Leonardo da Vinci

The Renaissance polymath whose Mona Lisa and The Last Supper are among the most famous artworks ever created.

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Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance painter and polymath who achieved legendary fame and iconic status within his own lifetime. His renown primarily rests upon his brilliant achievements as a painter, as his Mona Lisa and The Last Supper are two of the most famous artworks ever created. Leonardo is also known for his diverse skills as a scientist, inventor, engineer, theorist, sculptor, architect, descriptions and study of the human body, and more. He became so highly valued during his lifetime that the King of France bore him home like a trophy of war, supported him in his old age and, according to legend, cradled his head as he died.

Background

Leonardo's portrait was used, within his own lifetime, as the iconic image of Plato in Raphael's School of Athens. His biography was written in superlative terms by Vasari. He has been repeatedly acclaimed as the greatest genius to have lived. His painting of the Mona Lisa has been the most imitated artwork of all time and his drawing the Vitruvian Man iconically represents the fusion of Art and Science.

Leonardo's biography has appeared in many forms, both scholarly and fictionalized. Every known aspect of his life has been scrutinized and analyzed. His paintings, drawings and notebooks have been studied, reproduced and analyzed for five centuries. The interest in and appreciation of the character of Leonardo and his talents has never waned.

Leonardo has appeared in many fictional works, such as novels, television shows, video games and movies, the first such fiction dating from the 16th century. Various characters have been named after him.

Did You Know?

His painting of the Mona Lisa has been the most imitated artwork of all time, with Angela della Chiesa citing 14 examples, of which six are bare-breasted.
In 1919, Marcel Duchamp created L.H.O.O.Q., a Mona Lisa parody with a moustache and goatee, intended as a Freudian joke referring to Leonardo's alleged homosexuality.
'Il Gran Cavallo' is a 7-metre (24 feet) high bronze horse re-creation of a clay horse Leonardo created for Ludovico Sforza, which was never finished due to war with France; the replica was created in 1999 in New York and given to Milan.