Leonardo da Vinci was a man with an incredible amount of talent in several fields of study. His pursuits included being an artist, an inventor, a scientist, a musician, and a mathematician along with many more. Quite a few of his contemporaries observed that Leonardo da Vinci was successful at practically everything he tried. For instance, he had a talent for playing musical instruments such as the lyre and others. He also displayed skill and talent when sketching a design for a piece of machinery. A look into the background of Leonardo da Vinci may reveal some insights regarding the work and life of this fascinating individual.
In 1452, Leonardo was born near the town of Vinci, in Italy. His mother's name was Caterina and his father's was Ser Piero. Early on in his life, Leonardo displayed a curiosity about the world around him. He had a special fascination with creatures in the animal world; he often made drawings of them. Though his parents did not marry, it was Leonardo's father who decided that the boy would apprentice with artist Andrea del Verrocchio in 1467. During his six year apprenticeship, Leonardo learned many of the aspects connected with the creation of artwork. He learned the process of crushing and mixing elements to make paints, how to get a surface ready for paint as well as becoming familiar with the particular qualities of different colors. Leonardo's gifts as an artist quickly began to pour out in Verrocchio's studio. For example, he painted an angel in one of Verrocchio's works entitled, Baptism of Christ (1475). It has been said that when Verrocchio observed the superior talents of his young apprentice, he decided to give up his own painting pursuits. At a young age, Leonardo da Vinci had realized his talents as an artist, however he had a tremendous store of talents yet to explore.
Around 1485, after continuing his own work for several years, Leonardo da Vinci went on to work for the Duke of Milan. He found that there was a need for his knowledge of engineering as well as his skill for sketching designs. In fact, many of the sketches da Vinci created proved him a man hundreds of years ahead of his time. These designs included a flying machine, bridges, submarines, and a selection of weapons. While da Vinci enjoyed creating these sketches, he continued to work on his experimentation with color and shape in his painting. In addition, as the 15th century drew to a close, da Vinci found himself fascinated with sketching the horse form. His sculpting skills came into play as well when he created a work entitled, The Great Horse, in clay. Some of da Vinci's beloved creations include the Annunciation (1475), the Vitruvian Man (1492), the Last Supper (1498), the Mona Lisa (1507), and The Virgin of the Rocks (1508).
In the year 1516, Leonardo da Vinci moved to Amboise, France to work for Francois I. Though he'd suffered a stroke, da Vinci persisted in his drawing endeavors despite the paralysis of his right hand. In May of 1519, Leonardo da Vinci died in the castle Cloux.
For further information on Leonardo da Vinci, please visit:
Please feel free to print out any of these resources at home. Before you do, please be sure to stock up on high quality remanufactured inkjet and toner cartridges.
This was written by Printerinks.com, your home for printer inks and laser toner.