Leonardo DaVinci
Renaissance Scientist, Artist, and Inventor
Biography
DaVinci was born in Vinci, Italy in April of 1452. He became an apprentice to the artist Verrocchio at fourteen. During the six years he spent with Verrocchio, he learned carpentry, metalworking, leather arts, sculpting, and drawing. At twenty years old, he qualified as a master artist in the Guild of Saint Luke and went on to create many famous works. Among his paintings are Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He also invented a type of scuba gear, a more accurate watch, and several portable bridges that were used by armies to cross rivers quickly. As well as being an artist and inventor, DaVini also studied bontany, anatomy, and was an architect and engineer.
Why DaVinci was a Renaissance Man
DaVinici was proficient in many areas of study; plant studies, warfare, anatomy, engineering, architecture, and machinery were all areas of work for him. Though some of his ideas and blueprints were theoretical, he used his extensive knowledge to make sure they were backed up by working fact and logic. Additionally, his drawings of human anatomy (including a fetus, the heart and vascular system, bone structures, muscular structures, and several other organs) are some of the first on human record.
Famous Works
Vitruvian Man
DaVinci's idea for a perfectly proportioned man. The drawing is used today as a symbol of health and fitness.
Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa is an oil painting famous for the accuracy with which DaVinci portrayed the model.
Study of a Skull
DaVinci drew many diagrams and illustrations of the human body, this being one of them.