Leonardo_Da_Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci Name: Institution: Topic proposal According to Frank Zöllner, most of Leonardo da Vinci art, drawings, painting, and scientific research are known because of the notes he wrote. Da Vinci was not only an artist but also had interest in anatomy, architecture, hydronamics, sculpture, and painting. (Zöllner, 2000). Leonardo da Vinci began his artistic interest at a very young age. Although his father wanted him to study law, Leonardo’s interest in drawing and painting overcame his father’s wish. My essay will focus on the early artistic life of Leonardo da Vinci under his master Verrocchio. Since Leonardo’s life was consumed in drawing, painting, and art, this paper will focus on his personal professional life and exceptional artistic works. Born in Italy 1452, Leonardo loved nature as a child, which later helped in developing skills in drawing. His first completed independent painting, the Annunciation clearly displays his ingenuity and influences from Verrocchio’s workshop. Leonardo’s art, drawings, and paintings depicts his ingenuity and creativity that every painter would identify. His arts were extraordinary and remarkable, and almost always favourable. He was an attractive, multi-talented young man who astonished his contemporaries as a visual artist. However, he was known to start most of his works without finishing them (Cremante, 2005). This essay will thoroughly cover the art, drawings, and paintings of Leonardo da Vinci from his childhood to his adulthood. Introduction Leonardo da Vinci was born in mid-fifteenth century in Tuscany, a region of central Italy. In his entire life, Leonardo came into contact with some of the key figures in European art, politics, and science. Leonardo became an apprentice to Andrea del Verrocchio in the cultured city of Florence. Verrocchio was one of the most outstanding artists of the time. Da Vinci represents new understanding of the world, the nature, the mysteries, and the human kind among the artists of Renaissance. During his childhood, Leonardo explored the southern slopes of Mount Albano gazing at the distant Arno, thus becoming familiar with flowers, trees, animals, and rocks. These were stuck in his memory together with the olives and vineyards groves below the village and the woods of chestnuts and oak trees. Leonardo’s Artistic Works Leonardo da Vinci was encouraged into the world of art by his uncle and tutor Francesco. Leonardo also had lessons in music and excelled highly in playing the lyre. Although he was quick to learn music and other subjects, Leonardo’s interest still remained in art. Leonardo’s limitless curiosity made him a regular visitor at workshops of painters, goldsmiths, sculptors, which could be found in almost every street in Florence. He also developed interested in the tools and machinery that were being used by the artists and architects as he watched new works of art being created. Leonardo made drawings of trees, birds, insects and plants on his visits to the countryside to enhance his observation powers. He was headed to a different direction of art although his father wanted him to study law. The city of Florence offered Leonardo great opportunities as a young man interested in drawing and art. At the age of twelve, Leonardo was admitted into Verrocchio’s workshop as an apprentice and began by learning some simple tasks such grinding and mixing paints and sweeping the floor. At the age of seventeen, he was considered mature enough to make up some drawings. He learned the techniques of line drawing and shading in silverpoint and master guidance as well as how to make rapid ink sketches. He also learnt secrets of perspective and how to bring portrait to life. From the beginning of his career as a painter, Leonardo was asked to help in the painting of the Baptism of Christ due to his unique ability of blending colors to create a clear, translucent atmosphere. For this task in painting the Baptism of Christ, he was asked to paint the head of one of the angels and the landscape behind the angels. Research and stories say that Leonardo painted the angel so perfectly that Verrocchio decided to give up painting. He consequently broke his painting brush as a sign of surrender to the young student’s superior skills. The training that Leonardo received from Verrocchio led to his perfection in painting, which became the hallmark of his later works. Da Vinci was known for his absolute pleasure of drawing minute, almost quirky sketches of figures that are in motion, completed with energetic, short, stroke from the paintbrush. Leonardo’s first work is dated back in 1473 in his drawing of the Landscape of the Arno Valley which gave rise to the anecdote related by Vasari. His other independent works are the Annunciation (Florence, Galleria delgi Uffizi) the Portrait of Ginevra Benci (Washington, National Gallery), some Madonnas that have been identified as the Madonna of the Carnation (Munich, Alte Pinacoteche), and Benois Madonna (St. Petersburg, Heritage). In 1478, Leonardo received an important commission to paint an altarpiece for the Chapel of San Bernardo in Palazzo Vecchio, but this work was never accomplished. This was perhaps due to the political upheaval occurring in that year to consequent to the Pazzi Conspiracy. Leonardo da Vinci moved to Milan after leaving Verrocchio’s workshop. During his first years in Milan, he signed a contract to paint the Virgin of the Rocks, painted the Portrait of Musician (Ambrosiana), and drew up series of projects for the lantern on the Duomo. He further designed elaborate decorative sets for wedding celebrations and organized numerous performances and festivals at court. Leonardo occasionally perfected scenographic devices of his invention that were designed to arouse amazement in the spectators. Da Vinci designed a complicated theatrical machine that reproduced the heavens, the planets, and the stars with “special effects” provided by moving parts and play of lights when the famous “Festa del Paradiso” (Paradise Feast) was held. For his “il Moro” piece of art, Leonardo painted two portraits of women: first was the young Cecilia Gallerani, the Lady with the Ermine, and then Lucrezia Crivelli, the Portrait of a Lady, (La Belle Ferronmniere). Leonardo began the work on the portrait of Monna Lisa del Giocondo also known as the Mona Lisa, or Gioconda, a painting on which he was to work up to when he died. Leonardo also showed much interest in doing research especially when his services were required by Lorenzo, the brother to Pope Leo X in Rome. He engaged mainly in scientific and technological research. His interest in the study of water was reflected in his series of drawings of the Deluges. Leonardo resolved to evoke an extremely remote past when in his vision, he was absorbed by his vision whose theme was the upheaval of the forces of nature. Why Da Vinci' Leonardo da Vinci’s artistic works are tantalizing with great ingenuity, thus I took keen interest to study and research on his works. At an early age, Leonardo had already mastered the rudiments of his future career even before he became an apprentice. The young Leonardo displayed extraordinary talent as a draughtsman although his father and master Verrocchio may have embellished. In his generation, no other artist left behind such a wide, validated means of graphic works and drawings. Leonardo’s carefully executed his drawings which served him as studies and guide for draperies in his later paintings. Da Vinci’s drawings and graphics are original with great ingenuity since they were sense and creative models. In addition, Leonardo displayed his skills when drawing the “Baptism of Christ” where he clearly painted the angel painted so perfectly that Verrocchio, his master decided to give up painting. Da Vinci also had other abilities and interests such as scientific and technological research which he represented some of them in his drawings. Conclusion Leonardo’s studies from nature and from life were of direct practical use in his paintings and graphics. In many other artists’ paintings, the background portrayed fabrics and draperies while the background of Leonardo’s paintings was filled with landscape full of paintings of trees, flowers, and birds. His painting on the Baptism of Christ is a clear demonstration of dependence and independence at the same time. The painting showed that Leonardo could practice independent painting despite doing the painting together with his master, Andrea. His other collaborations with Verrocchio proved that his painting had skillful technical capacity and remarkable talent of composition. Despite his creative artistic works, Da Vinci was well known for starting works or paintings but leaving them without finishing. Therefore, many of the other artistic works executed by Leonardo has dim information about them. Leonardo was not only known for his multi-talent and endearing creativity who not only astonished his contemporaries as a visual artist but also an impressive musician and scientist. References Cremante, S. (2005). Leonardo da Vinci. Milan: Giunti Editore. Zöllner, F. (2000). Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519. London: Taschen.