Linda Dransfield

Mr. Keyes
December 14, 2014
CE Art
Leonardo da Vinci
I chose one of the most looked up to artists of all time. His art is still
known today and he is considered one of the best artists there ever was. I
chose Leonardo da Vinci mostly because I admire his work. I really love all of
his art. It is always interesting to look at, and most of the time, his artwork has
more than one meaning. He painted many famous paintings. One of the most
famous paintings that he painted was the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is one of his
pieces of art. The Mona Lisa is said to be, []a half-length portrait of a woman
by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, which has been acclaimed as "the best
known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most
parodied work of art in the world"(Wikipedia). I decided to find out more about
Leonardo da Vinci and explored his Biography, how he became an artist, and
more interesting facts.

Leonardo da Vinci had a rough start in life. He was born on April 15, 1452,
in Vinci, Italy. His mother was a young peasant woman. Da Vincis parents never
got married to each other. Da Vinci lived with his mother until he was five years
old. I think it is rather sad that Da Vinci only lived with his mother for five
years. I would be so sad without my birth mother in my life. He did not have her
in his life after his first five years. Da Vinci was a very curious boy; he spent
much of his time outdoors, where he marveled at the world. In his journals, it

indicates that he had special interest in the properties of water and the
movement of birds. Da Vinci recorded that one of his earliest memories was a
dream in which a bird landed on his face and pushed its feathers between his
lips. After living with his mother for five years, he moved in with his father,
who had married other women. However, he continued to have a distant
relationship with his mother throughout his adult life by exchanging letters
with her every now and then. He seemed to be closer to his father from his
writing; he was devastated when he lost his father, and mourned deeply. At age
fourteen, da Vinci began apprenticing with an artist named Verrocchio. He
learned many technical skills, which included metalworking, leather arts,
carpentry, drawing and sculpting. When he was twenty years old, he had already
qualified as a master artist and was able to establish his very own workshop. Da
Vinci died in 1519, leaving behind more than 6,000 pages of all of his notes,
including grocery lists, jokes, and other sketches. He also told of his desire for
lasting fame and all of his troubles and worries (Biography.com)(livescience).
Unlike many other well-known artists, da Vinci never received any kind of
formal education. However, he did receive instruction at home in subjects like
reading, writing, and mathematics. As mentioned above, it wasnt until he was a

teenager that he went to serve as an apprentice. It didnt take long for da Vinvi
to become the master. It is said that after da Vinci painted one of the angels in
Verrocchios work, The Baptism of Christ, the more experienced artist was so
amazed by da Vincis talent that he vowed never to paint again. Which I think is
hilarious (livescience.com). Leonardo da Vinci was part of the Italian
Renaissance, which was when the middle ages ended and people began to
express themselves more through art, theater, and more creative ways. Da
Vinci has been called the light of the Italian Renaissance (livescience.com).
Da Vinci was said to be a slow painter. I found that fascinating, because I
am also slow when I draw. I like to work on the smaller details, and this often
causes me to go slower than the people around me. I also am a perfectionist,
and I am curious to know if Leonardo Da Vici was also a perfectionist. It is nice
to know that one of the most talented artists the world has ever had was also
slow. He never finished many of his paintings. Da Vinci had a bunch of inventions
that he designed, but never got around to building. He also had many writings
which were never published during his lifetime. I think it is rather sad that he
didnt finish these works, because they could have been a great help to the
world. I believe that Da Vinci was scared of what people thought about him,

because he was so unsure about his works and hardly ever put his work out into
the world. Da Vinci was arrested when he was twenty four years old, along with
several other males. However, there was no evidence for what he was charged
for, and he was released. Da Vinci wrote in his journal that he believed he was
arrested because he liked to keep his life private. Because of his desire to keep
his life private, this was devastating to him. He did not seem to like being out in
front of people. He would rather be by himself and do his own thing. He
accomplished this by keeping to himself for the most part. He was content with
being alone to work on his artwork, literature, and other inventions that he
came up with.

Through all of his hard work, Leonardo da Vinci was able to inspire many
people in the world. He has even made an impression on those still alive today.
Many people have studied his work, and admired his paintings, literature, and
inventions. I think it is a huge accomplishment to have people that live hundreds
of years after you still admiring and wondering about your work. It seems to be
very difficult to become well known in the world because there are many people
with talent.

Works Cited

http://www.biography.com/people/leonardo-da-vinci-40396#synopsis
http://www.livescience.com/49193-facts-about-leonardo-da-vinci.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci