Leonardo da Vinci: Early Life and Career

Early Life and Training

• Born in Vinci, Italy, on April 15, 1452.
• Illegitimate son of a notary.
• Received informal education focused on practical skills like painting, drawing, and sculpting.
• Apprentice to the renowned Florentine artist Andrea del Verrocchio from around 1466.
• Learned a wide range of skills including metalworking, leather working, carpentry, and engineering.

Artistic Career

• Became a successful painter, sculptor, architect, and engineer.
• Known for innovative techniques and realistic representations of human anatomy and landscapes.
• Master of Renaissance art, creating masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.
• Developed unique artistic styles, impacting future artists.

Scientific and Engineering Interests

• Demonstrated a deep curiosity regarding the natural world and human anatomy.
• Conducted extensive studies of botany, zoology, geology, and human anatomy, often dissecting human bodies.
• Made detailed anatomical drawings and diagrams of the human body.
• Developed inventions and innovations in various fields such as mechanical engineering, military technology, and architecture.
• Designed flying machines, tanks, and other complex devices.
• Wrote detailed notebooks documenting inventions, observations, and artistic ideas.
• Made significant discoveries in fields like the study of light, water, and engineering. His notebooks document his observations on the movement of water and the study of flight.

Intellectual and Personal Life

• Leonardo was a prolific inventor.
• Developed ideas that weren't technologically feasible and not realized in his lifetime.
• Wrote in a mirror script, which required the text to be read from right to left, and often wrote notes in the margins of his drawings.
• Was highly interested in astronomy, geology, and other scientific fields.
• A polymath whose interests stretched beyond art into science, engineering, and other fields.
• Showed an interest in the study of human emotions and psychology and created many portraits capturing the complexity of their expressions.
• Characterised by inquisitive nature, and dedication to understanding natural phenomena through observation.
• Leonardo's personal life is less well documented compared to his achievements.

Lasting Legacy

• His work profoundly influenced the development of Renaissance art and science.
• Viewed as one of the most important figures in history.
• Remains a source of inspiration and study for artists, scientists, and engineers.
• Demonstrated the interconnectedness of art, science, and engineering, and showcased a wide-ranging curiosity beyond his time.
• His works remain highly treasured, and continue to be studied, interpreted, and admired.
• His notebooks, an invaluable source for insights into his intellectual process and innovative thinking, have had a profound influence on later scientists and artists.

Notable Works

• Mona Lisa : A famous portrait, known for its subtle expressions and atmospheric perspective.
• The Last Supper : A mural depicting the last meal of Jesus with his disciples, noted for its use of perspective and composition.
• Vitruvian Man: A drawing showing the proportions of the human body.
• Numerous anatomical drawings and diagrams.
• Extensive inventions and engineering designs.
• Various paintings of landscapes and animals.