How the Life of Leonardo Da Vinci Helped Shape the Renaissance - Research Paper Example

How the Life of Leonardo Da Vinci Helped Shape the Renaissance This essay is a of the life of Leonardo da Vinci and the way his art shaped Renaissance. The essay will consider his social, historical context based on his achievements and the effects of his art works. Renaissance is a French word, which means rebirth, and refers to the artistic transformation in Europe between 14th and 16th centuries (Baxandall 40). This was an age of growth in Europe when new and powerful city states emerged. Great artists, writers and thinkers, among them Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, lived during this time. Among all the artist of the renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci was an outstanding artist whose traces cannot be ignored when renaissance art is considered. Giorgio Vasari (1568: 258) analysed that a single person can be endowed with beauty, grace, and talent that is incomparable to other men. Vasari goes on to contend that such a man has all his skill and inspiration coming from God and not from his own human skill. This statement was a true description of da Vinci because he displayed his artistic grace in everything he did. Leonardo da Vinci was an enormously talented Italian Renaissance artist whose works cut across a variety of fields including painting, architecture, sculpting, mathematics, music, science, engineering, anatomy, cartography, botany and writing (O'Malley & Bertrand 25). His works in all these fields, and some not mentioned here, depicted him as a renaissance genius. He was a man of inventive imagination whose curiosity overwhelmed his critics. He is widely considered as a painter of all time; from the fourteenth century to the present. As a result of his artistic mastery, da Vinci’s mind is mostly analyzed as superhuman because of the logic from which he approached and viewed his world (Sherwin 18). Most analysts have agreed that his vision of the world was logical and not mysterious, as it was mostly posited. This was so because Leonardo da Vinci used empirical tactics and skill in a way that was not common during his time. Leonardo was and still is largely renowned as a renaissance painter. Among his works include the Mona, the last supper, Leonardo da Vinci and the Vitruvian man (O'Malley & Bertrand 26). The Monalisa is the most famous while The Last Supper is the most reproduced religious painting. Leonardo's drawing of the Vitruvian Man is also regarded as a cultural icon and is produced on varied items such as textbooks, the euro, and clothing. Leonardo da Vinci constantly and frequently experimented with techniques such as tempera, which in effect made his work take longer time but the final results were amazing and unrivalled. Considering the technological advancement in the fourteenth century coupled with the inadequacies of the time, Leonardo can simply be described as a master of art. Social and Historical Context of His Life Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in the Tuscany hill town of Vinci, Italy. He was born out of wedlock to Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, a legal notary, and Caterina his mother, a simple peasant (Vasari 259). Little is known about Leonardo's early life and biographers of his time record him having spent time with his parents at different times. When da vinci was 14 years, he was apprenticed to andrea del Verrocchio; a renowed painter and sculptor of that time. He also acquired skills in metallurgy, drafting, chemistry, and carpentry. Though he learnt many things and used them in his life, Leonardo Da Vinci preferred art as his main profession. Leonardo’s father, Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, married a sixteen-year-old Albiera, who later died. Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci later remarried Francesca Lanfredini. It was not until Piero Fruosino’s third and fourth marriages that he produced legitimate heirs. There is not record showing that Leonardo married or was involved in any relationship (Sherwin 21). As a result, there are a lot of doubts to his sexual orientation. This is further complicated by the event of 1476 when he and other three were charged with sodomy although records show they were acquitted later. Leonardo da Vinci was famous, both in life and death. When alive, he painted for royals and church officials. He painted The Last Supper on a convent wall for the church and was once employed as a military architect (O'Malley & Bertrand 27). Leonardo da Vinci had two apprentices, Gian Giacomo Caprotti da Oreno and Count Francesco Melzi, who lived with him for most of his life. Although they worked with their master until he died, neither of them ever became a distinguished artist. Leonardo da Vinci died on May 2, 1519 in France after spending his last two years there. Most of his belongings were left to Melzi and some of his drawings were divided amongst his friends. Leonardo Da Vinci’s Life Influence in His Works Leonardo da Vinci studied anatomy, geology, medicine, engineering, mathematics, botany and even painting. As a child, it is reported that Leonardo was highly curious on learning the working of nature and thus he discovered a lot in nature. For example, da Vinci visualized a similarity in the flow of blood in the vain as a model of water moving in a river (Capra 5). He observed that the veins too would branch the way the branches of a tree would. Careful observation of nature also enabled him to come up with the fact of symmetry, which he depicted in the Vitruvian Man. Capra argues that da Vinci respected nature, appreciated every aspect of nature, and applied it in his works. Another influence of da Vinci was the fact that he was born out of wedlock. As an illegitimate child, Leonardo da Vinci was not able to access the formal education that was available to members of the higher class (Richter & Wells 45). The kind of education accorded to him was informal, and that is how he ended up becoming an apprentice in Verrocchio’s workshop where he learnt various skills. Key among these skills was painting, which is the epitome of his fame. War and turmoil were other two factors that influenced da Vinci’s works in his time. Leonardo da Vinci lived at a time when war was rampant in Italy and other parts of the world (Vasari 258). His services, such as designing maps and weapons of war, were well sought after by royalties. During his time in Milan, it is worth mentioning that Leonardo da Vinci served as an engineer in the military. As a result, most of da Vinci’s works were not completed because he often abandoned them during the war. Moreover, religion was significant during Leonardo da Vinci’s time, and the Catholic Church was the dominant church. Religious leaders were powerful and key figures in society. A careful observation of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces relays religious messages or has religious figures in them such as the Last Supper and Adoration of The Magi (O'Malley & Bertrand 27). Besides, he was given painting jobs by the clergy, which shows that he had close relations with the church. The Catholic Church also found it despicable that da Vinci would dissect human corpses to study them. This prompted the pope to ban him from carrying out such activities. Lastly, Leonardo da Vinci’s mentors, such as Verrocchio, to a great extent influenced his artistic work. In most of his works, especially his paintings, he colluded with his mentors in producing them. How Leonardo Da Vinci’s works shaped renaissance The work of Leonardo da Vinci shaped the renaissance in a number of ways. First, Leonardo da Vinci introduced the concept of perspective in renaissance painting (Baxandall 41). Interestingly, renaissance was a time when mathematics, science and art could not be separated, and therefore, da Vinci combined science or nature and mathematical geometry to come up with a new style of painting (Vasari 260). This style of geometrical painting enabled the viewer to observe a painting and see real life. This aspect was developed through perspective created by the use of light and depth. As a result, the combination produced a three dimensional scene in a two dimensional surface. Leonardo da Vinci is known to have introduced the concept of symmetry and proportions in painting as a result of his interest in the structure of human body. For example, Vitruvian Man, he has skillfully fit a human being into two mathematical forms; a circle and a square (Baxandall 41). In the renaissance, this style was referred to as Vitruvian style, which inspired the emergence of proportions in the renaissance art and architecture. As a result, the renaissance artists and architects used the theory to apply mathematics while planning their works. Moreover, Leonardo was one of the most famous artists of the Renaissance period because he was a versatile personality who commanded equal skill in art, science and mathematics. As an engineer, he drew an outline for a parachute and aircraft, designed tanks, machine guns, and movable bridges (Capra 6). Leonardo studied animals and his efforts inspired scientists to explore more on their inside features. An example is the mystery of flight, which he attempted to uncover in his scientific art. Leonardo da Vinci’s Achievements As a painter, Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings are famous, millions have been reproduced, and many people still travel to view his original paintings in Europe. Among his key achievements in painting is, for example, the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa stands out as a painting that has become a classic among da Vinci’s works (Capra 10). The painting is detailed in touch and produces a skillfully thought smile and gaze. The portrait of Mona Lisa is said to have been a wife of one of da vinci’s client; Francesco del Giocondo (Sherwin 19). The Mona Lisa’s fame, besides the pleasing smile that seems divine, arises from the sfumato painting technique; also referred to as Leonardo's smoke. This painting is placed at the Louvre in Paris and has drawn viewers from all over the world. Another famous da Vinci’s painting is the Last Supper; a painting that depicts Christ and his twelve disciples before He was betrayed (Baxandall 41). It remains one of the greatest religious masterpieces to have ever graced the earth. The last supper stands out as a painting that is studied by most people in the world history, and it constitutes the best selling posters of da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci is credited with developing the sfumato and chiaroscuro painting techniques, which deal with application of light shades and dark colors (Baxandall 41). Chiaroscuro is an artistic style where shading is applied on paintings to express movement, while sfumato is the utilization of proportions and shadows so as to bring out the artwork’s background. Moreover, da Vinci was the master and the initiator of perspective in renaissance painting. As a practical scientific artist, he would dissect birds, cows, and reptiles and compare their anatomical structures with those of human beings. The other achievement of Leonardo da Vinci was his applied geography where he drew maps. Records show that in 16th century, maps were not well developed and those which existed were materially inaccurate (Capra 11). He, therefore, embarked on applying his knowledge of proportion and mathematics to come up with accurate maps. A notable instance is the map of the plan for Imola in 1502, which impressed Cesare Borgia so much that he hired Leonardo in the military as an engineer and architect (Richter & Wells 49). Other successful maps produced by da Vinci are maps of Chiana in Tuscany and Roman Southern Coast. These maps, among others, were a hallmark of his achievements and showed his ability to be perfect in any area he delved into. The Effects of Da Vinci’s Work in Renaissance Art In the Renaissance, artists and architects discovered that they could consider symmetry in their designs. They implemented the style and, as a result, many buildings were symmetrically designed. Moreover, the renaissance artists experimented with perspective and realism in their artistic works. Leonardo’s technique of using geometry to design and implement paintings was embraced by renaissance artists. Like most of Leonardo's other works, geometrical shapes formed the painting and aided in creating the painting's dialogue. For instance, in The Last Supper, the twelve disciples are divided into groups of three and Christ is placed at the centre. In this painting, Christ’s hands open inside a three edged shape that represent the divine trinity. Furthermore, Leonardo da Vinci’s research gave birth to sfumato and chiaroscuro techniques of painting, which consider the effects of light and shade. These techniques are some of the most significant parts for making a painting look realistic. Conclusion Leonardo da Vinci stands out as a versatile artist of renaissance. He came up with painting techniques, which he applied in his artworks to achieve realism and stability. He was a curious and an inventive scholar, scientist, and artist. He studied and applied in art human and animal anatomy, the flight of birds, waves and motions in the air. He invented weapons, designed bridges, and other engineering models. He was celebrated in life and is equally famous in death; his works of art are still celebrated worldwide. He truly was a genius who inspired renaissance art than any other artist of the time. References Baxandall, Michael. Painting and Experience in Fifteenth Century Italy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1974. Print. Capra, Fritjof. The Science of Leonardo; Inside the Mind of the Genius of the Renaissance. New York: Doubleday, 2007. Print. O'Malley, Charles & Bertrand John. Leonardo on the Human Body: The Anatomical, Physiological, and Embryological Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. With Translations, Emendations and a Biographical Introduction. New York: Henry Schuman, 1952. Print. Richter, Irma A. & Wells Teresa. Leonardo da Vinci – Notebooks. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print. Sherwin, Nuland B. Leonardo Da Vinci (Penguin Lives). New York: Viking, 2000. Print. Vasari, Giorgio. Lives of the Artists. London: Penguin Classics, 1568. Print. Read More