Leonardo da Vinci was born in mid-April 1452 in a town known as Vinci that is located in Italy. He was looked after by his father Ser Piero and some of his stepmothers. He undertook informal education in Latin and Mathematics in the early 1460s. His interest in arts was observed when he was 14 years old while working in Verrocchio studio. It took him only six years to learn how to perform arts such as carpentry, carving and drawing. His art potentials became vivid when he was about 20 years old; his father had built him a workshop in which he advanced his art activities (Romeo, 87). He drew the known image of Arno valley in 1473 at the age of 21 years old. Leonardo is also remembered for his involvement in sodomy. Between 1476 and 1478, Leonardo disappeared from his art activities after being convicted of participation in sodomy with his three male friends.
Most of Leonardo’s arts were mysterious. He used unusual methods in carrying out his art activities. To many people, Leonardo was a genius. Apart from having extensive art knowledge, Leonardo was also best in mathematics. Leonardo also showed interest and success in the field of engineering, anatomy and music (Mason, 67). In early 1842, Leonardo, a talented musician crafted a silver lyre that resembled a head of a horse. He was then requested by Lorenzo to go and entice the king of Milan with the lyre he had made. Leonardo spent most of his early working years in Milan and later moved and worked in Rome and later advanced his art to Venice. In Venice, Leonardo acted as both architect and engineer; he carried out the responsibility of inventing methods that aided in protecting Venice city from attacks. He lived the last part of his years in France at a residence provided to him by Duke Francis.
In 1502, Leonardo invented and created a map of Cesare’s stronghold that assisted Cesare Borgia to win his benefaction. The crafting of the map led to Cesare appointing Leonardo as one of his military engineers. Leonardo also invented and drew a map that assisted him in building a dam that supplied water at all seasons at the Florence canal.
Leonardo is considered one of the best-talented painters in the world. Among his artworks, the Mona Lisa portrait contributed significantly to his advancement as a renowned painter. Mona Lisa is the most adored portrait on the earth (Brockwell, 69). He had drawn it for about three years. Mona Lisa portrait portrayed diverse images that were interpreted differently by the people who saw it. Some of the people argued that the Mona Lisa image conveyed the image of a man, while others viewed the Mona Lisa image as an image of a pregnant woman. The portrait of the Mona Lisa is currently stored in the Louvre Museum located in Paris. It reminds people of the existence of one renowned painter by the name of Leonardo. Leonardo also came up with The Last Supper painting which diversified religious painting activities. His sketch of the Vitruvian Man is considered a cultural emblem. The sketch is used in the production of T-shirts and textbooks.
Leonardo died in early May 1519 while in the arms of King Francis I. He had succeeded in meeting his objectives as a painter before his death. Leonardo also utilized his engineering abilities in advancing the security of Cities such as Milan. He is also responsible for the success of King Francis I.
Works cited
Brockwell, Maurice. Leonardo Da Vinci. New York: Kessinger Publishing. 2004. Print.
Mason, Antony. Leonardo Da Vinci. New York: Barron’s Educational Series. 1994. Print.
Romeo, Francesca. Leonardo Da Vinci. New York: The Oliver Press, Inc. 2008. Print.