Leonardo da Vinci

Born

in Vinci, Republic of Florence, Italy

March 01, 1452

Died

February 11, 1519

Website

http://www.museoleonardiano.it

Genre

Science, Arts & Photography, Professional & Technical

Influences

Michelangelo

edit data

It was on April 15, 1452, that Leonardo was born in the town of Vinci, Republic of Florence, in what is now in Italy, the illegitimate son of a notary and a barmaid. It is from his birthplace that he is known as Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo seemed to master every subject to which he turned his attention: he was a painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer, wrote poetry and stories: the prototype Renaissance man!

His Last Supper (1495-97) and Mona Lisa (La Gioconda, 1503-06) are among the most popular paintings from the Renaissance. He and his rival Michelangelo did great service to the medical arts by accurate paintings of dissections, which were only occasionally allowed by the Church. Yet, his artistry appeared to be an afterthou It was on April 15, 1452, that Leonardo was born in the town of Vinci, Republic of Florence, in what is now in Italy, the illegitimate son of a notary and a barmaid. It is from his birthplace that he is known as Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo seemed to master every subject to which he turned his attention: he was a painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer, wrote poetry and stories: the prototype Renaissance man!

His Last Supper (1495-97) and Mona Lisa (La Gioconda, 1503-06) are among the most popular paintings from the Renaissance. He and his rival Michelangelo did great service to the medical arts by accurate paintings of dissections, which were only occasionally allowed by the Church. Yet, his artistry appeared to be an afterthought, as he frequently left his works unfinished, and only about fifteen of his paintings survive. His notebooks reveal that he was centuries ahead of his time in mechanics and physic, fortifications, bridges, weapons, and river diversions to flood the enemy, which aided Italian city-states in their many wars.

Leonardo was an early evolutionist regarding fossils. Through his careful observations he noted that “if the shells had been carried by the muddy deluge they would have been mixed up, and separated from each other amidst the mud, and not in regular steps and layers — as we see them now in our time.” Leonardo reasoned that what is now dry land, where these aquatic fossils were found, must once have been covered by seawater.

He was for a short time accused of homosexuality: there is no evidence Leonardo had any sexual interest in women. As he wrote in his notebooks, “The act of procreation and anything that has any relation to it is so disgusting that human beings would soon die out if there were no pretty faces and sensuous dispositions.”

And what of his religion? It is significant that at the end of his life he felt he had much spiritual negligence to atone for. His first biographer, Giorgio Vasari, wrote in 1550:

"Finally, …feeling himself near to death, [he] asked to have himself diligently informed of the teaching of the Catholic faith, and of the good way and holy Christian religion; and then, with many moans, he confessed and was penitent; and … was pleased to take devoutly the most holy Sacrament, out of his bed. The King, who was wont often and lovingly to visit him, then came into the room; wherefore he, out of reverence … showed withal how much he had offended God and mankind in not having worked at his art as he should have done."

There was much skepticism in Renaissance Italy at the time, and Leonardo was an intellectual genius, not just an artistic genius. While there was great intellectual freedom during the Italian Renaissance, there were limits as long as the Dominicans, the “Hounds of the Lord,” were active. This semblance of a deathbed conversion, by so critical a thinker and so great a genius as Leonardo, who would have nothing to lose by professing piety all his life, can only mean that during his prime years he was a secret freethinker.

Leonardo died quietly on the 2 of May, 1519, a few weeks following his 67th birthday. ...more

Combine Editions
Leonardo da Vinci’s books

Average rating: 4.02 · 40,638 ratings · 410 reviews · 752 distinct works • Similar authors

	Leonardo's Notebooks by Leonardo da Vinci, H. Anna Suh (Editor) 3.96 avg rating — 29,473 ratings — published 1519 — 84 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Complete Paintings and Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Nathan, Frank Zöllner 4.25 avg rating — 7,203 ratings — published 1999 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Complete Works 4.40 avg rating — 473 ratings — published 2006	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (Volume 1) 4.27 avg rating — 306 ratings — published 1970 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Leonardo Drawings: 60 Illustrations 4.26 avg rating — 178 ratings — published 1980 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Thoughts on Art and Life 4.02 avg rating — 256 ratings — published 2009 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, Complete 3.97 avg rating — 393 ratings — published 1938 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Leonardo Da Vinci 4.13 avg rating — 147 ratings — published 1975 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (Volume 2) 4.24 avg rating — 200 ratings — published 1970 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Leonardo on Painting: An Anthology of Writings by Leonardo da Vinci; With a Selection of Documents Relating to his Career as an Artist by Leonardo da Vinci, Martin Kemp (Editor) 4.09 avg rating — 120 ratings — published 1989 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Leonardo da Vinci…

Quotes by Leonardo da Vinci

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”
― Leonardo da Vinci

tags: art, poetry

5579 likes

“A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.”
― Leonardo da Vinci

tags: art, inspirational

4629 likes

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
― Leonardo da Vinci

tags: flight, flying, inspirational

4049 likes

See all Leonardo da Vinci's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Art Lovers: Book Read October 2011	88	93	Oct 03, 2011 08:04PM
The History Book ...: ARCHIVE ONE: PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF ~	6616	4062	May 08, 2013 03:33PM
The Reading For P...: A Literary Diary - what happened today in literary history?	1004	163	Oct 15, 2015 11:51AM
Short & Sweet Treats: Word of the Day	1326	239	Jan 18, 2016 10:06PM
Short & Sweet Treats: Today's Special	1036	277	Feb 02, 2016 06:55PM
Reading Along Wit...: Happy Holidays	340	38	Aug 10, 2016 10:03AM
The History Book ...: THE RENAISSANCE	98	437	Sep 20, 2016 06:27PM
21st Century Lite...: Holidays	605	231	Jan 10, 2017 10:30PM

More…