Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci is considered one of the greatest minds in all of history. He worked in

all different kinds of fields in art and science. He was described as generous, noble, graceful, and

beautiful, though nobody really knows what he was really like. The article says that everybody

wanted to be his friend, was a vegetarian, and he loved animals. His most famous painting is the

Mona Lisa, which has been debated by many and is full of mysteries. He inspired many and was

very well-respected by lots of important people because of his work.

The great polymath was born in Vinci, Republic of Florence, Italy on April 15, 1452.

Leonardo’s full name is “Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci” Which means “Leonardo, the son of

Mister Piero from Vinci.” He started painting from a very young age. When he was fourteen he

went to live with his father and be an apprentice for a great artist named Veroccio who had a very

large and busy workshop. When Leonardo was working in Veroccio’s shop, Veroccio told him to

paint one of the angels holding Christ’s robe. Leonardo da Vinci painted it so well that it is said

that Veroccio put down his paintbrush and never painted again. Once he was twenty, he joined

the Guild of St. Luke, which was a group of artists and medical doctors.

In 1478 Leonardo da Vinci was given the job to paint a painting for the Monks of San

Donato a Scopeto called the “Adoration of the Magi,” or “The Three Wise Men.” Sadly, he never

finished it because he was sent away to Milan as a diplomatic ambassador. He was sent because

the new ruler of Milan, Duke Ludovico il Moro, was making the other leaders nervous. Lorenzo
Medici sent him to make peace. As a talented musician, Leonardo constructed a lyre in the shape

of a horse head. He wrote to the Duke and told him of all the great uses of the lyre. He told him

that it could make war machines and also paint, which would be the most remembered. He then

stayed there and worked for the Duke. He painted a couple of paintings and had a sculpture job

to do for the Duke. The sculpture was for the ruler before Duke Ludovico, called Francesco

Sforzca riding on horseback, called the Gran Cavello. It was going to be the biggest bronze horse

ever created, though unfortunately it was never made because the Duke had to use the bronze for

cannons when France was invading Milan. The clay version was destroyed when it was still

standing when the French invaded and was used for target practice. He painted an oil painting for

the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, which he did twice; one for the monks where he

was and the other he took with him to France, which now lays in the Louvre museum.

Two other paintings that he did in Milan were about Jesus Christ. One of them is called

the “Virgin Mary” that is very unique and shows a scene where Baby John the Baptist and Baby

Jesus meet. The other was called “The Last Supper.” The painting shows the story of when Jesus

Christ meets with the 12 apostles for the last time before he dies. It’s at the part when Jesus says,

“One of you shall betray me.” It also shows the reactions of the apostles after this statement.

Leonardo da Vinci had a lot of stress over this painting. For example, he was told to work faster.

Often times he would paint for many days at a time, and others he would just stand and look at

his painting. He also fretted that he would not get Jesus’s face right. In the end, he didn’t use the

right fresco, so the painting started to fall apart after many years. It was considered absolutely

destroyed, though everyone still thinks of it as a masterpiece today. One of his most widely
known paintings, also considered a masterpiece, is the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is one of the

most mysterious paintings of all time, because it’s hard to know her expression. Her eyes and

mouth appear to be smiling, but da Vinci used shadows so that it would be hard to tell for sure. It

is also said that the painting was so detailed that you were able to see every individual eyelash

the first couple centuries after it was created.

In Leonardo da Vinci’s old age, he lived in a beautiful house in France, called Clos Luxé,

given to him by King Francis I. He spent his last three years of life there, alongside his good

friend, Count Melzi. He died on May 2, 1519. As he had no family of his own, he left most of his

stuff to Count Melzi in his will; though he did remember his pupil/model, Salai, and his servant,

Battista di Vilussis and gave them half of his vineyards. Salai did get the Mona Lisa though,

which he kept up to his death. Leonardo da Vinci was a great man of art and science who had a

full life of discovery and incredible skill. The world will remember his works forever.