Leonardo Da Vinci

The Renaissance was a time period during which arts, architecture, and literature flourished. During this time period, there were many men of importance who were known as the renaissance men. Amongst these men, was Leonardo da Vinci. This Renaissance man was admired for his artistic abilities as well as his inventions. His personal childhood reflects in many of his works.

Leonardo da Vinci was born on the 15th of April during the year of 1492. He was a love-child, the illegitimate son of Ser Piero, a notary, and Caterina, a young woman. In 1457, at the age of five, Leonardo moved into his father's home in Vinci, away from his mother (www.museoscienza.org). There, he grew up as a country boy and began working at an olive mill. He loved animals, especially horses, and began to constantly draw them. Leonardo learned the shapes and contours of the land he lived on. "Leonardo's love of the countryside can be seen throughout his work Ð'- in the luminous, mysterious landscapes of his paintingsÐ'..." (Nicholl, 47).

During the mid-1460s, Leonardo's father showed the drawings to a well-known artist in Florence known as Andrea del Verrocchio. Impressed by the drawings of the young man, Verrocchio agreed to give Leonardo a place in his workshop. And so, Leonardo left for Florence to begin his apprenticeship with the most gifted artist at that time (Payne, 18). His apprenticeship began with the mixing of colors and painting the minor, simple parts of paintings. Although there are no recorded works of da Vinci between the years of 1466 and 1472, he had taught himself to paint with oils. In June of 1472, the red book of painters of Florence listed Leonardo. Although his apprenticeship had ended, Leonardo did not leave Verrocchio's workshop (Kausal, 2).

The first dated work known of Leonardo da Vinci is an ink drawing of the Arnovalley. It was dated drawn on August 5th, 1473. He drew the landscape realistically which had never been done previously by anyone else. In the year of 1476, da Vinci and Verrocchio created a painting together known as the "Baptism of Christ." Leonardo had painted the landscape as well as the front angle (Payne, 24).

Leonardo's independence began in 1477 when he set up his very own studio in Florence. "Leonardo received his first recorded commission as an independent painter on 10 January 1478" (Nicholl, 132). He was asked to paint a large altarpiece that would be hung in the Chapel of the Palazzo Vecchio. However, Leonardo never delivered the work. He began painting pictures, mostly of mothers and their children which led to his painted of the "Litta Madonna."

Around the years of 1480 and 1481, da Vinci created a small painting, the small Annunciation, which consisted of a breathtaking landscape. Another work of art created by da Vinci during these years was the St. Jermoe. He never finished this painting, just as he never finished many others. The Adoration of Kings was his next painting, which was to be used to decorate the church St. Donato Scopeto. However, he never finished this painting either, only painting the brown ground (Payne, 49-50).

During the renaissance, many artists only focused on the outside of the human body. Leonardo, however, was also concerned with the internal parts of the body. He would dissect the bodies of humans as well as animals and then anatomically drew and explained scientifically what he saw with accuracy. He created the technique of three-dimensional drawing to present every angle of a subject being studied. In addition, he presented an idea of "cross-sectional representation" so that the systems of arteries, veins, nerves, and the skull could be displayed. He used a method of close observation which was followed by continuous testing of what was observed