Pioneering Genius of the Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. His ingenuity and artistic talent made him the archetype of the "Renaissance man," embodying the era's intellectual curiosity and creative spirit.
Born in the Tuscan town of Vinci, Leonardo was apprenticed to the renowned Florentine painter Andrea del Verrocchio. His early works demonstrated a mastery of technique and a profound understanding of anatomy and light. Over his career, he moved between Florence, Milan, and Rome, serving patrons such as Ludovico Sforza, Cesare Borgia, and King Francis I of France.
Beyond his artistic achievements, Leonardo's notebooks reveal a mind fascinated by the natural world. He meticulously studied anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, paleontology, and cartography. His inventions and conceptualizations, though often unrealized, foreshadowed technologies centuries later, including flying machines, armored vehicles, and hydraulic pumps.
Born: April 15, 1452, Anchiano, Italy
Died: May 2, 1519, Clos Lucé, France
Era: High Renaissance
Fields: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music, Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Invention, Anatomy, Geology, Cartography, Botany, Writing
