Leonardo Da Vinci# summary

In 1464, Piero moved with little Leonardo from Vinci to Florence, a city renowned for its arts and commerce. At the time, there were 83 silk workers, 84 wood carvers and 30 painters living there. On top of that, the city had the highest literacy rate in all of Europe.

It was in Florence that Leonardo really began to flourish. At 14, he started an apprenticeship in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio, an artist and engineer who was also a client of Piero’s.

During the 1470s, Leonardo continued to work in Verrocchio’s studio as a master painter.

While there, he painted a remarkable portrait: Ginevra de Benci. It was his first painting not devoted to a religious theme, and he even managed to demonstrate a whole new style of portraiture.

Though it only took a week to travel from Florence to Milan in 1482, the two cities may as well have been worlds apart. While Florence was a republic where wealthy bankers were highly influential, Milan was ruled over by the Sforza family.

Leonardo had made his way there in the hope of finding a willing patron in Ludovico Sforza, the future Duke of Milan. Leonardo supplied Ludovico with an impressive list of his abilities. He claimed he was proficient in military engineering and so would be able design portable bridges, mobile cannons and armored chariots. Otherwise – Leonardo added tangentially – sculptures and paintings would be his pursuits in times of peace.

In his way, Leonardo was a charmer. Those who knew him described him as radiant, handsome, graceful and a gifted storyteller. According to his first biographer, Vasari, Leonardo’s mere presence could comfort the most troubled soul.

The Sforza court in Milan attracted brilliant minds from all fields. Leonardo set about using his social skills to make connections and create opportunities. Today, we might call it networking.

Vitruvian Man wasn't the only incredible piece of art Leonardo produced during his time in Milan.

The Duke also commissioned him to produce two portraits.

Like every great artist, Leonardo knew that observation was a prized skill. Humans, nature and animals were all subjects of detailed survey in his notebooks. Horses especially crop up repeatedly as he spent years working on a monument of one that was sadly never completed due to the arrival of the invading French forces in 1494.

Otherwise, humans were his main interest. And much of what he witnessed through observation was digested and put into practice in the world-famous The Last Supper.

Around 20 years after Leonardo had boasted to Ludovico Sforza of his skills as a military engineer, he finally faced the true horrors of war.

The year was 1499 and Louis XII’s French troops took Milan and broke up the Duke’s court. The French didn’t object to Leonardo himself; in fact, plans were in place for Leonard to meet the French king. However, the ongoing military conflict meant that Leonardo had to make his way back to Florence.

When Leonardo returned to Florence he met the new kid on the block – Michelangelo, whose statue, David, was a sight to behold.

Presented with such talent, the authorities devised a challenge and commissioned both Leonardo and Michelangelo to paint different sections of the Florence Council Hall.

Before leaving Florence for good, Leonardo took the opportunity to resume his studies of human anatomy.

In many ways, the results of Leonardo’s close examinations of the human body can be counted among his most impressive works. However, they lay undiscovered for many years.

In 1507, Leonardo returned to Milan. Now, though, he found himself far more inclined to work on scientific studies of air, water and geology. These dovetailed nicely with his observations on birds, fish and flying machines.

After a misguided sojourn in Rome between 1513 and 1516, Leonardo suddenly found himself with the patron to end all patrons: the charismatic – like so many of Leonardo’s patrons – King Francis I of France.

Throughout his life, Leonardo strove to understand and unravel the mysteries of the world. It wasn’t because he desired fame or glory, but because he was driven by a deep curiosity.

Specifically, his paintings were exercises in motion and emotion. A simple gesture for Leonardo could reveal a person’s mindset and motives. This approach made him one of history’s greatest painters. Leonardo had breathed life into what was formerly still and static.