Leonardo da Vinci

A Self-Portrait

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was born on April 15th, 1492. Da Vinci was a very influential man who changed the way we live today through his inventions and different thinking. Leonardo da Vinci was multitalented and put his mind to the test in many subjects including philosophy, math, and science. He never had a formal education because he was born illegitimate, which means his parents were unmarried before he was born. He never knew his mother, and his father took him to become an apprentice of a painter in Florence at the age of 12. Da Vinci also bounced around from his homes due to the warring Italian city states. He invented many military weapons for Florence, and Milan. Leonardo was strong in many subjects including math, art, architecture, astronomy, biology, botany, philosophy, and engineering. He made so many life-changing inventions that improved the lives of people in his time and ours. He was also a painter who created many works. His most famous works include the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. In mathematics he studied the works of old philosophers including Plato, Archimedes, and Aristotle. Yet, in anatomy he dissected humans. During his studies he created a method to start questioning almost everything. In this method he used a hypothesis to understand the knowledge. He mostly used the method in his scientific studies. Throughout his life he studied many things and wanted to know everything. He later became known for his knowledge and influence. Leonardo was multitalented and was very good at his work. He had a special way of thinking that he did research to answer questions unlike other scientists of his time. Being a well educated and well rounded, Leonardo da Vinci, accomplished many things.

A Design For An Armored Vehicle

Leonardo da Vinci was a multitalented genius who did many things and had a great influence in areas like art, math, architecture, astronomy, biology, botany, philosophy, and engineering. Leonardo was known everywhere because of what he did. His inventions resemble things we have today including the modern day automobile, the tank, and the helicopter. "Leonardo was also quite active as a military engineer."(Heydenreich). His advances in math, architecture, and engineering helped him become a good inventor. He worked as a civil and military engineer. He created inventions that would help people at his time. Da VInci also was effective in the way he acquired his knowledge. He had a scientific method of finding answers to his questions. "So many things unknown!" he wrote one day. But he wanted - and was determined - to find answers for himself His methods was to start questioning everything. His method was scientific."(Krull) When he studied science he developed a very scientific way to use a hypothesis to conclude his answers. Upon forming this method he started to question a lot of different things. This is how he studied so many different topics like biology, math, and engineering. Leonardo was an influential man who gave much knowledge. He was respected and was a great thinker of his time.

The Last Supper

Leonardo was good at painting coming from his background working in Andrea del Verrocchio's workshop as an apprentice. Painting was a big part of Da Vinci's life because he was good at it and his father encouraged him to become an artist. "About 1478 Leonardo set up his own studio. In 1481 he received a major church commission to build an altar piece, the Adoration of the Magi."(Encyclopedia of World Biography) When he was 10 his father put him in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio as an apprentice. He was a good apprentice who learned and took in the knowledge and really used it. He also used geometric shapes in his paintings to form lines for coloring. Later he setup his own studio. When he created his shop he became like his master because he got his own apprentices and his own projects. Leonardo created many famous works from painting. Some of which are the most famous in the world. "Leonardo's Last Supper (1495-98) is among the worlds most famous paintings in the world."(Heydenreich) Da Vinci's background in painting helped him in his career many times. For example, he was asked many times to paint in places like churches, and monasteries. He only painted a total of 13 paintings both finished and unfinished. Some of them are famous like the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. Leonardo was a good painter but he failed many times to complete paintings. Historians think he would have been great if he had more motivation and productivity.

Leonardo da Vinci died on May 2, 1519, at his home in France. He was 67 years old. Da Vinci displayed many heroic traits including discoveries in the fields of science, math, art, but, most of all, his inventions. Leonardo showed ingenuity through his inventions, creativity through his art, and perseverance through his long studies of the human anatomy, botany, and architecture. Leonardo's advances in so many subjects helped the world invent things that we know today. Leonardo was intelligent, and respected by the people of his time and our time. He always encouraged other artists and scientists in the ways of new ideas. Leonardo always questioned everything in his world and beyond. Da Vinci inspires me because he wanted to know things and used a scientific method of thinking and studying. Without da Vinci, we probably would not have all the creative and new inventions and ideas that we do today. Leonardo was a very influential man who wanted to make the world a better place through inventions and thinking like the scientists and philosophers before him.