Leonardo Da Vinci: A True Renaissance Man

The Renaissance was a memorable time period that originated in Italy and took place between the 13th and 17th century. It was the considered the “rebirth” of the classical world. Mathematics, art, science, and engineering were widely studied throughout this time period. Leonardo da Vinci was a man who lived during the Renaissance and is well-known for studying and excelling in a variety of topics. Leonardo da Vinci fits the definition of a true Renaissance man because of his accomplishments and contributions to the fields of mathematics, art, science and engineering. After beginning in Italy in the mid 1300s, the Renaissance then spread to other parts of Europe in the 1400s and 1500s. The Renaissance began with the rediscovery of the classical

Artists had to make their own paint and paint brushes. To make paint they had an egg base and for different colors they would add different ingredients into the mixture. For paint brushes, hairs from animals were stuck into a wooden handle (Edwards 16). Leonardo grew up working in the art studio of another well known artist, Verrocchio. In his many years of working under him, da Vinci learned to make paint and brushes. After da Vinci left Verrocchio’s studio, he went on to accomplish many great things in the field of art such as painting “The Mona Lisa”. However, since da Vinci rarely recorded personal information of exact dates, the exact year he painted “The Mona Lisa” is unknown (Kallen 11). This painting is especially known for the mastery of technical innovations and the mysteriousness of the legendary smiling subject. The famous piece is now hanging in a museum in Paris. Along with painting “The Mona Lisa”, da Vinci also painted “The Last Supper” beginning in 1495 and finishing in 1497 (Kallen 13). Da Vinci’s stylistic innovations are very apparent in this painting and he reintroduced a style from more than a generations earlier by Masaccio (“Leonardo da Vinci”). Masaccio was known as the father of Florentine painting. The way he reintroduced Masaccio’s style was by showing the twelve apostles grouped in units of three, which then framed the figure of Christ, instead of showing the apostles as individual figures. The fact that these pieces are still widely recognized today prove that da Vinci made significant contributions to the field of art. Leonardo da Vinci is extremely well-known for his art, however, he did a lot of work with other subjects too which makes him very true to the time