Leonardo da Vinci (full name Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci) was born on April 15, 1452 in Vinci, a small village near Florence. He was a famous Italian architect, anatomist, sculptor, engineer, inventor, geometer, scientist, mathematician, musician, and painter.
Biography and Career :
Leonardo became the apprentice of a Florentine master, Andrea del Verrocchio.
His first work is two angels painted for one of Andrea's paint.
When he was 20 he got the qualification of master and was accepted as member of the painters trade.
In 1483 he has already progressed and was hired by Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. In this period of time he also painted his first masterpiece "The Madona of The Rocks" which is now shown in Louver Museum in Paris. For unknown reasons Leonardo didn't
give it to the church that ordered it. He respected their contract after 20 years when he painted another one just as beautiful as the older one.
In
Milan Leonardo worked as chief architect, he organized parties and painted portraits. When he realized in 1493 a sculpture of a horse in natural size it was considered one of the time's wonder, but unfortunately in 1499 the French soldiers who captured Milan destroyed it.
The mural picture "The Last Supper" realized in 1498 bought him the greatest success.
After the French conquered Milan in 1499 he decided to leave and moved to Florence and created the sketch "The Virgin and Child with St. Anne" which was exposed and also attracted many visitors.
Approximately in 1503 Leonardo painted "Mona Lisa", the supreme example of his talent in showing the mystery of human people. In the same period he painted "The Battle of Anghiari" for Palazzo Vecchio, but as many of his works this one wasn't finished.
His last years of life were restless, spent in Florence, Milan and
Rome.
He was getting old fast trying to discover the secrets of the nature. He wasn't only a great painter he was also architect, anatomist, sculptor, engineer, inventor, geometer, scientist, mathematician and musician.
In 1516 Leonardo da Vinci accepted an invitation in France where he became "first painter, constructor and architect" of the new king, Francisc I, great lover of art.
On the 2nd of May 1519 passed away one of the world's greatest man: Leonardo da Vinci.
Quotes :
- "Experience does not err. Only your judgments err by expecting from her what is not in her power."
- " He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast. "
- "In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time."
Important Works :
- 1472-1475 "The Baptism of Christ"
- 1478-1480 "The Benois Madonna"
- 1481 "Adoration of the Magi"
- 1483-1486 "The Madonna of the Rocks"
- 1488-1490 "Lady with an Ermine"
- 1490 "Portrait of a Musician"
- 1498 "Last Supper"
- 1499-1500 "The Virgin and Child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist"
- 1503-1505/1507 "Mona Lisa or La Gioconda"
- 1508 "The Madonna of the Rocks or The Virgin of the Rocks"
- 1508 "Leda and the Swan"
- 1510 "The Virgin and Child with St. Anne"
- 1514 "St. John the Baptist"
- 1515 "Bacchus" (or St. John in the Wilderness)
- 1523 "The Sacrilege of Mary"
Leonardo da Vinci Image : nndb.com
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