Leonardo da Vinci

Another most famous Renaissance genius, Leonardo da Vinci, a visionary painter, sculptor, and architect, represented the ideal person throughout the Renaissance. His paintings Last Supper (1495 - 1488) and Mona Lisa are the most well-known (c. 1503-06).

In his formative years, Leonardo studied the fundamentals including reading, writing, and mathematics. He was born in Florence, Italy to Ser Piero and Catarina. He began working as a shadow artist for Andrea del Verrocchio when he was 15 years old. There, he learned a variety of skills, including painting, sculpture, and technical mechanical arts.

During his time in Milan, he produced six paintings, including the massive wall painting of the Last Supper, which is one of his most well-known pieces. He worked as a hydraulic and mechanical engineer in addition to painting. He is especially famous for his painting Vitruvian Man, which illustrates the complex bond between man and nature. The Last Supper is a combination of colossal simplicity and scenic composition; the painting depicts the tension incident that starts with one of the disciples and spreads to the next disciple until bouncing off all 12 of them, who are positioned facing the Christ.

While Christ is the only one who is unperturbed and is sleeping peacefully, Leonardo depicted a time of intense tension between the Apostles. The Mona Lisa became the new standard for all other portraits after it. Every careful eye will notice the astonishing fusion of the sitter and the surroundings, which is a reflection of the inextricable bonds between man and nature.

Born: April 15, 1452

Died: May 2, 1519 (aged 67)

Notable Works: “Battle of Anghiari”; “Last Supper”; “Leda”; “Mona Lisa”