Leonardo Da Vinci

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By Maria Abela Year 6



A painter, a sculptor, an architect and an engineer, Leonardo Da Vinci's numerous skills have earned him the title of renaissance master. Da Vinci's fascination with science and his in-depth study of human anatomy aided him in mastering the realist art form. While Leonardo's counterparts were known to create static figures in their works, Leonardo always tried to incorporate movement and expression into his own paintings. All the personages in his works are painted with great accuracy and detail that it is sometimes said that Da Vinci painted from the bones outward. Having lived until the age of 67, Leonardo experienced a very long career that was filled with times during which the painter was celebrated, but at times he was also humiliated and cast away. His life experiences all influenced his works and often, his paintings never left the sketchpad, or were only partially completed, as Leonardo often abandoned his commissions in order to flee from social situations.


When you think of Leonardo da Vinci, certain images automatically come to mind, such as the Mona Lisa, The Vitruvian Man, and The Last Supper, just to name a few. These are some of da Vinci’s famous art pieces. However, not only did da Vinci have a talent for art, but he also had a flare for sculpture. Leonardo da Vinci sculptures may not be as easily identifiable as his artwork, but you may be surprised to find that you are actually familiar with the sculptures described below.


Despite the recent awareness and admiration of Leonardo as a scientist and inventor, for the better part of four hundred years his enormous fame rested on his achievements as a painter and on a handful of works, either authenticated or attributed to him that have been regarded as among the supreme masterpieces ever created.[ Among the qualities that make Leonardo's work unique are the innovative techniques that he used in laying on the paint, his detailed knowledge of anatomy, and geology, his innovative use of the human form in figurative composition and his use of the subtle gradation of tone. All these qualities come together in his most famous painted works, the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper and the Virgin of the Rocks


A huge metamorphosis in Leonardo's approach to flying machines and flying occurred as he went from the theory of flight to actually attempting flight. In his early designs, if you scroll down to the six graphics below, the platform model for example, seen in the upper left hand corner and the close up of the cockpit detail in the graphic further down, although it looks as though it could possibly work, in reality it was way too heavy.


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