In addition to his anatomical investigations, da Vinci studied botany, geology, zoology, hydraulics, aeronautics and physics. He sketched his observations on loose sheets of papers and pads that he tucked inside his belt. Da Vinci placed the papers in notebooks and arranged them around four broad themes—painting, architecture, mechanics and human anatomy. He filled dozens of notebooks with finely drawn illustrations and scientific observations.
Ludovico Sforza also tasked da Vinci with sculpting a foot-tall bronze equestrian statue of his father and founder of the family dynasty, Francesco Sforza. With the help of apprentices and students in his workshop, da Vinci worked on the project on and off for more than a dozen years. Da Vinci sculpted a life-size clay model of the statue, but the project was put on hold when war with France required bronze to be used for casting cannons, not sculptures.
After French forces overran Milan in — and shot the clay model to pieces — da Vinci fled the city along with the duke and the Sforza family. After years of work and numerous sketches by da Vinci, Trivulzio decided to scale back the size of the statue, which was ultimately never finished. Da Vinci returned to Milan in to work for the very French rulers who had overtaken the city seven years earlier and forced him to flee. He did little painting during his second stint in Milan, however, and most of his time was instead dedicated to scientific studies.
Amid political strife and the temporary expulsion of the French from Milan, da Vinci left the city and moved to Rome in along with Salai, Melzi and two studio assistants. His new patron, however, also gave da Vinci little work. Lacking large commissions, he devoted most of his time in Rome to mathematical studies and scientific exploration. Along with Melzi, da Vinci departed for France, never to return. As in Rome, da Vinci did little painting during his time in France. One of his last commissioned works was a mechanical lion that could walk and open its chest to reveal a bouquet of lilies.
Da Vinci died of a probable stroke on May 2, , at the age of In about , he moved to Milan to work for the ruling Sforza family as an engineer, sculptor, painter and architect.
Da Vinci was in Milan until the city was invaded by the French in and the Sforza family forced to flee. He may have visited Venice before returning to Florence.
During his time in Florence, he painted several portraits, but the only one that survives is the famous 'Mona Lisa' In , da Vinci returned to Milan, remaining there until This was followed by three years based in Rome.
For example, one of Leonardo's first big breaks was to paint an angel in Verrochio's "Baptism of Christ," and Leonardo was so much better than his master's that Verrochio allegedly resolved never to paint again.
Leonardo stayed in the Verrocchio workshop until Seeking to make a living, and new challenges, he entered the service of the Duke of Milan in , abandoning his first commission in Florence, "The Adoration of the Magi". He spent 17 years in Milan, leaving only after Duke Ludovico Sforza's fall from power in It was during these years that Leonardo reached new heights of scientific and artistic achievement. The Duke kept Leonardo busy painting and sculpting and designing elaborate court festivals, but he also had Leonardo design weapons, buildings, and machinery.
From to , Leonardo produced studies on many subjects, including nature, flying machines, geometry, mechanics, municipal construction, canals and architecture designing everything from churches to fortresses. His studies from this period contain designs for advanced weapons, including a tank and other war vehicles, various combat devices, and even submarines.
As Europe prepares to mark the th anniversary of his death, we look at his achievements in art, science — and even flight. Leonardo was born in , apparently in a Tuscan village called Anchiano, not far from Vinci, and died in France in He may be best known as an artist but he was also an engineer, thinker and inventor.
These included ideas that would only become a reality hundreds of years later, such as flying machines — although Giorgione warns against embracing hindsight and seeing Leonardo as a visionary.
Perhaps surprisingly Leonardo wrote his diaries in the mirror image of normal script, although quite why remains something of a mystery. As a teenager Leonardo trained in the workshop of the famous Renaissance artist Andrea del Verrocchio where all sorts of activities were on the go from drawing and painting to sculpture and metalwork — including making armour.
While still training with Verrocchio, it is thought that Leonardo could have been involved in making the huge gilded copper ball that sits on top of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore — he was certainly on the scene when it was hoisted into place in and made sketches of the lifting devices used.
In Leonardo was registered as a painter his own right, although he continued to collaborate with Verrochio. A bit of both.
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