1. The Genius of the Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci
The Genius of the Renaissance

2. Early Life
Born April 15, 1452
Child of a public employee and a peasant woman
Was extremely curious and observed the natural world for hours
Showed talent as an artist at a very early age
Apprenticed to Verrocchio, famous Florentine painter
Assisted Verrocchio with The Baptism of Christ, and other works

3. The Naturalist
Felt the best way to learn about the world was to observe
Spent hours studying and sketching the natural world
Studied flow of water, theorized on creation of canals similar to the Panama Canal, opened in 1914
Studied flight of birds, theorized on flight of man

4. The Anatomist Received corpses from Florence morgue
Dissected corpses to study the body and how it works
Believed understanding human anatomy enhanced his art
First to diagram skeletal and muscular system, the eye, brain, heart and human fetus
Discoveries were hundreds of years ahead of their time, but were not published after his death

5. The Engineer
The Armored Tank; designed so it could not be built
If asked, Leonardo would have said he was first an engineer
Most of his designs were never built
System for operating a steering wheel
Portable bridges built 500 years later
Multi-barreled cannon on a cart self- driven with gears and weights
Designed the parachute 300 years before the first jump
Diving Suit

6. Flight Fascinated with human flight
Studied forms of birds and bats to design this ”ornithopter” – a crank allowed the pilot to flap the wings
Leonardo’s Helicopter, the “Aerial Screw”

7. The Sculptor As a sculptor, da Vinci was fascinated with horses
Designed a massive bronze sculpture for the Duke of Milan
Bronze was assembled, but made into weapons when Milan was attacked
Horse was not built during da Vinci’s life
Completed in 1999 as a gift from a foundation in USA to Milan

8. The Painter Leonardo is definitely most well-known as a painter
Often made his own paints
Pioneered layering of paint and the use of perspective and vanishing points
Invented sfumato (smoke) technique, where colors blended without clear lines of division

9. Life Summary
Considered the greatest mind of the Renaissance and the greatest example of the “Renaissance Man”
A person of many different talents
Leonardo served Dukes, Kings, Popes
Died quietly of old age at his home in Amboise, France
May 2, 1519