Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian polymath who spanned many disciplines, from painting and sculpture to anatomy, engineering and architecture. His artistic and scientific legacy made him one of the most influential figures in history. This biography details his life, work and contributions to humanity.
Childhood and early years Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452 in Vinci, a small town in the Florence region of Italy. The illegitimate son of Sir Piero da Vinci, a notary, and Caterina, the daughter of a peasant, he grew up in a rural environment that fostered his curiosity for nature. From her youth she displayed an extraordinary talent for drawing and observing the natural world.
Studying in Florence In 1466 Leonardo moved to Florence and began his studies in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio, one of the most respected artists of the time. There he learned various artistic techniques such as oil painting, sculpture and perspective. His talent soon surpassed that of his master, as evidenced by his contribution to the “Baptism of Christ”, in which the representation of an angel is far superior to that of Verrocchio himself.
In the late 1470s Leonardo took a post in Florence, but in 1482 he moved to Milan to work under the patronage of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. There he not only painted but also devoted himself to the design of war machines, architecture and anatomy. During this period, he created some of his most famous works, such as “Virgin of the Rocks” and “The Last Supper” (1495-1498), a fresco revolutionary in composition and perspective.
Leonardo was a tireless researcher of nature and the human body. He filled many notebooks with detailed anatomical drawings, designs for flying machines and studies of mechanics and hydrodynamics. The famous “Vitruvio Man” is an example of his obsession with proportion and symmetry in the human body.
Back in Florence and the foundation of the Mona Lisa After the fall of the Sforza in Milan in 1500, Leonardo returned to Florence, where he worked on various projects. Between 1503 and 1506 he painted “La Mona Lisa”, one of the most iconic works in art history. The delicacy of the sfumato technique and the mysterious expression of the model made it an undisputed masterpiece.
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