Leonardo da Vinci Biography
Fast Facts
Born on April 15, 1452
He was the illegitimate son of Piero da Vinci and Catarina
Painted The Last Supper in 1498
Painted the Mona Lisa in 1504
He is considered a great genius since he mastered many fields including science, art, engineering, architecture, and he was a fantastic inventor.
In 1506 King Louis XII of France drafted da Vinci into his services.
In 1516 Leonardo da Vinci was provided a pension by King Francis I.
Very few of his paintings have survived.
He died in 1519.
Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Master DVD
A&E's Leonardo da Vinci Biography DVD
He is widely regarded as the greatest artist who ever lived, yet this remarkable genius was equally skilled as an architect, engineer and scientist.
Leonardo da Vinci Biography
"There can be no greater or lesser mastery than over oneself" Leonardo da Vinci
Especially in the fifteenth century it was a shameful thing to be born out of wedlock and so you could say Leonardo got off to a bad start being the illegitimate son of a Florentine notary, Piero da Vinci and a young woman named Catarina. However that didn't stop him from developing his genius and becoming one of the most extraordinary men of his century. His parents encouraged his talents in artistic expression by apprenticing him to Andrea del Verrocchio, a leading Renaissance artist (1469-76). He was quick to develop his own special style that was untraditional and even created his own unique formula of paint to use in his creations.
In 1482 Leonardo became court artist for the duke of Milan and in 1498 he painted one
of his great masterpieces, "The Last Supper". (
Beyond The Da Vinci Code
)
He had a curious mind for other subjects as well including science, engineering, architecture, music, geology and philosophy. He created astounding new inventions such as flying machines, parachutes, submarines, swimming fins, water pumps, turbines, dredging systems, military weapons, compasses, contact lenses. He invented street-lighting systems, canals and swing bridges for cities as well as many more ambitious and imaginative creations.
In 1500 he was hired by Cesare Borgia of Florence to be his architect and engineer. Working with Michelangelo ( Michelangelo: Artist and Man ) he helped to create great historical compositions in the Palazzo della Signoria.
Beyond The Da Vinci Code DVD / Mysteries of the Bible DVD set
