Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) the great painter

 

                                            Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)

 

“While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning   how to die.”                                                            - Leonardo Da Vinci

                                                                                           

   Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the greatest figures of the era of Renaissance. His versatility, evident from his success as an artist and a scientist has stood the test of time and his contributions are acknowledged even today. However, the world knows him mainly as the painter of ‘Mona Lisa’, the most famous painting in history. Leonardo was born in Florence in 1452. He was the son of Ser Piero, a Florentine landlord and Caterina, a young peasant woman. He received elementary education in reading, writing and arithmetic and when he was 15, he was apprenticed to Andrea Del Verrocchio, an Italian painter. He showed early signs of mastery by his paintings like ‘The Adoration of the Magi’ and ‘St Jerome’.

    In 1482, Leonardo entered the services of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, whom he served for 17 years. Here he worked as the official painter, sculptor and technical advisor. As a painter, he completed just six works in 17 years. Important among them were a portrait of ‘Cecilia Gallerani’ and the ‘Last Supper’. The originals of a few of these works are yet to be found. Leonardo also worked for 12 years for a monumental equestrian statue in bronze to honour Francesco Sforza, the founder of Sforza dynasty. However the work was never completed.

     Leonardo Da Vinci also showed a keen interest in scientific studies. He pioneered a didactic method which has as its chief instrument, drawing. He concluded a theory that sight is human being’s most fundamental and unerring sense organ and he decided to observe everything and pictorially describe them as they are. Between 1490 and 1495 Leonardo Da Vinci completed a number of treatises on painting, architecture, mechanics and human anatomy. He left Milan in 1499 after the fall of his mentor, Ludovico.

    Back in Florence, Leonardo was received with great honour. Here he painted the ‘Virgin and Child with St. Anne’ and also ‘Madonna with the Yarn-winder’. In 1502 he entered the service of Cesare Borgia as senior military architect and general engineer. He returned to Florence the next year proposed a canal that would bypass the unnavigable stretch of the Arno and connect Florence by water with the sea. Though the project did not take off, when centuries later the project was implemented, it followed exactly the same route Leonardo designed. In 1503, Leonardo produced another masterpiece ‘Mona Lisa’.     

    During this period, Leonardo Da Vinci also made intensive scientific studies. He undertook dissections in the hospital of Sta. Maria Nuova and enhanced his study on anatomy into a comprehensive research on the structure and function of human beings.

     In May 1506, Leonardo again left for Milan when invited by Charles d’ Ambrose, governor of the King of France in Milan. His patrons, King Louis XII and the governor gave him a handsome stipend of 400 ducats. His duties were to give advice in architectural matters and the painting of a few sketches.  However, more than his painting, his studies in anatomy grew in significance. In collaboration with Marchantonio Della Torre, an anatomist, Leonardo planned an extensive manual on comparative anatomy and physiology.

    In 1513, as the French were ousted from Milan, Leonardo went to Rome where he was received by Guiliano De Medici, brother of the Pope. Even though he was well received, Leonardo felt frustrated as he was not given any proper work. Disgusted, he left Italy for France to enter the services of the French King where he served as ‘Premier peintre architecte et mechanicien du Roi’ (First painter, architect and mechanic of the king). Here he painted a mystical portrait of St. John the Baptist. He also completed a few other notable works like ‘Floating Figure’, ‘Deluge’ and ‘Visions of the End of the World’.

    Leonardo died on May 2, 1519 at Cloux, in France and he was buried in the palace church of Saint-Florentin. Leonardo left a great legacy behind him. Of all his paintings, the most famous and outstanding one is the ‘Last Supper’ which he painted in the factory of the monastery of Sta Maria Della Grazie. The work is riveting with its striking contrast in the attitudes of the 12 disciplines as against Jesus. The Last Supper has served as a model for a number of painters spanning across generation including Rembrandt.

     Leonardo also provided great contribution to the mankind as a sculptor, military engineer, anatomist and scientist. He was also interested in mechanics and cosmology and he made use of his knowledge of mechanics in several constructions he undertook. Leonardo Da Vinci was also a great inventor and the credit of the inventor of Odometer, Wrench, magic lantern, etc. goes to him. Besides, it was he who first dreamed up the idea of tank and parachute. He also made serious efforts regarding learning new languages, mathematics, natural science and history. He succeeded in developing his own theory of knowledge which is unique synthesis of art and science. This is what makes Leonardo well and truly outstanding.