Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci attributed to Francesco Melzi, 1515-1517.
Together withMichelangeloandRaphael, Leonardo is considered one of the pillars of theItalian Renaissance.
So what do we know about the life of this great thinker?
“Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci” attributed to Francesco Melzi, 1515-1517. (Photo: Public domain viaWikipedia)
Where did his thirst for knowledge come from and where would it take him?
As one can imagine, his love of learning and his creative mind led him in many different directions.
Da Vinci literally translates to of Vinci, which is his hometown.
“Virgin of the Rocks” by Leonardo da Vinci, between 1483 and 1486. (Photo: Public domain viaWikipedia)
This was common at the time.
Thats why youll still find that most museums and academic books simply refer to him as Leonardo.
Leonardos mother married an artisan shortly after his birth.
“Study of Two Warriors' Heads for the Battle of Anghiari” by Leonardo da Vinci, 1504-1505. (Photo: Public domain viaWikipedia)
Leonardo was treated as the legitimate son of Ser Piero and grew up on his familys estate.
The Renaissance man is one of themost famous artiststhat is confirmed to have had a dominant left hand.
Recent historians believe that Leonardo may have even been ambidextrous.
Notebook study of a Fetus by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1510-1513. (Photo: Public domain viaWikipedia)
Study of Two Warriors' Heads for the Battle of Anghiari by Leonardo da Vinci, 1504-1505.
In fact, there are only about 17 surviving works that can be definitively attributed to him.
Part of this was due to his busy mind.
Studies of Horses by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1490. (Photo: Public domain viaWikipedia)
However, his unparalleled reputation speaks to the power of his artistry.
This included things like chemistry, drafting, metallurgy, and metalworking.
Notebook study of a Fetus by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1510-1513.
In fact, his anatomical drawings helped lay the basis for modern scientific illustration.
Moreover, he challenged the morality of consuming animals in his writing.
Altogether, this evidence strongly suggests that he was a vegetarian.
LeonardosCodex Hammer, also called theCodex Leicester, was purchased by Microsoft co-founderBill Gatesin 1994 for $30.8 million.
The 72-page notebook was written between 1506 and 1510.
Studies of Horses by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1490.
In addition, he created a variety of symbols that he inserted within his notes.
These strategies also disguised the content of his writing at first glance.
Leonardo toiled for 17 years on the project, which was given the nicknameGran Cavallo(Great Horse).
The long timeline wasnt unusual for Leonardo, given his pursuit of other interests.
Leonardo spent 10 months as a senior military architect and general engineer.
As such, he traveled around Borgias different territories to survey them.
He also created many city plans and topographic maps, which foreshadow modern cartography.
This led him to Rome, where he was hosted by Giuliano deMedici, brother of the Pope.
He left Italy at age 65 in 1516 and never looked back.
Unfortunately, the church was damaged during the French Revolution, which led to its demolition in 1802.
