Leonardo Da Vinci
                     LEONARDO 
DA VINCI
Introduction
Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance artist and engineer, 
known for paintings like "The Last Supper" and "Mona Lisa,” 
and for inventions like a flying machine.
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Who Was Leonardo 
da Vinci?
Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance painter, sculptor, 
architect, inventor, military engineer and draftsman the 
epitome of a true Renaissance man. 
Gifted with a curious mind and a brilliant intellect, da Vinci 
studied the laws of science and nature, which greatly 
informed his work. 
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Early Life
Da Vinci was born in a farmhouse outside the village of 
Anchiano in Tuscany, Italy on April 15, 1452.
Born out of wedlock to respected Florentine notary Ser Piero 
and a young peasant woman named Caterina, da Vinci was 
raised by his father and his stepmother. 
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Education
Young da Vinci received little formal education beyond basic 
reading, writing and mathematics instruction, but his artistic 
talents were evident from an early age.
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Early Works
At the age of 20, da Vinci qualified for membership as a 
master artist in Florence’s Guild of Saint Luke and 
established his own workshop. However, he continued to 
collaborate with del Verrocchio for an additional five years.
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Baptism of Christ
It is thought that del Verrocchio completed his “Baptism of 
Christ” around 1475 with the help of his student, who 
painted part of the background and the young angel holding 
the robe of Jesus. 
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Leonardo da Vinci: 
Paintings
Although da Vinci is known for his artistic abilities, fewer 
than two dozen paintings attributed to him exist. One 
reason is that his interests were so varied that he wasn’t a 
prolific painter.
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Mona Lisa
In 1503, da Vinci started working on what would become his 
most well-known painting and arguably the most famous 
painting in the world the “Mona Lisa.” 
The privately commissioned work is characterized by the 
enigmatic smile of the woman in the half-portrait, which 
derives from da Vinci’s sfumato technique.
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Flying Machine
Perhaps his most well-known invention is a flying machine, 
which is based on the physiology of a bat. 
These and other explorations into the mechanics of flight 
are found in da Vinci's Codex on the Flight of Birds, a study 
of avian aeronautics, which he began in 1505.
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Da Vinci’s Study of 
Anatomy and Science
Da Vinci thought sight was humankind’s most important 
sense and eyes the most important organ, and he stressed 
the importance of “knowing how to see.” 
He believed in the accumulation of direct knowledge and 
facts through observation.
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Sculptures
Da Vinci sculpted a life-size clay model of the statue, but 
the project was put on hold when war with France required 
bronze to be used for casting cannons, not sculptures. 
After French forces overran Milan in 1499 and shot the clay 
model to pieces da Vinci fled the city along with the duke 
and the Sforza family. 
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