Leonardo da Vinci
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Tags: Historical, Leonardo da Vinci, artist, painter, sculptor, Renaissance, master, Italy, Italian, Mona Lisa, Last Supper, virgin on the rocks By: RaviStar |
“All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.”
From Vinci
Leonardo was born on April 15th, 1452 as the illegitimate son to father Ser Piero di Antonio da Vinci, a notary, and Caterina, a peasant woman, in a small town called Vinci, which resides just outside Florence, Italy. Growing under the care of his father after the age of four, Leonardo had access to various texts to educate himself. He expressed an interest in Vinci’s longstanding tradition of painting, and in 1466, at the age of 14, was apprenticed by his father to renowned painter and sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence. Here, Leonardo was at a central location of intellectual currents and information. In addition to an education in the humanities, he would also learn technical skills such as gilding, bronze casting, learn the methods of chemistry, metallurgy, leather working, mechanics, and carpentry. Of course, we would also learn and hone artistic skill such as drawing, painting and sculpting as well. Having been a workshop apprentice of a master such as Verrocchio, Leonardo would partake in several tasks which the workshop was commissioned to do, and a task by request of the Academy of Florence would be the first through which young Leonardo’s talents are recognized. In Verrocchio’s “Baptism of Christ,” Leonardo reportedly painted an angel so far superior to his master’s work that Verrocchio claimed to never pick up a paintbrush ever again. Leonardo was 25 by the year of 1472, and during this year he was able to join the San Luca (St. Luke) Guild of painters; however he remained at Verrocchio’s workshop until sometime around 1480.
Renaissance Man
From the years of 1476 and 1481, Leonardo had his own workshop and in 1478, he was commissioned by the Chapel of St. Bernard to paint an altarpiece. In 1481, he was commissioned again, this time by the Monks at Scopeto to paint The Adoration of the Magi, which was never completed due to due to entering the service of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza (also known as Ludovico il Moro). Leonardo offered his services of engineering, painting and sculpting and the Duke graciously funded an independent workshop for him. He would remain in the Duke’s employ until 1499 and accomplish much of very highly regarded work during this time, such as The Virgin of the Rocks (1482-1486) and The Last Supper (1495-1498). Also during the course of this period, Leonardo kept records of several different types of scientific studies which he conducted, ranging from botany, medicine, architecture, military and mechanical engineering, geography, and various other subjects. In 1499, the French invaded Milan and overthrew Duke Ludovico and Leonardo relocated to Venice, where he was a military architect, creating naval defenses for the city. He briefly returned to Florence to create a few works, but in 1502 returned to the world of military architecture and engineering under the services of Cesare Borgio, the son of Pope Alexander VI.
From Vinci
Leonardo was born on April 15th, 1452 as the illegitimate son to father Ser Piero di Antonio da Vinci, a notary, and Caterina, a peasant woman, in a small town called Vinci, which resides just outside Florence, Italy. Growing under the care of his father after the age of four, Leonardo had access to various texts to educate himself. He expressed an interest in Vinci’s longstanding tradition of painting, and in 1466, at the age of 14, was apprenticed by his father to renowned painter and sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence. Here, Leonardo was at a central location of intellectual currents and information. In addition to an education in the humanities, he would also learn technical skills such as gilding, bronze casting, learn the methods of chemistry, metallurgy, leather working, mechanics, and carpentry. Of course, we would also learn and hone artistic skill such as drawing, painting and sculpting as well. Having been a workshop apprentice of a master such as Verrocchio, Leonardo would partake in several tasks which the workshop was commissioned to do, and a task by request of the Academy of Florence would be the first through which young Leonardo’s talents are recognized. In Verrocchio’s “Baptism of Christ,” Leonardo reportedly painted an angel so far superior to his master’s work that Verrocchio claimed to never pick up a paintbrush ever again. Leonardo was 25 by the year of 1472, and during this year he was able to join the San Luca (St. Luke) Guild of painters; however he remained at Verrocchio’s workshop until sometime around 1480.
Renaissance Man
From the years of 1476 and 1481, Leonardo had his own workshop and in 1478, he was commissioned by the Chapel of St. Bernard to paint an altarpiece. In 1481, he was commissioned again, this time by the Monks at Scopeto to paint The Adoration of the Magi, which was never completed due to due to entering the service of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza (also known as Ludovico il Moro). Leonardo offered his services of engineering, painting and sculpting and the Duke graciously funded an independent workshop for him. He would remain in the Duke’s employ until 1499 and accomplish much of very highly regarded work during this time, such as The Virgin of the Rocks (1482-1486) and The Last Supper (1495-1498). Also during the course of this period, Leonardo kept records of several different types of scientific studies which he conducted, ranging from botany, medicine, architecture, military and mechanical engineering, geography, and various other subjects. In 1499, the French invaded Milan and overthrew Duke Ludovico and Leonardo relocated to Venice, where he was a military architect, creating naval defenses for the city. He briefly returned to Florence to create a few works, but in 1502 returned to the world of military architecture and engineering under the services of Cesare Borgio, the son of Pope Alexander VI.
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