Back to History and Evolution
Archives.
History and Evolution:
By William E. Steinman:
Part 55, Leonardo da Vinci:
April 12, 2004:
In this essay I continue with the study of Renaissance men by looking into the life and work of the great Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519). Although best know for his paintings, Leonardo was a true genius who excelled in everything he undertook, be it painting, architecture, sculpture, or engineering. To be sure, his most famous works are his "Mona Lisa" and "Last Supper" paintings. The Mona Lisa now hangs in the Louvre in France. The Last supper is a wall painting and remains where it was created at the church of Sta. Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
One little noted, but, in my mind, important aspect of this man's character manifested even in his earliest years. That was his tendency to follow his interests in learning rather than any formal path. Although he was given a normal upper class schooling, it is said he did not bother with higher mathematics at the time. He learned that much later, when it became important to him. The same is true of his encounter with Latin grammar. It seems there may be a lesson here for educators of all time.
On the other hand, Leonardo took quickly to painting, sculpture, and the technical arts. He worked as an apprentice to Andrea del Verrocchio and also worked in the shop of Antonio Pollaiuolo. Both of these men were well know Florence artisans in their own right. With that training, Leonardo was accepted into the painters' guild of Florence when he was just 20 years old.
For reasons unclear, Leonardo abandon his work and left Florence when he was 30 years old. He went to Milan and went into the service of Duke Ludovico Sforza. He received the title of "painter and engineer of the duke" and remained in Milan for 17 years. His tenure ended when the Duke fell from power in 1499. This all had to do with the deaths and successions of French Kings and snorting contests for power.
Leonardo did three major paintings during that period. These were, The "Last Supper", the ceiling painting for the Sala delle Asse in the Milan Castello Sforzesco, and two copies of a painting called "The Virgin of the Rocks". For some unknown reason there was a long legal battle between Leonardo and the folks who commissioned the work. This lead him to do another version. Go figure?
Leonardo also began a grand equestrian sculpture of one of the Dukes famous ancestors, Francesco Sforza. It was to be a gigantic bronze statue. This project came a cropper when the Duke got into trouble. The bronze for the statue got used for making cannons and things went downhill from there.
After the French took over Milan, Leonardo decided to leave. With some stops along the way at Mantua and Venice he arrived at Florence. These were in the times when the Church of Rome had its own army which was lead by the notorious Cesare Borgia. Leonardo entered into his service and spent some time traveling, surveying, and creating maps for the commander. He then returned to Florence and worked on some engineering designs and projects that never came off. One was the route for a canal that would have connected Florence to the sea. A quick look at the map will confirm that as a very ambitious plan. One work that he did complete during this stay in Florence was his Mona Lisa.
Another project that was never completed was a commission to paint a 23 x 56 foot mural for the council hall in Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. Though he worked on it for three years he finally abandon it. One explanation of this was he was invited to visit Milan by Charles d'Amboise, the governor. Also, another thing that kept him away from painting at the time was a new intense interest in things scientific. Leonardo studied anatomy, hydraulics, and flight during his stay in Florence. He wrote extensively on these studies and his resultant findings.
Leonardo went to Milan where he had some high powered patrons including King Louis XII. He did return to Florence for a short time to help Giovanni Francesco Rustici with his bronze statues for the Florence Baptistery. After that he settled in Milan until 1513.
In this second Milan phase of his life, Leonardo became less of an artist and more of a scientist. He studied wrote and made plans for work in physiology, mathematics, optics, mechanics, geology, and botany. We can wonder if he ever had time to sleep. His underlying premise in all of this scientific work seems to be his conviction that force and motion underlie and cause all physical form. He believed that all of these things occur according to well behaved laws.
In 1513 he was forced to leave Milan and go to Rome because of the ongoing political nonsense. Rome was a serious disappointment for Leonardo. Although well supported by Pope Leo X's brother, he found no significant work. In addition he was being upstaged by other giants such as Bramante, Raphael, and Michelangelo. It was a fairly bitter pill for this old master.
Possibly in frustration, Leonardo, now 65, accepted an invitation from King Francis I of France. He left Italy to go into the service of Francis. He was never to return. He spent the remainder of his life near the kings summer palace at Amboise. Francis conferred the title "First painter, architect, and engineer to the King" on Leonardo. He spent most of his remaining days editing and arranging his scientific works and other writings. He died in 1519 and was buried in the palace church of Saint-Florentin. The church was destroyed during the French Revolution and Leonardo's grave was one of the casualties. It cannot be located.
There is no possible doubt that Leonardo da Vinci was the personification
of the renaissance man. He was a giant among giants who still
stood out. For those interested, there is a great deal more to
be learned about this man. I urge all who wish to dive in and
dig deeply. You will not be disappointed.
Back to History and Evolution
Archives.
|
|
|
|