Leonardo da Vinci

By Jimmy Carmody
Who was Leonardo da Vinci?
 Born: April 15, 1452 in hills of Tuscany outside the village of Anchiano, in
present-day Italy.
 Died: May 2, 1519
 He was a painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, military engineer and
draftsman.
 Studied the laws of science and nature
 He was always intrigued by the human body and how it worked.
 His work have influenced countless artists and made da Vinci a leading light of
the Italian Renaissance.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Early Life:
 His parents were a Florence notary Ser Piero and a young peasant woman
named Caterina.
 At the age of five, he moved to his father’s family estate in nearby Vinci, and
lived with his uncle and grandparents.
 Leonardo received little formal education beyond basic reading, writing and
mathematics, but he exceeded in his artistic abilities.
 Around the age of 14, da Vinci began a lengthy apprenticeship with the an
artist called Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence.
 At the age of 20, da Vinci qualified for membership as a master artist in
Florence’s Guild of Saint Luke and established his own workshop.
 In 1502 and 1503, da Vinci also briefly worked in Florence as a military
engineer for Cesare Borgia.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Paintings:
 da Vinci is mostly known for his paintings like…
- Vitruvian Man
- Mona Lisa
- The Last Supper
- Battle of Anghiari
Leonardo’s Paintings:
Leonardo’s Sculptures:
 One of da Vinci’s most famous sculptures is the Bronze Horse.
Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk
 The portrait is drawn in red chalk on paper. It depicts the head of an elderly
man in three-quarter view. The man is distinguished by his long hair and long
waving beard. The length of the hair and beard is uncommon in Renaissance
portraits. The face has detailed nose and is marked by deep lines on the brow
and pouches below the eyes. The eyes of the figure do not engage the viewer
but gaze ahead, almost covered by the long eyebrows, with a sense of
wisdom.
 A theory states that this is a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci.
Ornithopter
 Leonardo took a huge interest in flight, and by about 1505 had collected
around 20 years of theory on the idea of flight. It is around this time that
some think Leonardo built a complex ornithopter, a machine with flapping
wings that related to the anatomy of birds.
anemometer
 an instrument for measuring the speed of wind. Da Vinci’s hope was that the
device could be used to give people insight on the direction of the wind
before attempting flight.
The End.