Italy, in the fifteenth century, was segregated into several small independent states. The northern states of Venice, Milan and Florence were the largest and richest. Leonardo da Vinci was born in Florence in the year 1452. A quintessential Renaissance man, he became a renowned artist later in his life. His fame as an architect, scientist, engineer, sculptor and especially a painter spread to the farthest corners of the land. His deep thirst for research and knowledge was the focal point of both his scientific and artistic endeavors .
At the young age of fifteen, Leonardo was apprenticed by his father to Andrea del Verrocchio, the Florentine artist. In the latter’s workshop, da Vinci received training in various aspects of art including sculpture and painting as well as mechanical and technical knowhow. He was inducted into the painter’s guild of Florence in the year 1472 but he decided to work independently till 1481. Several excellent pencil and pen sketches from the period of military weapons, pumps, mechanical apparatus, provides evidence of Leonardo’s penchant for technical matters.
Da Vinci moved to Milan for work purposes in 1482 and his first substantial commission was The Adoration of the Magi, an incomplete panel painting, for the San Donato a Scopeto monastery. He resided for seventeen years in Milan and during the period, completed six unique works. He began working on the controversial oil painting, The Virgin of the Rocks, in 1483 and finished the image in 1486. In 1495, Leonardo started work on one of his most renowned paintings, The Last Supper. The monumental wall painting was completed in the year 1498 for the refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery. During this time, he also created the decorative painting on the ceiling for the Sala delle Asse.
Da Vinci, however, had an important reason for moving to Milan; he had to create a large scale sculptural project in the form of a monumental equestrian statue composed of bronze to honor the founder of the Sforza dynasty, Francesco Sforza. The task took twelve years to finish and da Vinci devoted himself to work without interruptions. The colossal structure was 5 meters high but the project was aborted due to the inevitable threat of war.
Leonardo abandoned Milan by 1500 and proceeded to Venice. From Venice he soon came back to Florence and in 1502, he entered the service of Cesare Borgia. He sketched numerous topographical maps and city plans during this time, forming early examples of the elements of modern cartography. In the year 1503, Leonardo landed a desired commission to paint a mural to adorn the wall of the council hall at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. The grandiose scene was left unfinished. Alongside this project, however, da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa from the year 1503 till 1506 which remains one of the most famous paintings in history .
Da Vinci immersed himself in intense scientific study during this time. He carried out dissections and expanded his anatomical work into an in-depth study of the function and structure of human organism. Systematic observations were made by Leonardo on the flight of birds. His experiences with hydrology broadened into research on water’s physical features. He collected the data in the so-called Codex Hammer.
Charles d’Amboise, the French governor in Milan, persuaded the Florentine Signoria to allow Da Vinci to travel to Milan in 1506. Leaving the Battle of Anghiari incomplete, Leonardo left for Milan. Unsuccessful experiments with paints were the main cause for da Vinci to halt his work on the mural. During the winter of 1507, da Vinci visited his birth city of Florence and assisted Giovanni Francesco Rustici, the famous sculptor, to execute the series of bronze statues for the Florence Baptistery, after which da Vinci settled in Milan for a while.
During 1514, Leonardo composed sketches for a lavish residence in Florence to be built for the Medici family. But the project was never begun. Leonardo Da Vinci breathed his last in Cloux, France, and his body was buried within the palace church of Saint-Florentin .
Works Cited
Colazzo, Frank J. The Accomplishments of Leonardo da Vinci. 22 December 2004. 19 June 2013. <http://www.fjcollazo.com/documents/LeoDiVinRpt.htm>.
Fox, Cheryl. "Leonardo's Workshop." n.d. Library of Congress Teacher's Guide. 19 June 2013. <http://www.loc.gov/loc/kidslc/LGpdfs/leo-teacher.pdf>.
The History Channel Website. Leonardo da Vinci. 2013. 19 June 2013. <http://www.history.com/topics/leonardo-da-vinci>.
