Premium Essay

Leonardo Da Vinci: the Greatest Inventor of the Renaissance

In:

Submitted By indians2011
Words 1504
Pages 7
Leonardo Da Vinci: Greatest Inventor of the Renaissance What do you think of when someone mentions the name Leonardo da Vinci? Most people automatically think of the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Not many people go right to the fact that he was the original inventor of the airplane and tank. Not only did he invent these, but da Vinci invented many military machines that people overlook today. The Renaissance housed some of the greatest minds and talents the world has even seen, including Leonardo da Vinci. He has been called by many people the original “renaissance man” for his advancements in anatomy, art, physics, and military technology. He was an all around genius and scholar in all fields of study. Unfortunately many of his inventions were ahead of their time, and were left in many of his notebooks and sketches for future scientists to make advancements upon. Many of his ideas did not work because Leonardo lacked the resources and information, due to his era and the scarcity of technology, to make them work. The notebooks that he left behind give a glimpse into one of the most creative minds in history. Even though many of his inventions did not work because they were too far ahead of their time, Leonardo da Vinci should be considered one of the greatest inventors of the Italian Renaissance because he was the most sought after technician and engineer in Italy of the time, and he revolutionized military technology for the generations to follow. Leonardo was born in a small town near Florence, Italy, on April 15, 1452 and was the illegitimate son a notary, Ser Piero da Vinci, and a peasant girl named Caterina (Calvo). Due to the fact that he was born illegitimate, many prestigious careers of the time were considered difficult to achieve. At any early age he showed glimpses of his artistic talents and when he was young he became an apprentice to the artist,

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Renaissance Research Paper

...Rough Draft How did the Renaissance advance science and technology?The Renaissance brought on some of the most revolutionary innovations in science and technology. The Renaissance contained many great inventions such as the printing press, mechanical clock, parachute and many other inventions. These new inventions created a time of major scientific and technological advances during the Renaissance. The Renaissance also contained many geniuses such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Filippo Brunelleschi. These inventors also contributed to the scientific advances during the Renaissance because of the ideas and inventions they created. During the Renaissance many important, influential people and inventions that advanced their technology and contributed...

Words: 1742 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Leonardo Da Vinci

...| Leonardo Da Vinci | Renaissance Man | | Jenny Bevier | 8/20/2010 | | Very few that have ever lived have been acknowledged as a genius. Leonardo Da Vinci was a renaissance man who was a true pioneer of his time. Though he is best known as an artist, he was far more than that. Leonardo was also an engineer, inventor, and scientist. He had one of the best scientific minds of his time. He carried out research in fields ranging from architecture and civil engineering to astronomy, anatomy, geography, geology, and paleontology. Leonardo was a renaissance man whose works of art and studies of mechanics and science paved the way for many artists, engineers, and doctors today. Da Vinci was born in 1452 in the small town of Anchiano, Italy. He was an illegitimate child of a Florentine Notary, Piero Da Vinci, and a peasant woman named Catrina (The World Wide Art Gallery, 2010, para. 2). Until the age of five Leonardo lived in the Hamlet of Anchiano with his mother. From 1457 on he lived with his father, grandparents, and uncle Fracesco in the small town of Vinci, Italy. Da Vinci never received a formal education. However, he was informally taught Latin, geometry, and mathematics by his stepmother Alberia, and her mother in law Monna Lucia. Also, he learned from scholarly textbooks that were owned by various family members. When Leonardo was fifteen, he was apprenticed to the artist Andrea Di Cione, known as Verrocchio. During this time is when Leonardo was...

Words: 1505 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

The Last Supper

...the painting of the last supper by Leonardo Da Vinci is considered one of the world’s greatest paintings. it was considered famous because of the special technique that was used to create it. In this painting of “the last supper” Leonardo Da vinci prefered not to use traditional water colors, instead he used oil paint on dry plaster. The last supper was painted in the 15th century, and it’s an example of the artists innovative spirit. The painting depicts Jesus sharing his last meal with his disciples about to tell everyone that someone at that table will soon betray him. Around the time period when the last supper was created, perspective played a big role in society. Perspective helped artists gain a better understanding about art and how they can improve on it. Leonardo created perspective specifically for that art piece. Da Vinci’s fresco inspired numerous renaissance artists and baroque painters. Fresco is a technique for painting on walls, made popular during the renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italy. Born out of wedlock.Leonardo da Vinci was concerned with the laws of science and nature, which greatly informed his work as a painter, sculptor, inventor and craftsmen. At the age of 14, da Vinci began apprenticing with the artist Verrocchio. For six years, he learned a wide breadth of technical skills, including metalworking, leather arts, carpentry, drawing and sculpting. By the age of 20, he had qualified as a master artist in the...

Words: 305 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Michelangelo vs Da Vinci

...“Two artists and two Renaissance wonders: Michelangelo's David and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Centuries after they were created, these are surely the two most renowned artistic objects in the world. They seem almost mirror images of one another – or rather, positive and negative: the woman who sits smiling, the man who stands grimacing.” “Leonard da Vinci was born Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci on the 15th of April 1452 in Vinci, Florence (present day Italy) Being a scientist, sculpture, writer, and painter amongst many other things. He has been described as one of the greatest painters of all time. Although a renowned painter, Leonardo was also described as an inventor. His works the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper are the most famous and reproduced portraits and religious paintings of all time. Their fame approached only by the Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. Although somewhat mysterious, Leonardo has been described as the most diversely talented person ever to have lived. He died on the 2nd of May 1519 at the age of aged 67.” ("Leonardo Da Vinci Vs Michelangelo, Who Is The Greatest Master?", 2009). “Michelangelo was born Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni on the 6th of March 1475 in Caprese ( Italy) His family had for several generations been small-scale bankers in Florence, but his father failed to maintain the bank's financial status, and held occasional government positions. At the time of Michelangelo's birth, his father was the judicial administrator of the...

Words: 795 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Leonardo Da Vinci Research Paper

...The life of Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci a famous painter who took painting to a whole new level but not many of us knows him as an inventor or even a scientist. Leonardo da Vinci made us see the world dif-ferent with his famous paintings and greatest inventions. Born on April 15, 1452 long before William Shakespeare son of a successful lawyer and a woman who work as servant at his grandfather house, were he spend most of his childhood Leonardo Had a big passion for painting at the age of 14 Leonardo’s fa-ther send him with Andrea Del Verrocchio a famous painter at that time (“Leonardo Da Vinci” 1). Leonardo spend a couple of years studding art with Andrea Del Verrocchio when Leonardo finally found the secret to painting he decided to go its separate way by selling his own...

Words: 564 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Inventions During The Renaissance

...The Renaissance was a period of time from the 14th to the 17th century. It was considered a time of rebirth. The reason it was considered as the rebirth was because it introduced many new artists/inventors. The renaissance period was the most eventful time period in european history. It started in Italy and spread throughout europe, making it the beginning of the early modern age. It wasn't just a time period of art. It was considered to be a beginning of a whole new future. The inventors during this period, presented bits and pieces of ideas for what people have today. The interesting fact about the whole renaissance period is that most of the artist had an extraordinary understanding of future inventions with little or no previous knowledge of modern technology and how it worked....

Words: 1057 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Mona Lisa Research Paper

...famous painting the Mona Lisa was by a Renaissance man? In fact, most famous pieces of art mentioned in textbooks or hung up in museums were done by Renaissance men. So, how did these paintings come to be? Well, that question starts with fall and the rebirth of a country. That fall was the fall of Rome; very similar to spending hours and hours building a snowman only to have it melt in matter of minutes, except hours were actually decades and the snowman was an empire. The fall of Rome left people defenseless, and the Pope who hardly ever got involved in political matters, began ordering armies to take over cities. Men rode in on horses to Jerusalem, the holy capital of the world and decapitated those who were blasphemous against the holy one. And the chaos only further ensued when the Crusaders, Christian soldiers, got a hold of Jerusalem, they went after the Jews and non believers and so on. But, people finally had...

Words: 591 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Leonardo Da Vinci's Contribution to Society Through Art, Medicine and Science

...Leonardo Da Vinci made contributions to the study of science, medicine and art. In his relentless pursuit to understand how our world works, he was one of the world's greatest inventors, thinkers, scientists, artists and writers. A true Renaissance man, Leonardo Da Vinci was a leading voice for reason, logic and science in a world dominated by superstition. Leonardo’s parents were the Florentine notary and landlord Ser Pedro and Caterina, a young peasant woman who soon after Leonardo's birth married a local artesan. Although an illegitimate child, Leonardo was raised in his father's household, as Ser Pedro did not have other children until 1476, in his fourth marriage. Showing artistic promise, Leonardo became an apprentice to the artist Andrea del Verrocchio at the age of 15. Five years later he was accepted into the painter's guild of Florence but continued to work in Verrocchio's workshop for another five years. “Flying machines, parachutes, submarines, underwater rebreathing devices, self floatation/ocean rescue devices, swimming fins, pumping mechanisms, water turbines, dredging systems, steam calorimeters, water-well drill, swing bridges, canals, levelling/surveying instruments, cranes, pulley systems, street-lighting systems, convection roasting spit, mechanical saw, treadle-operated lathe, compasses, contact lenses, and military weapons. “These are all inventions that were created by Leonardo Da Vinci's genius creates inventions that are far ahead of their time. In...

Words: 684 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Love

...Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (Italian pronunciation: [leoˈnardo da ˈvintʃi]  pronunciation (help·info)) (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519, Old Style) was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. His genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance Man, a man of "unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination".[1] He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived.[2] According to art historian Helen Gardner, the scope and depth of his interests were without precedent and "his mind and personality seem to us superhuman, the man himself mysterious and remote".[1] Marco Rosci states that while there is much speculation about Leonardo, his vision of the world is essentially logical rather than mysterious, and that the empirical methods he employed were unusual for his time.[3] Born out of wedlock to a notary, Piero da Vinci, and a peasant woman, Caterina, at Vinci in the region of Florence, Leonardo was educated in the studio of the renowned Florentine painter, Verrocchio. Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan. He later worked in Rome, Bologna and Venice, and he spent his last years in France at the...

Words: 492 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Leonardo Da Vinci

...Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (Italian pronunciation: [leoˈnardo da vˈvintʃi] About this sound pronunciation (help·info); April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519, Old Style) was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. His genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance Man, a man of "unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination".[1] He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived.[2] According to art historian Helen Gardner, the scope and depth of his interests were without precedent and "his mind and personality seem to us superhuman, the man himself mysterious and remote".[1] Marco Rosci states that while there is much speculation about Leonardo, his vision of the world is essentially logical rather than mysterious, and that the empirical methods he employed were unusual for his time.[3] Born out of wedlock to a notary, Piero da Vinci, and a peasant woman, Caterina, in Vinci in the region of Florence, Leonardo was educated in the studio of the renowned Florentine painter, Verrocchio. Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan. He later worked in Rome, Bologna and Venice, and he spent his last years...

Words: 494 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Leonardo Da Vinci - the Man Who Wanted to Know Everything

...Leonardo da Vinci - The Man Who Wanted To Know Everything Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest genius’s that’s ever lived, also known as the first modern mind. He was a painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance man, a man of "unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination". He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived. 500 years ago he set out to try and find out all that there was to learn. “I would do things no one in the past has dared to do, I would think new thoughts, bring new things into being”. He created works of astonishing beauty such including the Mon Elisa, the most famous painting in the world and The Last Supper made him known today as the Renaissance visionary who saw the modern world before it was realized. At the same time he designed terrifying machines, which spewed death and destruction. He designed ways of getting man to the bottom of the sea, He invented flying machines 400 years before man took to the skies. Leonardo was born on April 15 1452, in Tuscan hill town just outside the village of Vinci in Italy. He was born illegitimate and this was to shape his life. Being a bastard he was barred from learning Greek and Latin, the languages all books where written in. ...

Words: 1408 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Leonardo Di de Piero Da Vinci

...Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519, (Old Style) was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. His genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance Man, a man of "unquenchable curiosity" and "feverishly inventive imagination".[1] He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived.[2] According to art historian Helen Gardner, the scope and depth of his interests were without precedent and "his mind and personality seem to us superhuman, the man himself mysterious and remote".[1] Marco Rosci states that while there is much speculation about Leonardo, his vision of the world is essentially logical rather than mysterious, and that the empirical methods he employed were unusual for his time.[3] Leonardo’s Contributions Leonardo da Vinci was famous for his designs, art, cartography, geology, and studies. Leonardo's designs later helped us to invent things like the tank, parachute, helicopter and many other things.  He was also a very talented artist. Most of his pictures and paintings are in art galleries and museums.  One of his most known paintings is the Mona Lisa.  He made many maps of many different places.  He was also interested...

Words: 273 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Leonardo Di Vinci

...On April 15, 1452, the world was given a man that would later become one of the greatest and most renowned artists of all time. This man was Leonardo Di Vinci. Di Vinci was born in 1452 in the small town of Anchiano, which is near Vinci, Italy. Some historians say he was actually born in Vinci, Italy. He was said to be an illegitimate child of a Florentine notary named Piero Di Vinci, and a woman named Caterina whom is also said to have been a peasant 1. His father raised him. “A painter, a sculptor, an architect and an engineer, Leonardo Di Vinci's numerous skills have earned him the title of renaissance master.” This paper shall explore the life and works of Leonardo Di Vinci. In his early years, Leonardo became an apprentice in one of a highly acclaimed studio in Italy. At 20 years old Leonardo was accepted into the painters' guild of Florence. Leonardo worked there until 1483, when moved to Milan. The first piece of artwork that Leonardo completed in Milan was the Madonna of the Rocks1. Di Vinci’s most Famous works are The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and Vitruvian Man: The Proportions of the Human Figure. The Mona Lisa is a piece of art that is most recognized among work of fine art. People recognize within an instant of seeing it. It is also one of the most talked about pieces of art because of the longtime tale of there being a mystery behind her smile. Leonardo began to work on the Mona Lisa in Florence, Italy in the year 15032. The Mona Lisa is...

Words: 1042 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Leonardo Da Vinci

...of Leonardo Da Vinci Leonardo Da Vinci, considered one of the greatest artist and brightest minds of all time. It is because of him that we live the life that we have today. It is because of him that great minds have been able to achieve so much. It still amazes people what he managed to put on paper because who would have ever thought what he thought having primitive technology. Leonardo da Vinci was born at 10:30 PM on Saturday, April 15th, 1452. He was born in the small Tuscan town of Vinci,which is near Florence. Although, in another reference, it said that he was probably born in a farm house in Anchiano, which is about three miles away from Vinci. The family of Leonardo lived in this area since the 13th century.When Leonardo was born, Ser Piero, his father, was a twenty-five year old public notary. Also, when Leonardo was born, Ser Piero married his wife. He didn't marry Catarina, his mother, because she was probably the daughter of a farmer. Leonardo was christened from the parson Peiro da Bartolomeo, in the Baptismal Chapel. He was baptized to the name Lionardo, not Leonardo. The chapel is inside the church of Vinci. According to a tax record, when Leonardo was five years old, he was living with his grandparents. Francesco, his uncle, probably taught him about nature through the wild countryside that surrounds Vinci. When Francesco died, about fifty years later, he gave his estate to Leonardo, which showed a sense of fondness to Leonard. Leonardo lived...

Words: 1656 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Humanities (Autobiography of Filipino & Foreign Painter) with Their Works

...AUTOBIOGRAPHY Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci Born on April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italy, Leonardo da Vinci was the epitome of a “Renaissance man.” Possessor of a curious mind and keen intellect, da Vinci studied the laws of science and nature, which greatly informed his work as a painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, military engineer and draftsman. His ideas and body of work—which includes "Virgin of the Rocks," "The Last Supper" and "Mona Lisa"—have influenced countless artists and made da Vinci a leading light of the Italian Renaissance. Leonardo was, and is, renowned primarily as a painter. Among his works, the Mona Lisa is the most famous and most parodied portrait and The Last Supper the most reproduced religious painting of all time, with their fame approached only by Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam. Leonardo died at Clos Lucé, France, on May 2, 1519. François I had become a close friend. Vasari records that the King held Leonardo's head in his arms as he died, although this story, beloved by the French and portrayed in romantic paintings by Ingres, Ménageot and other French artists, may be legend rather than fact. Da Vinci has been called a genius and the archetypal Renaissance man. His talents inarguably extended far beyond his artistic works. Like many leaders of Renaissance humanism, he did not see a divide between science and art. STYLE OF PAINTING da Vinci’s Painting Technique Throughout his years (1452-1519), Leonardo da Vinci employed a variety of techniques...

Words: 3115 - Pages: 13