Leonardo da Vinci: Mastermind

        There have been millions of geniuses and artists throughout all history, but none have matched the skill, knowledge and creativity of Leonardo da Vinci.  Many now call him the Renaissance Man.  Why?  Maybe because he was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer.

On April 16^th, 1453, a boy was born to Ser Piero da Vinci and a peasant girl named Caterina.  At age age 15, the boy - Leonardo - was apprenticed to a Florentine painter, Verrochio.  Soon after the end of his apprenticeship, Leonardo left Florentine and moved to Milan.  Duke Ludovico Sforza accepted Leonardo as court painter after many failed attempts and Leonardo created many works of art for him, including his 24ft  high, clay horse statue.

Leonardo was interested in multiple subjects and topics, but most of all he loved flight.  According to his notebooks, he invented a parachute, a helicopter and a type of flying machine.  In fact, he was so entranced by flight that he bought birds in the market and set them free just to see them fly!

As he aged, he became more interested in inventing new gadgets.  Over all, he invented an anemometer, a 33-barreled Organ, an armored car (Tank,) a giant crossbow, a triple barrel cannon, a clock, a design for an ideal city, robots, a self-propelled cart, scuba gear and a revolving bridge.

Throughout his life, his paintings and masterpieces were highly sought after and still are today.  The most famous are The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa.  The Last Supper was painted as a mural on the wall of a monastery.  The Mona Lisa was a portrait of the second wife of a merchant named Francesco del Gioconda.  No one yet knows why he painted this unimportant lady, but turned down the famous and well-known Isabella D’Este. 

Leonardo was a private man.  The few things that we do know about him was that he was left-handed and dyslexic.  It also seems that he had a great love of animals, especially cats.  He once said, “The smallest feline is a masterpiece.”  Maybe this great love of animals was what inspired him to become a vegetarian.

After a few exciting years in the service of the French king, Leonardo died on May 2^nd, 1519 in Clos Lucé, France.  Legend has it that Leonardo passed with King Francis I cradling his head in his arms as his trusted engineer died at age 67.

Unfortunately, Leonardo died convinced that he had accomplished nothing.  But we know better.  He improved the world with his awe-inspiring art and incredible ideas.  Though he may be dead, his art and inventions live on!

Written on May 4^th, 2012.  By Abby Dortch