Leonardo da Vinci began his apprenticeship at the studio quite late.

It is unclear exactly when Leonardo began working as an apprentice at Florence's most prestigious workshop, Verrocchio's studio. However, it has been hypothesized that Leonardo began his training when he was 17 years old when his father relocated to Florence and listed Leonardo as a dependent on a tax form from 1469.

He would master the fundamentals of engineering and technical arts as well as painting and sculpture techniques here. Chemistry, drawing, metallurgy, and metalworking were among the subjects covered in this. The learner quickly advanced to the level of a master. The far more seasoned artist, Verrocchio, is said to have been so moved by the young man's brilliance that he promised never to paint again after da Vinci painted one of the angels in Verrocchio's painting "The Baptism of Christ."

Due to its proximity to the shop, he also worked at Antonio Pollaiuolo's workshop at the same time. Da Vinci joined the Florence painter's guild when he was 20 years old, but he continued to study under Verrocchio for the following five years before striking out on his own. His first piece of art, a pen-and-ink painting of a landscape, was created in 1473.