Leonardo Di Ser Piero Da Vinci & Andrea Del Verrocchio

Place: Vinci

Born: 1452

Death: 1519

Biography:

The Polymath of the High Renaissance

, an Italian polymath, left an indelible mark on the world of art, science, and engineering. Born in 1452 in Vinci, Italy, this luminary was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. His fame, initially rooted in his achievements as a painter, has also been significantly augmented by his notebooks, replete with drawings and notes on various subjects, including anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and palaeontology.

Early Life and Education

was born out of wedlock to a successful notary, Piero da Vinci, and a lower-class woman, Caterina di Meo Lippi. He was educated in Florence by the Italian painter and sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio, which laid the foundation for his illustrious career.

Artistic Legacy

Leonardo is widely regarded as one of the greatest painters in the history of Western art, often credited as the founder of the High Renaissance. Despite having many lost works and fewer than 25 attributed major works, he created some of the most influential paintings in the Western canon. The Mona Lisa, his best-known work, is the world's most famous individual painting. The Last Supper is the most reproduced religious painting of all time, and his Vitruvian Man drawing is also regarded as a cultural icon.

• Painting by 'Leonardo Da Vinci' | Leonardo Da Vinci: Head of St Andrew (Musées de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France)
• Painting by 'Leonardo Da Vinci' | Leonardo Da Vinci: The Madonna of the Carnation (Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany)
Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie de Besançon, a museum in France featuring an impressive collection of art and archaeological artifacts.

Enduring Impact

Since his death in 1519, Leonardo's achievements, diverse interests, personal life, and empirical thinking have continued to inspire interest and admiration. He remains a frequent namesake and subject in culture, with his work being a testament to the enduring power of human creativity. Artist Profile: Leonardo Di Ser Piero Da Vinci & Andrea Del Verrocchio (Wikipedia: Leonardo da Vinci)