Student Article

Leonardo da Vinci stands out as one of the most extraordinary figures of the Renaissance — a period marked by a rebirth in art, science, and human achievement.

Leonardo da Vinci’s early life and education

Born in 1452 in the town of Vinci, Italy, Leonardo was the illegitimate son of a notary and a peasant woman. Despite his humble beginnings, his talent was clear from a young age. At 14, he began training in the Florence workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio, where he mastered painting, sculpture, and mechanical design.

Leonardo’s achievements in art

By the time he reached adulthood, Leonardo was producing remarkable artworks such as The Annunciation, in which his attention to detail, natural settings, and the play of light and shadow marked a new level of realism in painting. One of his first major successes came in Milan, where he worked for Duke Ludovico Sforza not only as a painter but also as a military engineer. There, he created The Last Supper, which became one of the most iconic paintings in Western history, and the Mona Lisa, famous for her mysterious smile.

Leonardo’s curiosity and inventions

What truly set Leonardo apart, however, was not just his art but the vast range of his intellectual pursuits. He was obsessed with understanding how things worked — from the human body to the mechanics of flight. His notebooks, filled with thousands of sketches and observations, reveal a mind constantly exploring. He dissected human corpses to study anatomy, sketched designs for helicopters and submarines, and imagined weapons of war that wouldn’t be built for centuries.

Leonardo’s work in Milan and beyond

Leonardo’s curiosity was insatiable. He examined everything: how birds fly, how water flows, how cities could be better organized. His designs, though many remained unbuilt, demonstrated a deep understanding of engineering principles far ahead of his time. He believed that art and science were deeply connected — each could help explain the other. Later in life, Leonardo found patronage with the French king, Francis I. He spent his final years at the Château du Clos Lucé in Amboise, France, continuing to work and reflect.

Leonardo’s legacy

Leonardo died in 1519 at the age of 67. Though many of his writings were scattered and lost after his death, modern scholars have pieced together enough to recognize Leonardo not just as an artistic genius but as a visionary thinker. His work inspires people to combine creativity with curiosity — to seek knowledge not only to understand the world but also to imagine a better one.

© Marina Wallace / www.historyextra.com