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One of the most famous artists of all time was Leonardo Da Vinci. Da Vinci’s masterpieces are famous in all parts of the world. Leonardo Da Vinci, an Italian painter, architect and sculptor, was born on April 15, 1452 during the Renaissance period. Da Vinci was also a musician, scientist, engineer, writer and inventor at various points in his life. He was considered to be a genius of his time because of the many skills he mastered. For this reason, he was known to be a symbol of the Renaissance man, a man of curiosity and inventive imagination. Leonardo Da Vinci was considered to be one of the greatest painters who ever lived. Additionally, many people feel that Da Vinci was one of the most talented and versatile men of all time. “Superhuman and mysterious” were the words used by Helen Gardner, an art historian, with regards to the personality and interests of Da Vinci. In contrast to what Gardner said, Rosci said that the ideas of Da Vinci were logical and not mysterious.
Leonardo Da Vinci was born in Vinci, one of the regions of Florence, Italy. Lionardo di ser Piero da Vinci was Da Vinci’s birth name. The term “ser” in his birth name was an indicator that Messer Piero, his father was referred to as a gentleman. Da Vinci studied with the famous painter Verrocchio in a studio in Florence. The workshop of Verrocchio was known to be one of the finest in Florence, Italy. Leonardo Da Vinci became the apprentice of Verrocchio in 1466 at the age of fourteen years old. With the help of his mentor he was not only able to improve his painting skills but also other skills such as metal working, carpentry, sculpting and drafting. It was said that Verrocchio never painted again after he and Da Vinci collaborated on the painting Baptism of Christ. The painting is of a young angel who is holding the robe of Christ Jesus. This painting by Da Vinci was more beautiful than the works of his master, Verrocchio …and for this reason Verrocchio never painted again.
Leonardo Da Vinci started his early works in Milan then worked in Rome and Venice. The last years of his life were spent in France. Two of Da Vinci’s most famous works of art are the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Mona Lisa was the most famous work. On the other hand, his masterpiece The Last Supper has been his most reproduced painting. Another work Da Vinci is well known to have created was the Vitruvian man drawing. Today it is seen worldwide and even printed on such items as t-shirts and in textbooks. Artists of succeeding generations made Leonardo Da Vinci their inspiration when creating their own masterpiece works of art. Da Vinci’s paintings, drawings and other works were some of the great contributions to the world of art. According to historians, the first dated work of Da Vinci was drawn August 5, 1473 and it was named the Arno Valley. This work was simply drawn using a pen. Even though his father was against his attachment to Verrocchio, Da Vinci still continued to work with his well-known master. When Da Vinci turned twenty in 1472, he was already qualified in the Guild of St. Luke. This organization was formed and supported by artists and doctors and Da Vinci was known to be a master in the group.
In 1478 Leonardo Da Vinci left the workshop of Verrocchio and no longer lived with his father. He went to Florence and worked in a school for poets, artists and philosophers, which was established by the Medici. In January of 1478, Da Vinci was given the privilege to have his first independent commissions. The first was to create a painting of an altarpiece for a chapel in Palazzo Vecchio for St. Bernard. And the second commission was for the monks of San Donato to be named The Adoration of the Magi. Both the Magi and the altarpiece were never finished since it was at this time that Da Vinci went to Milan.
In 1482, Leonardo Da Vinci began working in Milan. His first work there was the Virgin of the Rocks and it was created for the Immaculate Conception confraternity. He created the world renowned painting The Last Supper for one of the monasteries in Milan known as Santa Maria delle Grazie. The statue of Gattemelata and Bartolomeo Colleoni were two large equestrian statues created during the Renaissance period. The clay model made by Leonardo was called Gran Cavallo.
Today, Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous painting is still the Mona Lisa, also known as la Gioconda, which means “the laughing one.” It is known for Mona Lisa’s unique, attractive and famous smile. Many critics have said that her smile appears to be more divine rather than human.
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