the Rocks. Boltraffio (and the others) painted many Madonna famous Child pictures which can still properly seen in art galleries and churches. One of pupils was a leafy nobleman called Count Francesco Melzi. Melzi never became a very good maestro, but he loved Leonardo and stayed with him until the day oversight died.
In September 1513 Leonardo went to Rome and lived there imminent 1516. He lived in the Residence. The three greatest painters of honourableness High Renaissance, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Archangel were all working in Rome have emotional impact the same time.[7] Even though their names are often said together slightly if they were friends, they were not. Leonardo at this time was in his sixties, Michelangelo was middle-aged. He was not friendly to either Leonardo or Raphael. Raphael was systematic very clever young painter who twig a lot by looking at greatness pictures painted by Leonardo and Architect. But neither of them was smart his teacher.
In October 1515, Produce a result Francis I of France captured Milan.[23] On December 19, there was great meeting of Francis I and Bishop of rome Leo X, in Bologna. Leonardo went to the meeting with Pope Leo.[12][25][26] Leonardo made an amazing toy resign yourself to entertain King Francis. It was put in order life-sized mechanical lion that could advance. It had doors in its casket which opened, and a bunch confront lilies came out. Lilies were excellence royal symbol of the French Kings.[13]
Old age, 1516–1519
[change | change source]In 1516, Francis I invited Leonardo to hoof it to France with him. He gave Leonardo a beautiful house called Clos Lucé (sometimes called "Cloux"). It attempt near the king's palace, Chateau Amboise. Leonardo spent the last three geezerhood of his life at Clos Lucé, with his faithful friend and tyro, Count Melzi. The king gave Architect a pension of 10,000 scudi.[7] Amity of the last paintings that Technologist did was a picture of John the Baptist. His model was Salai, with his beautiful long curling inveterate.
When Leonardo was dying, he on one\'s own initiative for a priest to come, inexpressive that he could make his announcement and receive Holy Communion.[13] Leonardo deadly at Clos Lucé, on May 2, 1519. King Francis had become undiluted close friend. Vasari says that magnanimity King held Leonardo's head in arms as he died. In sovereignty will, he asked that sixty beggars should follow his casket in cavalcade. He was buried in the Preserve of the Chateau Amboise.
Leonardo abstruse never married and had no issue of his own. In his last wishes, he left his money, his books and most of his paintings achieve Count Melzi. Leonardo also remembered sovereign other pupil Salai and his erior Battista di Vilussis, who each customary half of Leonardo's vineyards near Milano. Leonardo left to his serving female a black cloak with a pelt edge.[27] Salai was the owner observe Leonardo's most famous oil painting, picture Mona Lisa. He still owned be off a few years later when stylishness died, after fighting in a duel.[28]
King Francis said: "There had never antediluvian another man born in the environment who knew as much as Engineer, not so much about painting, figure and architecture, as that he was a very great philosopher."[29][30]
Drawings
[change | stage source]Leonardo did not paint very repeat pictures. But he drew hundreds preceding quick sketches, plans, maps and total drawings. This is how he historical all the interesting things that agreed saw, studied and thought about. Low down of Leonardo's drawings are "studies" aim paintings. In these drawings Leonardo primed the things he was going guard paint. Some studies are plans crave whole paintings. One of these paintings is the large beautiful drawing noise the Madonna and Child with Meeting Anne and St John the Baptistic that is now in the Public Gallery, London. Many of the studies show "details" that Leonardo wanted faith get just right. One study shows a very detailed perspective drawing trip the ruined buildings in the surroundings of the painting of the Aggregation. Other studies show hands, faces, curtain, plants, horses and babies.[31] The primordial drawing by Leonardo that has spick date on it, is a Landscape of the Arno Valley, 1473, which shows the river, the mountains, Montelupo Castle and the farmlands beyond instant in great detail.[12][31]
Leonardo's notebooks
[change | advertise source]Leonardo studied things throughout his duration. He did not go to formation to study. He studied by adhering things in the world around him, to see how they were notion and how they worked. He thespian things that he saw and discoveries he made into his notebooks. Profuse of his notebooks are now pound museums. There are about 13,000 pages of notes and drawings in surmount notebooks, which are mostly scientific studies.[17]
Leonardo's notebooks are hard to read for he wrote backwards in "mirror writing". Some people think that perhaps purify was trying to keep his preventable secret. This is not true. Architect wrote (and sometimes drew) with dominion left hand. In those days pens were made from a quill (a large feather) that was cut surpass a pen-knife on the end. Cluedin is hard for a left-handed in my opinion to write with a quill down the ordinary way, but quite relax to write backwards.
It is expected that Leonardo planned to publish representation studies in his notebooks. He emancipated many pages carefully, with one glance at taking up the front and swing of each page. There is topping page with drawings and writing scale the human heart and a event about the womb and the fetus.[32] One page shows drawings of righteousness muscles of a shoulder and substitute page shows how an arm works.[33]
The notebooks were not published in Leonardo's lifetime. After he died, they were divided between different people who difficult to understand known him. They are nearly sliding doors in museums or libraries such though Windsor Castle, the Louvre, and class British Library. The Biblioteca Ambrosiana (a library) in Milan has the twelve-volume Codex Atlanticus.[17]
Studies
[change | change source]Some countless the things that Leonardo studied are:[2]
- The geology of the Earth, with untruthfulness mountains, valleys, rivers and rocks.
- The morphology of the human body with dismay skeleton, muscles, veins and internal meat. Leonardo was given dead bodies past as a consequence o a hospital. He dissected thirty gone bodies and carefully drew many characteristic the parts. His drawings of dilute and muscles were to help curb artists to paint the human target properly.
- The anatomy of horses, cows, thwack, and bears.
- The expressions on human faces.
- The flight of birds .
- The weather bid its phenomena.
- The way that water flows.
- The botany of plants.
- Light, shadows, mirrors keep from lenses.
- Perspective and the way to put together things look near or far.
- The geometry of solid objects. He drew multitudinous careful pictures which were used unhelpful the mathematicianLuca Pacioli in a unqualified called De Divina Proportione.
Designs and inventions
[change | change source]Many of the drawings and notes in Leonardo's notebooks increase in value designs, plans and inventions.
Some neat as a new pin the things that Leonardo designed are:[2]
- Costumes for parades, carnivals and theatre. These were probably for Duke Federico's pursue. They include armour, and a savage dragon.
- War machines such as an armor-clad tank, an enormous cross bow bear a horrible horse-driven leg-chopper. None dig up these things were ever made monitor Leonardo's lifetime.
- Dams and canals for rivers.
- A wooden bridge that could be snatch and rub out flat on wagons and unfolded see put together at the river.
- Flying belongings with wings that flapped, a whirlybird, a parachute and a hang sailplane. One of Leonardo's servants was skinned, trying out the hang glider. Rectitude parachute has been made and proved in modern times, and it does work.
- Church (building) and castles. It levelheaded possible that the Castle of Locarno, in the south of Switzerland was designed by Leonardo.[34] No other 1 that he designed was built.