1. Leonardo da Vinci

2. Early Years
Born April 14, 1452 in a village near the town of Vinci (da Vinci means “from Vinci”)
Apprenticed to an artist in Florence
Studied lizards, snakes, and bats
Painted a picture of a monster that was so life- like, his father was scared

3. Universal Man Not just a painter
Scientist, musician, poet, philosopher, engineer, architect, writer, mathematician, medicine
Military engineer—created many war machines for war
First Tank, cross bow, helicopter, etc.

4. Last Supper

5. Last Supper
Painted on the wall of a monastery in Milan during his employment there.
Not a fresco—no wet plaster, just paint
Paint immediately began to fall off he wall
Had no way to stay on wall—humidity, vandalism
20-year effort to “fix” the painting—was it “fixed” or merely repainted?

6. Mona Lisa Most famous painting Oil on Canvas
Not appreciated until the 19th century
Sits before an imaginary landscape
Leonardo often carried the painting with him.

7. Sketchbook
Filled with thousands of sketches of human and animal anatomy, architecture, and engineering ideas
Known as the “Renaissance Man” for his ideas and achievements
Left many works and ideas unfinished
Perfectionist
Never satisfied with his work

8. Secret Writing Left handed Wrote backwards—no one knows why
Secrets? Easier?

9. Vitruvian Man Study of the proportions and structure of man
Arms and legs straight—man creates a box
Arms and legs diagonal—man creates a circle
Follows classical ideal of beauty—not always the same for each person

10. Animal Anatomy Studied horses mainly
Easily available and showed more muscles
Also dissected animals to study anatomy

11. Final Years Designed buildings in central Italy
Traveled to Rome in 1513 and found competition with Michelangelo and Raphael.
Traveled to France in 1516 to work for King Fancis I (great admirer)
Died May 2, 1519 at age 67
King of France said to have held Leo as he died-- -great admiration