Leonardo da Vinci

1304 Words3 Pages

Who would have thought that a rural boy would become one of the greatest minds of history? This boy was born during the Italian Renaissance, a time of great rebirth and renewed interest in cultural arts (Leonardo artist page 3). His name was Leonardo da Vinci, and he was born in April 15, 1452 (Leonardo artist page 9). Many would call Leonardo “a jack of all trades; master of none,” yet possibly he was a master of all (Leonardo artist page 4). He had achieved many talents and countless accomplishments (page 4). A genius at heart, Leonardo had many jobs and careers: “a painter, a sculptor, an inventor, an engineer, a writer, an architect, and… a scientist.” (Leonardo artist page 5) An excellent observer, he would often study his surroundings (Leonardo world ¶ 3). Often, he only involved himself with what he could see (¶ 3). Leonardo was not especially interested in ideas that were abstract or “out of the box” (¶ 3). Having all these virtues and hardly any vices, Leonardo truly was the most intellectual figure of his time.

Leonardo was born to a father and mother who were not married (Leonardo artist page 11). Soon, his mother married another man and gave birth to four other children (page 11). He felt quite jealous of his half-siblings and of sharing his mother’s attention (page 11). Once Leonardo reached the age of five, he decided to live with his grandfather (Leonardo artist page 18). At the age of ten, his father arranged for Leonardo to move to Florence (page 18). There, he would become an apprentice of a well-known artist, Andrea Del Verrocchio (page 18).

After completing his apprenticeship, Leonardo stayed with Verrocchio (Leonardo world ¶ 2). Often Leonardo would assist in Verrocchio’s paintings, drawing one of the inc...

... middle of paper ...

... new ¶ 7). Making theories and schematics only a genius could have done, Leonardo truly is the Renaissance figure closest to achieving all of his or her impossible goals (Leonardo reviewed ¶ 14). Due to his accomplishments, he will be revered for centuries to come, and Leonardo da Vinci’s great knowledge and skill will always be known throughout the world.

Works Cited:

Grack, Rachel A.. Leonardo da Vinci: artist, inventor, and Renaissance man. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers 2006. Print.

“Leonardo Da Vinci.” Reviewed by Aaron H. Jacobsen. The New Book of Knowledge. Grolier Online, 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2011

“Leonardo da Vinci.” The New Book of Popular Science. Grolier Online, 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2011. http://www.school.eb.com/comptons/article-9275435.

Summers, David. “Leonardo da Vinci.” World Book Student. World Book, 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.

Open Document