Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian painter
among other things. You might recognize
the name from the book and the movie The Da Vinci Code. The Da Vinci Code is not
really about Da Vinci at all but it
takes advantage of his almost mythic
genius to tell a story. The real Da Vinci
was born on April 15 1452 in Vinci Italy
at the age of 14 da Vinci became an
apprentice learning skills such as
metalworking carving sculpting leather
working drawing and painting after six
years of this dedicated study he became
a master craftsman of the guild his
incredible intellect and skill was
already apparent and at the very young
age of 20 he opened his own studio
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most
influential artists in all of history
painting such masterpieces as the Mona
Lisa the Last Supper and Salvator Mundi
however his legacy is not confined to
the Arts
da Vinci was also a gifted scientist
engineer and architect he lived in a
golden age of creativity where anything
seemed possible and new discoveries were
always being made he invented the very
first flying machine as well as scuba
gear irrigation systems a self-propelled
cart and a robotic Knight just to name a
few
his contemporaries included people like
Raphael and Michelangelo
although da Vinci is arguably better
known than most due to his wide range of
interests and abilities his impact on
the world and particularly the art world
cannot be overstated
however da Vinci himself was a quiet man
he was known to be reserved and
withdrawn a man who managed to take
pride in and recognize the value of his
abilities without becoming vain or
conceited
along with a small band of
contemporaries Leonardo da Vinci became
the center of the Renaissance a movement
which deeply and irrevocably influenced
Western culture Da Vinci died in France
on May 2nd 1519 after a full life of
creativity having produced art and
inventions that continue to impact our
world today
