The Life, Times and Influence of Leonardo Da Vinci

The artist who created the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa, was so brilliant and versatile that some observers today believe he may have been an alien visitor from an advanced civilization. While there is no evidence of this, given da Vincis massive contributions to multiple fields of discipline and legacy as the worlds greatest Renaissance Man, it is readily understandable how people today might think this. To determine the facts, the purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the relevant literature concerning the life and times of Leonardo da Vinci (hereinafter da Vinci) to describe what kind of man he was and how he influenced his contemporaries and those who came after him. Following this review, the paper provides a summary of da Vincis life and contributions in the conclusion.

da Vincis Early Life

Born on April 15, 1452 in a small eponymous town, da Vincis father, Ser Piero, was a relatively well-to-do landlord and notary while his mother, Caterina di Meo Lippi, was the daughter of a local peasant family (. Interestingly, da Vinci was an illegitimate child with no surname which is the reason he simply signed his numerous works, da Vinci (in Italian, literally of [the] Vinci) (Palmer 2018). When he turned 14 years old, da Vinci accepted an apprenticeship with the artist and sculptor, Andrea del Verrocchio where he gained his early exposure to sculpting, model making and painting. In addition, da Vinci also began his acquisition of various technical skills that were sere him well in his later career such as mechanics and metalworking. Further, da Vinci also began his lifelong study of human anatomy and completed many drawings of human bodies that were later used for medical research into anatomy until modern times.

da Vincis Adult Career

During the early part of his adult career, da Vinci worked for various masters including Lorenzo de Medici who provided him with several commissions for artworks, including his famous, The Adoration of the Magi which he completed in 1481 at the age of 29 years....…had a major impact on scientific thought with his detailed studies in anatomy which are still studied today. He was among one of the first people to accurately describe human anatomy through drawings instead of relying on existing texts written by ancient Greek physicians (Pagal-Hogan 2020). Likewise, da Vinci made significant contributions to the field of mathematics such as developing theories related to flight mechanics that would later be used during World War I when aircraft became an integral part of warfare tactics. Indeed, da Vinci is even credited with inventing the first self-propelled vehicle that would inspire others to invent the modern-day automobile (Hooper 2004).

Conclusion

The research showed that Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant and versatile man who was known for his artistic abilities, as well as his curiosity and skill in a wide range of fields, including science, engineering, anatomy, and more. Taken together, it is clear that da Vinci was the quintessential Renaissance man who is widely regarded as one of the greatest minds in human history today. His skills as an artist, inventor, and scientist…