As we turn the pages of history, we come across people who have faced up to and triumphed over adversity with indomitable courage. Their zeal and multi-dimensional personalities inspire the common man and make him forget his inadequacies.
As an artist and scientist of the Renaissance era in Italy, Leonardo da Vinci stands as the tallest achiever and persona. Leonardo da Vinci, the pride of Italy can not be described using 'greatness' as an adjective. His unique way of looking at art changed the course of Italy’s art scene and paved the way for artists to be more creative all over the world. He possessed a multifaceted personality, which influenced numerous areas of learning.
Leonardo’s curiosity and urge to know and explore different branches of knowledge makes him stand out among the other great artists. He was an achiever with a child-like hunger to know things. He took up diverse fields like biology, mathematics and physics. His interest in writing books is well known. He left behind volumes of written material with exquisite pictures. Leonardo strove eagerly for a language that was simple yet expressive.
Birth And Childhood
The emergence and progress of the Renaissance period saw the European nations getting rejuvenated and enlightened. There were massive changes in society, which shaped the coming centuries. The world saw a new beginning in all spheres of knowledge. On April 15, 1452, Leonardo da Vinci was born in a farmhouse in village of Vinci near Florence in Italy. Leonardo’s family lived in this area since the 13th century.
For Leonardo, life was not easy to begin with. Society saw him as the illegitimate son of Sir Piero, a Florentine notary and landlord. His mother Caterina was a young peasant woman who married an artisan from that region. The same year, when Leonardo was born Sir Piero married another woman.
The Baptismal Chapel at fort in Vinci was where Leonardo was christened. Vinci is a small town, placed at the foot of Monte Alabono in Italy. In 1457, Leonardo moved to his grandfather’s house. From this time onwards he was member of his father’s family, but he was never legitimized. He was raised as one of the member of the family and got a normal childhood of a wealthy family. He never had any half-brothers till he was 24, another reason why didn't have to go through the humiliations of illegitimacy. As a child, Leonardo was very curious and alert. He was always full of questions about things unknown to him. In Vinci, Leonardo attended school. His teachers despaired when he questioned and clarified his doubts. He did not learn Latin, which is why he wrote his notes in Italian. He was a normal child of abnormal beauty, almost fascinating people. He used to learn music and sing in his sweet voice. A very humane side of his personality could be seen in his act to buy caged birds and setting them free afterwards. Young Leonardo was always attracted to bright colors and spirited horses.
Leonardo's keen interest in designing and constructing objects lead his father to take him to the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio, a very prominent artist of those days. At the age of 14, Leonardo moved to Florence where he began an apprenticeship in the workshop of Verrocchio, in 1466.
First Stroke
Leonardo started working as an apprentice in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio in 1466. Verrocchio was an artist of fame and ability in Florence at that time. He could recognize the genius in Leonardo and gave him a place in his workshop. Leonardo also worked with some other famous artists like Botticelli, Perugino and Lorenzo di Credi at Verrocchio’s place.
Leonardo loved to work independently. He learned mixing colors and the basics of painting himself just by observing the great hands at work. He taught himself to paint in oils between 1466-72. Verrocchio was employed to paint the famous painting Baptism of Christ and Leonardo was given a chance to paint an angel in the painting, where he clearly surpassed his master in his craft. At the same time, he used to write elaborate notes on his subject but, it seems, he never wanted to publish them some of them were written either in coded language or in mirror writing. This was another that he had mastered.
In June 1472, Leonardo joined the painter’s guild in Florence. He was also listed in the red book of painters from Florence (Campagina de Pittori). Leonardo’s paintings had a distinct character and essence. He always went by his convictions.
The first known and dated work of Leonardo da Vinci is a pen-and-ink drawing of Arnovalley, sketched on 5th August 1473.
On 8th April, Leonardo and four others were denounced. An unknown person declared Leonardo of having a homosexual affair with Jacopo Saltavelli, a model. Leonardo was acquitted of the charge after the intervention of Verrocchio and in absence of any proof. But this incident is said to be the reason of his living a secluded life. Though Sigmund Freud studied his notes and found a note supporting his belief that Leonardo suffered from frigidity. The note read : " The act of procreation and anything that has any relation to it is so disgusting that human beings would soon die out if there were no pretty faces and sensuous dispositions". He never came close to women, which is also a fact.
It is believed that between 1476 and 1478 Leonardo had his own workshop. In 1478, he was commissioned to paint an altarpiece for the Pallazzo Vecchio in Florence. This assignment took him three years before he started a new painting called the Adoration of the Magi for the monarchy of San Donato a Scopeto. He was not able to complete the project as he moved to Milan in 1482. Leonardo settled and worked for Duke Ludovico Sforza in Milan for 18 years. The duke had blind faith in Leonardo’s abilities so he allowed him to work at his free will. He, not only worked as a court artist but also designed festivals, sculpted a colossal equestrian monument for the drinker’s father and worked as an engineer. In the span of 18 years, he became interested in non-artistic matters. He applied his growing knowledge of mechanics to his duties as a civil and military engineer. In addition, he took up different branches of science such as anatomy, biology, mathematics and physics. Amidst such activities, he was able to finish one of his masterpieces – The Last Supper. The year 1499 saw the fall of Milan to the French, which made Leonardo leave the city to seek employment elsewhere. At the age of 47, Leonardo’s zeal and lust for life never decreased. By April 1500, he was back in Florence. During this period, he was a mapmaker and military engineer for Cesave Borgia in Italy. This made his stay at Florence impossible. Again in Florence in 1503, Leonardo took several high profile artistic projects, such as the Battle of Anghiari, mural for the Council Chamber of the Town Hall, the portrait of Mona Lisa, and the lost Leda and the Swan. He never used to while away his time uselessly. His scientific pursuits continued and deepened. His interest in anatomy led him to perform dissections and he undertook a systematic study of the flight of birds.
In 1506, Leonardo returned to Milan and started working for the new French government. Except for a year’s stay in Florence (period of 1507-08), he remained in Milan for seven years. The artistic project, which demanded Leonardo’s total focus, was the equestrian monument to Gian Giacomo Trivulzio. Like the Sforza monument earlier, this project was also never completed. At this point in time he ventured into technical and scientific drawings. In 1513, he traveled to Rome along with Pope Leo X’s brother, Giuliano de Medici, where he stayed for 3 years. In 1516-17, Leonardo left Italy forever to become architectural advisor to King Francis I of France who was a great patron of Leonardo.
Fading Colors
King Francis I took great care of Leonardo. At the court of France, he commanded great respect and popularity. In autumn of 1516, Leonardo arrived in Amboise along with his famous painting Mona Lisa in his baggage. In the small and cozy Castle of Cloud, Leonardo spent his last years. The castle is now called Le Clos Luce. In France, Leonardo didn’t paint but he made hydrological studies.
The next year paralysis struck Leonardo on the right side of his body. Even in this condition, he was keen to continue his hydrological studies. On 23rd April 1519, Leonardo wrote his last Will. Leonardo died on 2nd May 1519 in Amboise, when he was 67 years old.
The Chapel of St Hubert, situated inside the King’s castle in Amboise is the last resting-place of Leonardo da Vinci. Actually, he was buried in the heart of the King’s castle in the cloister of San Florentino. After destruction of the church, the mortal remains of Leonardo da Vinci were transferred to the chapel of St Hubert.
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