His Early Life

Leonardo was the illegitimate son of Messer Piero Fruosino da Vinci, a wealthy and powerful local lawyer and Caterina. He was born in a Tuscan village town of Vinci and his rural upbringing shaped how he thought about the world. He had a revolutionary way of thinking and he always looked for answers not just in the books of antiquity or the Bible, but in the natural world too. Leonardo was not fluent in Latin, the academic language of the time, and he never received a formal education. He had to be content with some guidance that he received at home on certain subjects. But this did not hold him back. He wrote in his journals and letters that knowledge does not begin with the study of Latin. Instead, it begins with experience and he claimed himself to be a disciple of experience.

da Vinci, ‘A Tall Man and Left-handed Genius’

Leonardo was a tall man, standing about six feet four inches. At a time when left-handed was considered a curse, he flaunted his left-handedness. He wrote his private journals from right to left as he was primarily left-handed. One can read his writings in a conventional way, from left to right, only with the help of a mirror placed in front of it, in other words, mirror images. Experts feel that Leonardo did that to keep his research secret because the ideas that he was developing would have been disapproved of by the then religious institutions, namely, Church. He could draw with one hand and write with the other. Leonardo never married or had children. He was known as the ‘original Renaissance man’ and besides being a painter, he was also a scientist, musician, engineer and mathematician. He was reportedly persecuted on the allegation of having an unnatural physical relationship with another male and the charges were later dropped for lack of evidence.

da Vinci, ‘A Vegetarian and Animal Lover’

Leonardo was a vegetarian and was concerned about animal welfare. According to the 26th-century biographer, Vasari, Leonardo had the habit of buying caged birds and releasing them. His father moved to Florance and registered Leonardo as a collector in a tax collector’s office. At the age of 17, Leonardo started as an apprentice in Verrocchio’s studio, which was one of the most respected workshops in Florance at that time.

‘Mona Lisa‘, a Philosophical Piece For Him

Leonardo’s famous painting ‘Mona Lisa’ became a philosophical piece for him as, according to him, it showcases his investigations and ideas, his ideas about human anatomy, his observations of the natural world and the effects of atmosphere, etc. ‘Mona Lisa’ is one of art history’s most famous portraits ever painted as well as the one instantly recognizable artwork. Leonardo painted this artwork at the start of the 16th century which has fascinated viewers all over the world for centuries. Its technical excellence and the subject have raised a great deal of interest in the minds of art lovers. The painting is also known as ‘Portrait of Lisa Gherardini’. The painter has made use of his scientific knowledge and artistic experience to accurately capture the curious and intriguing expression of the face and eyes of the subject of the painting so much so that the eyes are said to be following you wherever you stand opposite the painting.

‘Soft Smile, Wandering Eyes and Sly Smirk’ on her face

According to experts, this subject is looking at viewers with a soft smile on her face, her wandering eyes and sly smirk have been the central topic of debate since the artwork’s debut. This is because her ‘puzzling smile’ is said to say too much and not enough at the same time. However, some historians have called the painting ‘overrated’. According to them, their observations are caused because of ‘her small size’ and some others believe that da Vinci left the artwork incomplete due to her lack of eyebrows’. The painting occupied the centre stage of global attention after it was stolen and later recovered. It is said that the painting broke the Guinness World Record for being insured at US$100 million. It was estimated to be worth over US$870 million in 2021.

‘Architect to the King’ in France

Leonardo left Italy for good in 1516 when the French ruler Francis I generously offered him the title of ‘Premier Painter and Engineer and Architect to the King’. The title allowed him to paint and draw at his leisure while living in a country manor house near Amboise in France.

His Famous Sketch ‘Hanging of Bernardo Baroncelli’

‘Hanging of Bernardo Baroncelli in Florence’ is one of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous sketches that he made after Baroncelli was hanged in 1479. Bernardo Bandini Baroncelli was an Italian merchant, who was one of the instigators of the Pazzi conspiracy. As the opening stroke of the Pazzi conspiracy, Giuliano de Medici was assassinated on Easter Sunday on 26 April 1478. Baroncelli was arrested in Constantinople and was hanged on 29 December 1478 at the Palao del Bargello.

Leonardo died at Clos Luce on 2 May 1519 at the age of 67, possibly of a stroke.