Introduction
Walter Isaacson covers in this book the whole life span of Leonardo Da Vinci. This Renaissance artist is famous for his mysterious painting Mona Lisa. Isaacson beautifully portrays the mysterious personality of this extraordinary Renaissance artist who had become an inspiration for not only the artists of his time but also for the coming generation of painters and artists.
Leonardo’s being Illegitimate Paved His Way to Becoming an Artist
Leonardo was born on April 15, 1452. He was the illegitimate son of Piero da Vinci and Caterina Lippi. Leonardo’s illegitimate proved advantageous for his artistic bent of mind because he was not obliged to join the occupation of his forefathers; that was to become a notary.
Leonardo shifted to Florence with his father. In Florence, he became an apprentice to an engineer and painter Andrea Del Verrocchio at the age of 14. At the time of Leonardo, painters were just equal to craftsmen who were paid for their craftsmanship and not appreciated for their creative abilities. Later on, artists were also appreciated as creative individuals, and this was an achievement of Leonardo. Leonardo collaborated with his master on a painting named The Baptism of Christ and his master himself acknowledged that Leonardo’s angel in the painting is better painted than his. He was then given the title of Master Painter.
Royal Court of Milan
Leonardo went to Milan in hope of becoming a military engineer. He offered his services to the Duke of Milan and his offer was accepted not for becoming a military engineer but he worked there as an entertainer. There he manifested an extraordinary truth of the universe. He believed that patterns of human anatomy and nature’s phenomena are very much alike. For example, rivers and canals in a city are many alike veins circulating blood in the human body. This was undoubtedly an extraordinary observation of Leonardo but was not appreciated then.
In Milan, Leonardo met with the mathematician Luca Pacioli, who helped him in geometry and mathematics. He also had a chance to spend time with great architects and artists like Donato Bramante and Francesco di Giorgio. These persons had a great influence on the artistic abilities of Leonardo
In Milan, Leonardo painted Vitruvian Man, which is also counted as one of his most famous paintings. Two other famous paintings drawn by Leonardo in Milan are Lady with an Ermine and La Belle Ferronnière,
Man of Science and Arts
Like every Renaissance man, Leonardo also had the ambition to become all in one. But this was not merely an ambition. He was a man of science and arts. Besides being a legendary painter, he had an in-depth knowledge of geometry, architecture, engineering and human anatomy.
The Last Supper - A Masterpiece
Leonardo is still famous for depicting human psychology in his paintings, which is manifested in his masterpiece The Last Supper. This is a painting of Jesus at the centre of a dining table with his apostles left and right. You can witness multiple emotions like anger, wonder, despair and greed in one painting.
Military Engineer in the Army of Cesare Borgia
In 1499 French invaded Milan and defeated Duke’s Army. Leonardo served Cesare Borgia, an ally of the king of France Louis XII as a military engineer. His suggestions were appreciated by Borgia. He especially appreciated the detailed maps made by Leonardo which covered minute details of the structures of cities. After some time Leonardo gave up his ambition of becoming a military engineer as he wanted g away from the horrors of war.
Leonardo and Michelangelo
When Leonardo returned to Florence, he met Michelangelo, an emerging artist. His statue, David, was an eye-catching work of art. He was another greatest renaissance painter besides Leonardo Da Vinci.
The authorities in Florence consigned Leonardo and Michelangelo to paint two different walls of the Florence Council Hall. It was a competition but both of the artists left the work incomplete. But Leonardo’s incomplete work was also appreciated.
Leonardo’s Work on Human Anatomy
Leonardo did an in-depth study of human anatomy. His observations about human anatomy were outstanding, and many of his findings about human anatomy have proved to be correct in modern studies about the subject. Moreover, he made paintings of human organs, bones and muscles and wrote 13,000 words describing them.
Patronage of King Francis I
In 1507, Leonardo went back to Milan. After some time he left Italy for good and came under the patronage of King Francis I. He became King's official artist and engineer. King regarded him as the most remarkable painter of the time. There he worked on his final three paintings Saint John the Baptist, Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings of all time.
Final Words
I will end the summary with a very important message we get from the life of one of the greatest artists of the time:
“Above all, Leonardo’s relentless curiosity and experimentation should remind us of the importance of instilling, in both ourselves and our children, not just received knowledge but a willingness to question it—to be imaginative and, like talented misfits and rebels in any era, to think different.”