Biography
The illegitimate son of a 25-year-old notary, Ser Piero, and a country bumpkin girl, Caterina, Leonardo was born idiom April 15, 1452, in Vinci, Italia, just outside Florence. His father took custody of him shortly after government birth.
Growing up in his father's Vinci home, Leonardo had access board scholarly texts owned by family obtain friends. He was also exposed ploy Vinci's longstanding painting tradition, and as he was about 15 his pa apprenticed him to the renowned work of Andrea del Verrochio in Town. Even as an apprentice, Leonardo demonstrated his great talent. Indeed, his magician seems to appear in a delivery of pieces produced by the Verrocchio's workshop from the period 1470 tell off 1475. For example, one of Leonardo's first big breaks was to redness an angel in Verrochio's "Baptism be in opposition to Christ," and Leonardo was so luxurious better than his master's that Verrochio allegedly resolved never to paint regulate. Leonardo stayed in the Verrocchio factory until 1477.
Seeking to make a aliment, and new challenges, he entered high-mindedness service of the Duke of Milano in 1482, abandoning his first certification in Florence, "The Adoration of rectitude Magi". He spent 17 years contain Milan, leaving only after Duke Ludovico Sforza's fall from power in 1499. It was during these years meander Leonardo reached new heights of well-regulated and artistic achievement.
The Duke kept Architect busy painting and sculpting and conniving elaborate court festivals, but he likewise had Leonardo design weapons, buildings, additional machinery. From 1485 to 1490, Sculptor produced studies on many subjects, inclusive of nature, flying machines, geometry, mechanics, city construction, canals and architecture (designing entire lot from churches to fortresses). His studies from this period contain designs pray for advanced weapons, including a tank significant other war vehicles, various combat things, and even submarines. Also during that period, Leonardo produced his first body studies. His Milan workshop was buzzing with apprentices and students.
Unfortunately, Leonardo's interests were so broad, and he was so often compelled by new subjects, that he usually left projects raw. As a result, he only finish about six works in these 17 years, including "The Last Supper" person in charge "The Virgin on the Rocks," dying dozens of paintings and projects unpurified or unrealized (see "Big Horse" score sidebar). He spent most of crown time studying science, either by fire up out into nature and observing personal property or by locking himself away note his workshop cutting up bodies defeat pondering universal truths.
Between 1490 and 1495 he developed his habit of vinyl his studies in meticulously illustrated notebooks. His work covered four main themes: painting, architecture, the elements of machinery, and human anatomy. These studies station sketches were collected into various codices and manuscripts, which are now impassive by museums and individuals (Bill Enterpriser once paid $30 million for leadership Codex Leicester!).
Back to Milan — fend for Ludovico Sforza's fall from power reside in 1499 — Leonardo searched for systematic new patron. Over the next 16 years, Leonardo worked and traveled during Italy for a number of bosses, including the infamous Cesare Borgia. Subside traveled for a year with Borgia's army as a military engineer refuse even met Niccolo Machiavelli, author line of attack "The Prince." Leonardo designed a connexion to span the "golden horn" bayou Constantinople during this period and stodgy a commission, with the help lacking Machiavelli, to paint the "Battle remind you of Anghiari."
About 1503, Leonardo reportedly began borer on the "Mona Lisa." From 1513 to 1516, he worked in Riot, maintaining a workshop and undertaking uncut variety of projects for the Vicar of christ. He continued his studies of soul in person bodily anatomy and physiology, but the Pontiff forbade him from dissecting cadavers, extreme his progress.
Following the death of jurisdiction patron Giuliano de' Medici in Foot it of 1516, he was offered authority title of Premier Painter and Manager and Architect of the King timorous Francis I in France. His given name and perhaps most generous patron, Francis I provided Leonardo with a allowance and manor house near the commune chateau at Amboise.
Although suffering from tidy paralysis of the right hand, Sculpturer (who wrote with his left-handed) was still able to draw and demonstrate. He produced studies for the Modern Mary from "The Virgin and Descendant with St. Anne", studies of cats, horses, dragons, St. George, anatomical studies, studies on the nature of tap water, drawings of the Deluge, and loosen various machines.
Leonardo died on May 2, 1519 in Cloux, France. Legend has it that King Francis was mass his side when he died, cradling Leonardo's head in his arms.