The Life and Characteristics of Leonardo da Vinci - Research Paper Example

The Life, painting and characteristics of Leonardo da Vinci Introduction Rival only by few of his contemporaries, Leonardo da Vinci was indeed a figure that epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer, whose unique fame during his lifetime and beyond, has remained undimmed to the present generation and rests largely on his unquenchable curiosity and feverish inventive imagination that guided all his thinking and behavior [Enc111]. As an artist by disposition and endowment, he bequeathed to posterity Mona Lisa, his most famous and most parodied portrait, and The Last Supper the most reproduced religious painting of all time. Only seventeen of his paintings survived [Enc111]. His unlimited desire for knowledge drove him beyond painting. Powered by his superb intellect, keen sense of observation, and mastery of the art of drawing, he studied nature; a line of inquiry that allowed him to pursue dual art and science [Cap07]. Life of Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci was born of the illegitimate relationship of a Florentine notary and landlord, Ser Piero, and a young peasant woman, Caterina [Bor67]. That notwithstanding, Leonardo da Vinci, enjoyed the privileges of a legitimate son and grew up in his father’s estate and received the usual elementary education of those days: reading, writing, and arithmetic [Bor67]. He did not exhibit any particular aptitude for Latin, the key language of traditional learning, and higher mathematic until later in his life. Due to his artistic inclination, which appeared early in life, he father apprenticed him to the renowned artist Andrea Del Verrocchio [Bor67]. He received a multifaceted training that included painting and sculpture as well as the technical-mechanical arts in Andrea Del Verrocchio’s workshop. He also worked in the workshop of Antonio Pollaiuolo, a next door artist [Kem04]. Even when he was accepted into the painters’ guild of Florence in 1472, Leonardo remained in his master’s workshop for additional five years before working independently in Florence [Bor67]. His devotion to Verrocchio was such that he collaborated with him even after setting up his personal workshop. In 1482, Leonardo abandoned two painting projects, The Adoration of the Magi for the monastery of San Donato and an alter painting for the St Bernard Chapel, in Florence and moved to work for the duke of Milan, Duke Ludovico Sforza [Enc111]. The prevailing strict academic atmosphere in Milan as well as the duke’s brilliant court and the meaningful project may have enticed him to Milan. Indeed, the 17 years spent in Milan were fruitful. He was highly esteemed as a painter and a sculptor. He completed six works in Milan among which was the famous painting, The Last Supper. He also had an extensive workshop in Milan where he had several apprentices. In addition, he served as a technical adviser in the fields of architecture, fortifications, and military matters, and he served as a hydraulic and mechanical engineer [Cap07]. Following the victorious entry of the French into Milan, Leonardo left the city probably December 1499 or January 1500. He visited Mantua and Venice before returning to Florence. Upon arrival in Florence, he was accorded a reception deserving of a renowned son. Leonardo devoted his stay in Florence to intensive scientific study [Cap07]. That notwithstanding, he was still involved in painting. It was during this period, 1503 – 1506, that he painted Mona Lisa [Vez97]. Upon the invitation of the French governor in Milan, Charles d’ Amboise, Leonardo returned to Milan in May 1506. During his second stay in Milan, he did little work as a painter; rather, he worked as adviser in architectural matters. His scientific activities reached their zenith during this time. The expulsion of the French from Milan in 1513 led Leonardo to move to Rome in the company of Pope Leo X’s brother, Giuliano de’ Medici. While in Rome, Leonardo received no commission, thus he did no artistic work. He devoted his time to mathematical and technical studies while maintaining low profile. At the end of 1516, he left Italy for France and spent the last three of his years in Cloux. Leonardo died at Cloux and was buried in the palace church of Saint-Florentin [Bri01]. Famous painting of Leonardo de Vinci Leonardo’s total output in painting is really rather small; only 17 of the paintings that have survived can be definitely attributed to him, and several of them are unfinished [Enc111]. In his painting, Leonardo showed his remarkable talent, especially his keenness of observation and creative imagination and ability to move beyond technique and narratives to convey an underlying sense of emotion [Enc111]. Among his famous works are the Baptism of Christ (ca. 1472–75), The Adoration of the Magi (unfinished; begun 1481),The Virgin of the Rocks (1483–86), Last Supper (1495–98), Virgin and Child with St. Anne (ca. 1502–16), Mona Lisa (ca. 1503–06), and Battle of Anghiari (unfinished; begun 1503) [Enc111]. Characteristics of Leonardo de Vinci Arts The extraordinary artistic talents of Leonardo are revealed in the characteristics of his paintings. His paintings move beyond the narratives to convey emotions. In fact, in the Baptism of Christ, Leonardo endowed the angel with “natural movement, presented it with a relaxed demeanor, and gave it an enigmatic glance that both acknowledge its surroundings while remaining inwardly directed” [Enc111]. Charm and expressive mood also characterize his paintings. In the Adoration of the Magi, which was not completed, he displaced interplay of masterful technique and affective gesture [Enc111]. The Virgin of the Rocks reveals painting in its purity. In the Last Supper, which is among the most famous paintings in the world, Leonardo displayed a monumental simplicity. The striking contrast in the attitudes of the 12 disciples as counterposed to Christ is masterful. Leonardo set the standard for all future portraits in the Mona Lisa [Enc111]. The picture presents a half-body portrait of a woman, with a distant landscape visible as a background. Although utilizing a seemingly simple formula for portraiture, the expressive synthesis that Leonardo achieved between woman and landscape has placed this work in the canon of the most popular and most analyzed paintings of all time [Enc111]. The sensuous curves of the woman’s hair and clothing, created through sfumato, are echoed in the undulating valleys and rivers behind her [Enc111]. The sense of overall harmony achieved in the painting—especially apparent in the sitter’s faint smile—reflects Leonardo’s idea of the cosmic link connecting humanity and nature, making this painting an enduring record of Leonardo’s vision and genius [Enc111]. Conclusion Indeed, Leonardo epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. His paintings were rivaled only by those of Michelangelo, his contemporary. His scientific inquiry and a mechanical inventiveness that were centuries ahead of their time. Works Cited Enc111: , (Encyclopædia Britannica. 2011), Cap07: , (Capra 2007), Bor67: , (Bortolon 1967), Kem04: , (Kemp 2004), Vez97: , (Vezzosi 1997), Bri01: , (Brigstoke 2001), Enc111: , (Encyclopædia Britannica. 2011, Brigstoke 2001), Read More