The Leonardo Da Vinci Gateway
Florentine Artist, great master of the High Renaissance (1452 - 1519)
This site is dedicated to one of the greatest artists and observationalist of all time, Leonardo Da Vinci.
The eventual goal of this site is to become one of the more comprehensive
depositories of all the works of Leonardo Da Vinci including paintings, drawings,
sketches, writings, and other creations by the masterful artist. But
we realize this is will be an almost neverending task as new creations, commentaries,
theories, and revelations are continually surfacing. But it is my hope,
nevertheless, that many will find utility from this site, despite the fact
that it can never truly be considered complete - like all other such attempts
to define and express this great man. In the end, I suppose, this site
will serve as nothing more than yet another gateway -- a gateway into the
life and works of Leonardo Da Vinci.
A (very) brief account of the life of Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci was born
April 15, 1452 in the small town of Vinci which is located near Florence
Italy. He was said to be the son of a peasant woman and a wealthy Florentine
notary. Sometime in the 1460's, his family moved to Florence - the
artistic center of Italy at the time - where he recieved one of the better
educations available in the city. Leonardo, not surprisingly,
advanced rapidly through the ranks socially due to his handsome and persuasive
nature. Already known as a fine musician and improvisor, around 1466
he was first apprenticed as a studio boy to Andrea del Verrocchio, a famous
Florentine painter and sculpter. Here his talents were immediately
recognized by the master, who it is said, was so taken back by his skill
that he vowed to quit painting.
It was not long,
however, until Leonardo became an independent master. Soon enough,
he had his first commision which was to paint an alterpiece for the chapel
of the Palazzo Vecchio -- the Florentine town hall. Ironically enough,
however, Leonardo never did finish this work. In addition, his first
large painting, The Adoration of the Magi (started 1481) ordered by the Monestery
of San Donato a Scopeto was also left finished. The reader will see
that this is a common trait of the great artist, and perhaps one of few vices
that he possessed -- for one reason or another, Leonardo often lost interest
or gave up on his projects and works before completion. Somne other
works done during this youthful period include Benois Madonna (1478), portrait
Ginerva de' Benci (1474), and another unfinished work, Saint Jerome (1481).
Later Leonardo went to Milan, Italy around 1482 and entered
the service of the then duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza after he was said to
have written a letter to the duke confiding that he was able to make various
armamnets and interesting devices including mobile bridges, better cannons,
ships, armoured vehicles, and other interested yet sometimes terrifying devices
of war. The duke made him the principal engineer and Leonardo Da Vinci
became active in the duke's military endeviours as well as archetectural
feats. It was during this time, of course, that Leonardo made
many interesting sketches and drawings of various war machines. Often
this period is overlooked by persons wondering why Leonardo devised such
odd contraptions - indeed, some have even questioned his sanity or nature
- but from this information it can probablyy be assumed that many of these
works were made on behalf of the duke.
Around 1502 Leonardo left the service of the duke and
entered the service of Cesare Borgia the duke of Romagna and interestingly
enough, the son and cheif general of Pope Alexander VI. Under the duke,
Leonardo surpervised the work on fortresses in central Italy. Around
this time, Leonardo also painted several portraits including the famous Mona
Lisa (1506) - also known as La Gioconda named after the presumed husband
of the mysterious woman. Around 1506, Leonardo then left for Milan
again. and at the summons of the French governor, Charles d' Amboise. Then
about a year later he was named court painter to King Louis XII of France.
Leonardo then became preoccupied for the next seven years visiting
various family members and looking after his inheritance. Eventually
in Milan he worked on a equestian figure as a monument to Glan Giacomo Trivulzio
who was commander of the French forces of the city. Again, Leonardo
did not finish this work despite his high asperations for building the monumnet
some 40 feet tall and it was eventually used for target practice by enemy
forces. This work only survives today in drawings and studies done
as practice for the monument. Finally, from 1514 to 1516, Leonardo
went to Rome to live under his most generous patron Pope Leo X where he was
housed in the Palazzo Belvedere in the Vatican. It was here that he
was said to have fiocused primarily on scientific experimentation and this
is the source period of many of his works on anotomy. It was also here,
it is said, that the pope put a stop to his dissction of human cadavers,
which Leonardo relied on for his studies. From 1516 to his death in
1519 he resided in France under the service of King Francis I spending his
years at the Chateau de Cloux where he died on May 2, 1519.