Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci

Portrait of Leonardo ( ())

The person that is my hero is Leonardo da Vinci, the famous artist from the Renaissance. He is my hero for many reasons. He inspired me to try new things and never give up. He has said that a kite, a bird similar to an eagle, swooped down into his cradle and brushed its tail between his lips. He didn't know whether he was dreaming or not.

In a small farmhouse near Vinci, Italy on April 15, 1452, the world famous painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist,mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer was born. That Italian Renaissance person is Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci.

Vinci never attended public school. He was educated in his father's house, receiving the usual elementary education of reading, writing and arithmetic. In 1467 Vinci became an apprentice, learning how to paint, sculpt and acquiring technical and mechanical skills. Vinci got accepted into the painters' guild in Florence in 1472, even though he kept working as an apprentice until 1477. After that, he worked as a painter.

Vinci was in the service of the Duke of Milan between 1482 and 1499. Vinci was described as a painter and engineer in a list of the Duke's staff. Vinci also completed six paintings during his time in the Duke's service. He advised the Duke on architecture, fortifications and military matters.

The Famous Mona Lisa (www.google.com/images (Leonardo))

Vinci got interested in geometry, so Vinci read Leon Battista Alberti's books on architecture and Piero della Francesca's book called On Perspective in Painting. Of course, one of the main reasons Leonardo da Vinci is famous is because he painted the "Mona Lisa," one of the most valued paintings in the world.