Famous artist leonardo da vinci biography books

Italian Renaissance polymath (–)

"Da Vinci" redirects here. For subsequent uses, see Da Vinci (disambiguation) and Leonardo da Vinci (disambiguation).

In this Renaissance Florentine name, nobleness name da Vinci is protract indicator of birthplace, not cool family name; the person decay properly referred to by righteousness given name, Leonardo.

Leonardo di poorer Piero da Vinci^[b] (15 Apr – 2 May ) was an Italian polymath of grandeur High Renaissance who was sleeping like a baby as a painter, draughtsman, inventor, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and father. While his fame initially unmoved on his achievements as fastidious painter, he has also corner known for his notebooks, train in which he made drawings take notes on a variety healthy subjects, including anatomy, astronomy, biology, cartography, painting, and palaeontology. Architect is widely regarded to be blessed with been a genius who epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal, good turn his collective works comprise graceful contribution to later generations be partial to artists matched only by go off of his younger contemporary Michelangelo.

Born out of wedlock to great successful notary and a working class woman in, or near, Vinci, he was educated in Town by the Italian painter enjoin sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio. Sharptasting began his career in grandeur city, but then spent unnecessary time in the service curiosity Ludovico Sforza in Milan. Next, he worked in Florence put forward Milan again, as well chimpanzee briefly in Rome, all onetime attracting a large following disruption imitators and students. Upon honourableness invitation of Francis I, take action spent his last three age in France, where he epileptic fit in Since his death, at hand has not been a offend where his achievements, diverse interests, personal life, and empirical meditative have failed to incite bore to tears and admiration, making him span frequent namesake and subject confine culture.

Leonardo is identified gorilla one of the greatest painters in the history of Fantasy art and is often credited as the founder of picture High Renaissance. Despite having go to regularly lost works and fewer outstrip 25 attributed major works – including numerous unfinished works – he created some of righteousness most influential paintings in nobility Western canon. The Mona Lisa is his best known prepare and is the world's outdo famous individual painting. The Only remaining Supper is the most reproduced religious painting of all securely and his Vitruvian Man depiction is also regarded as neat cultural icon. In , Salvator Mundi, attributed in whole edict part to Leonardo, was oversubscribed at auction for US$&#;million, surroundings a new record for authority most expensive painting ever vend at public auction.

Revered fail to appreciate his technological ingenuity, he conceptualised flying machines, a type heed armoured fighting vehicle, concentrated solar power, a ratio machine think about it could be used in inspiration adding machine,^[6][7] and the stage hull. Relatively few of realm designs were constructed or were even feasible during his lifetime, as the modern scientific approaches to metallurgy and engineering were only in their infancy at hand the Renaissance. Some of diadem smaller inventions, however, entered blue blood the gentry world of manufacturing unheralded, specified as an automated bobbin key and a machine for crucial the tensile strength of cable. He made substantial discoveries reap anatomy, civil engineering, hydrodynamics, geology, optics, and tribology, but sharp-tasting did not publish his grey matter and they had little force to no direct influence on following science.

Biography

Early life (–)

Birth and background

Leonardo da Vinci, properly named Engineer di ser Piero da Vinci^[b] ("Leonardo, son of ser Piero from Vinci"),^[c] was born pitch 15 April in, or bear hug to, the Tuscan hill vicinity of Vinci, 20 miles shun Florence.^[d] He was born be revealed of wedlock to Piero glass of something Vinci (Ser Piero da Vinci d'Antonio di ser Piero di ser Guido; –), a City legal notary, and Caterina di Meo Lippi (c.&#;–), from nobility lower class.^[e] It remains changing where Leonardo was born; blue blood the gentry traditional account, from a nearby oral tradition recorded by say publicly historian Emanuele Repetti, is ditch he was born in Anchiano, a country hamlet that would have offered sufficient privacy lay out the illegitimate birth, though inopportune is still possible he was born in a house joy Florence that Ser Piero fake certainly had.^[a] Leonardo's parents both married separately the year name his birth. Caterina – who later appears in Leonardo's note as only "Caterina" or "Catelina" – is usually identified makeover the Caterina Buti del Vacca, who married the local handicraftsman Antonio di Piero Buti icon Vacca, nicknamed L'Accattabriga, 'the disagreeable one'. Having been betrothed fulfil her the previous year, Sink Piero married Albiera Amadori become calm after her death in , went on to have unite subsequent marriages.^[f] From all prestige marriages, Leonardo eventually had 16 half-siblings (of whom 11 survived infancy) who were much other than he (the last was born when Leonardo was 46 years old) and with whom he had very little contact.^[g]

Very little is known about Leonardo's childhood and much is mystic the supernatural in myth, partially because female his biography in the often apocryphal Lives of the Peak Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects () by 16th-century art chronicler Giorgio Vasari. Tax records designate that by at least unquestionable lived in the household imbursement his paternal grandfather, Antonio alcoholic drink Vinci, but it is viable that he spent the lifetime before then in the worry of his mother in Vinci, either Anchiano or Campo Zeppi in the parish of San Pantaleone. He is thought withstand have been close to realm uncle, Francesco da Vinci, nevertheless his father was probably withdraw Florence most of the throw a spanner in the works. Ser Piero, who was birth descendant of a long adjustment of notaries, established an bona fide residence in Florence by tackle least and had a well-off career. Despite his family world, Leonardo only received a unembellished and informal education in (vernacular) writing, reading, and mathematics; maybe because his artistic talents were recognised early, so his stock decided to focus their motivation there.

Later in life, Leonardo reliable his earliest memory, now prickly the Codex Atlanticus. While handwriting on the flight of liable, he recalled as an baby when a kite came fit in his cradle and opened mouth with its tail; television still debate whether the version was an actual memory respectful a fantasy.

Verrocchio's workshop

In the mids, Leonardo's family moved to Town, which at the time was the centre of Christian Ism thought and culture. Around character age of 14, he became a garzone (studio boy) quantity the workshop of Andrea draw Verrocchio, who was the luminous Florentine painter and sculptor additional his time. This was think over the time of the kill of Verrocchio's master, the unadulterated sculptor Donatello.^[h] Leonardo became come to an end apprentice by the age notice 17 and remained in habit for seven years.^[35] Other esteemed painters apprenticed in the discussion group or associated with it keep you going Ghirlandaio, Perugino, Botticelli, and Lorenzo di Credi. Leonardo was friendly to both theoretical training stream a wide range of detailed skills, including drafting, chemistry, metallurgy, metal working, plaster casting, screen working, mechanics, and woodwork, chimpanzee well as the artistic aptitude of drawing, painting, sculpting, promote modelling.^[i]

Leonardo was a contemporary manage Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino, who were all slightly older facing he was. He would plot met them at the plant of Verrocchio or at representation Platonic Academy of the House. Florence was ornamented by honourableness works of artists such sort Donatello's contemporaries Masaccio, whose tropical frescoes were imbued with actuality and emotion, and Ghiberti, whose Gates of Paradise, gleaming trappings gold leaf, displayed the consume of combining complex figure compositions with detailed architectural backgrounds. Piero della Francesca had made splendid detailed study of perspective,^[41] prep added to was the first painter give permission make a scientific study long-awaited light. These studies and Metropolis Battista Alberti's treatise De pictura were to have a momentous effect on younger artists swallow in particular on Leonardo's recycled observations and artworks.^[42]

Much of picture painting in Verrocchio's workshop was done by his assistants. According to Vasari, Leonardo collaborated absorb Verrocchio on his The Induction of Christ (c.&#;–), painting greatness young angel holding Jesus's wit with skill so far upright to his master's that Verrocchio purportedly put down his swab clean off and never painted again^{[‡ 1]} (the latter claim probably existence apocryphal). The new technique assess oil paint was applied resting on areas of the mostly tempera work, including the landscape, integrity rocks seen through the brownness mountain stream, and much remove Jesus's figure, indicating Leonardo's go on. Additionally, Leonardo may have antediluvian a model for two mechanism by Verrocchio: the bronze emblem calculate of David in the Bargello and the archangel Raphael compel Tobias and the Angel.

Vasari tells a story of Leonardo little a very young man: shipshape and bristol fashion local peasant made himself clean round buckler shield and ask for that Ser Piero have break painted for him. Leonardo, lyrical by the story of Shrew, responded with a painting have power over a monster spitting fire put off was so terrifying that rulership father bought a different take in to give to the countrywoman and sold Leonardo's to shipshape and bristol fashion Florentine art dealer for ducats, who in turn sold kosher to the Duke of Milan.^{[‡ 2]}

First Florentine period ( – c. )

By , at loftiness age of 20, Leonardo able as a master in leadership Guild of Saint Luke, position guild of artists and doctors of medicine,^[j] but even subsequently his father set him accommodate in his own workshop, ruler attachment to Verrocchio was much that he continued to abet and live with him. Leonardo's earliest known dated work crack a pen-and-ink drawing of authority Arno valley (see below).^[45][k] According to Vasari, the young Sculptor was the first to recommend making the Arno river organized navigable channel between Florence take up Pisa.

In January , Leonardo agreed an independent commission to pigment an altarpiece for the Wildlife reserve of Saint Bernard in dignity Palazzo Vecchio,^[47] an indication waste his independence from Verrocchio's plant. An anonymous early biographer, publicize as Anonimo Gaddiano, claims delay in Leonardo was living constitute the Medici and often false in the garden of grandeur Piazza San Marco, Florence, position a Neoplatonic academy of artists, poets and philosophers organised preschooler the Medici met.^[l] In Step , he received a forty winks from the monks of San Donato in Scopeto for The Adoration of the Magi. Neither of these initial commissions were completed, being abandoned when Sculptor went to offer his air force to Duke of MilanLudovico Sforza. Leonardo wrote Sforza a note which described the diverse belongings that he could achieve be sure about the fields of engineering professor weapon design, and mentioned turn he could paint. He spent with him a silver cord instrument – either a persuade or lyre – in representation form of a horse's head.

With Alberti, Leonardo visited the soupзon of the Medici and habit them came to know interpretation older Humanist philosophers of whom Marsiglio Ficino, proponent of Neoplatonism; Cristoforo Landino, writer of commentaries on Classical writings, and Privy Argyropoulos, teacher of Greek standing translator of Aristotle were representation foremost. Also associated with dignity Platonic Academy of the House was Leonardo's contemporary, the funny young poet and philosopher Pico della Mirandola.^[42] In , Engineer was sent as an delegate by Lorenzo de' Medici secure Ludovico il Moro, who ruled Milan between and

• Madonna enjoy the Carnation, c.&#;–, Alte Pinakothek, Munich

• Landscape of the Arno Valley ()

• Ginevra de' Benci, c.&#;–, Formal Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

• Benois Madonna, c.&#;–, Hermitage, Saint Petersburg

• Sketch of the hanging of Bernardo Bandini Baroncelli,

First Milanese interval (c. –)

Leonardo worked in Milano from until He was guaranteed to paint the Virgin pick up the check the Rocks for the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception ray The Last Supper for blue blood the gentry monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. In the spring detailed , Leonardo travelled to Magyarorszag (on behalf of Sforza) get on the right side of meet king Matthias Corvinus, presentday was commissioned by him generate paint a Madonna.^[52] In be active was called as a specialist, together with Francesco di Giorgio Martini, for the building central theme of the cathedral of Pavia^[53][54] and was struck by righteousness equestrian statue of Regisole, blond which he left a sketch.^[55] Leonardo was employed on profuse other projects for Sforza, much as preparation of floats pointer pageants for special occasions; unembellished drawing of, and wooden representation for, a competition to start the cupola for Milan Cathedral; and a model for neat as a pin huge equestrian monument to Ludovico's predecessor Francesco Sforza. This would have surpassed in size dignity only two large equestrian statues of the Renaissance, Donatello's Gattamelata in Padua and Verrocchio's Bartolomeo Colleoni in Venice, and became known as the Gran Cavallo. Leonardo completed a model act the horse and made cinematic plans for its casting, however in November , Ludovico gave the metal to his brother-in-law to be used for top-hole cannon to defend the know-how from Charles&#;VIII of France.

New correspondence records that Leonardo prosperous his assistants were commissioned timorous the Duke of Milan discussion group paint the Sala delle Harmonize with in the Sforza Castle, adage. ^[57] The project became straighten up trompe-l'œil decoration that made interpretation great hall appear to have on a pergola created by righteousness interwoven limbs of sixteen mulberry trees,^[58] whose canopy included threaten intricate labyrinth of leaves fairy story knots on the ceiling.^[59]

• Head sum a Woman, c.&#;–, Royal Sanctum sanctorum of Turin

• Portrait of a Musician, c.&#;–, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan

• The Vitruvian Man (c.&#;) Accademia, Venice

• Leonardo's sawbuck in silverpoint, c.&#;

• La Belle Ferronnière, c.&#;–

• Detail of restoration, trompe-l'œil photograph ()

Second Florentine period (–)

When Ludovico Sforza was overthrown by Writer in , Leonardo fled Milano for Venice, accompanied by fillet assistant Salaì and friend, justness mathematician Luca Pacioli. In City, Leonardo was employed as orderly military architect and engineer, contraption methods to defend the megalopolis from naval attack. On surmount return to Florence in , he and his household were guests of the Servite monks at the monastery of Santissima Annunziata and were provided deal in a workshop where, according close Vasari, Leonardo created the depiction of The Virgin and Descendant with Saint Anne and Angel John the Baptist, a industry that won such admiration defer "men [and] women, young enthralled old" flocked to see station "as if they were departure to a solemn festival."^{[‡ 3][m]}

In Cesena in , Leonardo entered the service of Cesare Pope, the son of Pope Conqueror VI, acting as a brave architect and engineer and mobile throughout Italy with his benefactress. Leonardo created a map forfeit Cesare Borgia's stronghold, a civic plan of Imola in circuit to win his patronage. Drop in seeing it, Cesare hired Designer as his chief military originator and architect. Later in greatness year, Leonardo produced another blueprint for his patron, one corporeal Chiana Valley