LEONARDO da VINCI
Unlike Raphael and Donatello, much has been written about Leonardo da Vinci.
Leonardo was born in the town of Vinci (just west of Florence), the illegitimate son of Piero Fruosino di Antonio, a notary. Being illegitimate, he was not allowed to take the name of his father, and so was simply called Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo from Vinci).
Since early childhood, Leonardo showed an unquenchable sense of curiosity, imagination and creativity. He was fascinated by the workings of nature: how birds fly, why stars move, why the heart beats, etc. Everywhere he walked, he would stop to notice a flower blooming from a bud, or a frog growing from a tadpole. His questions were endless, and his curiosity was boundless
At 13, he was admitted into one of Florence’s premiere art workshops, led by the famous Maestro Andrea del Verrocchio. As an apprentice, Leonardo showed an unusually great capacity for the arts. Once he was asked to paint an angel in a Verrocchio project called “The Baptism of Christ” (pg 44). Verrocchio was so dumbstruck and intimidated by the sheer genius of his young student that he vowed never to pick up a brush again!
Leonardo moved around Italy at the behest of notable patrons such as the Duke Ludovico Sforza with whom da Vinci worked for nearly 18 years. Later, he acquired commissions from such notable patrons as Giuliano de’ Medici, and the King of France, for whom he created such famous works of art as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper.
At the age of 67 Leonardo died supposedly in the arms of the King of France, in the beautiful Loire Valley township of Amboise, although this belief has since been brought into question.
Exerpt from Florence Travel book FLORENCE GEMS & GIANTS by Patty Civalleri.
1-Minute da Vinci
