Who is Da Vinci? Biography of Leonardo da Vinci

His to-do lists were anything but boring. For us, people reading them more than 500 years later, they will seem completely surreal. As if these were the plans of a freedom-loving, overly inquisitive and slightly extravagant character from a film.

Da Vinci carried a notebook with him everywhere. In it he wrote and drew everything that came to his mind. “It is useful,” Leonardo once wrote, “to constantly observe, notice and reflect.” In one such notebook, circa 1490, a list of to-dos was discovered. And what a one!

NPR's Robert Krulwich translated Leonardo's to-do list directly. Not all of it is clear to us - after all, the great genius compiled this list for himself, and not for curious aliens from the future.

Here are the bizarre and amazing deeds of the legendary Italian:

1. [Calculate] the measurement of Milan and its suburbs.
2. [Find] a book that talks about Milan and its churches, which the booksellers should have on their way to Cordusio.
3. [Explore] the dimensions of the Corte Vecchio (courtyard in the Duke's palace).
4. [Explore] the dimensions of the castello (the ducal palace itself).
5. Contact an arithmetic master to show you how to calculate the area of ​​a triangle.
6. Contact Messea Fazio (Professor of Medicine and Law in Pavia) to clarify questions regarding proportions.
7. Contact Friar Brera (at the Monastery of St. Benedict) to view De ponderibus (the medieval text of the treatise On Weights).
8. Contact Bombardier Giannino to find out how the Ferrara Tower, whose walls have no loopholes, was built.
9. [Ask] Benedicta Portinari (Florentine merchant) how he skates on ice in Flanders.
10. *DRAW MILAN*
11. Ask Maestro Antonio how to install mortars on the bastions: day or night.
12. Examine maestro Gianetto's crossbow.
13. Find a hydraulic specialist and ask him to tell you how to fix a sluice, chute and mill in Lombardy.
14. [Ask about] the size of the sun, which maestro Giovanni Francese promised to reveal to me.
15. Try to contact Vitolone (medieval author of a text on optics), who is in the Library in Pavia, which deals with mathematics.

Surprisingly, a significant part of the list consists of consultations with experienced specialists. At the time of compiling the list, Leonard da Vinci was supposedly 38 years old and still had a passion for learning. What is not an example of the fact that learning is possible already at a fairly mature age? The main thing is curiosity.

Other records by Leonardo are also known, around 1510. Da Vinci's love for anatomy is already more clearly visible there. In a notebook filled with beautiful drawings of bones and internal organs, he makes more serious to-do lists. Leonardo's plans include obtaining a skull, describing a crocodile's jaw, a woodpecker's tongue, and assessing a corpse using fingers as a unit of measurement.

In addition, he lists the qualities that he considers important for an anatomical artist. Chief among these are a solid use of perspective, knowledge of the inner workings of the body, and a strong stomach.

When examining the notes of Leonardo da Vinci, it is necessary to remember an important fact: the creator made notes in a mirror image.

The scope of his activity covers not only space (Italy-France), but also time. Isn’t it surprising that the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci now cause the same heated debate and admiration as during the years of his life? Such a “formula of immortality” can rightfully be considered the greatest discovery in history. What are its components? Almost every person on the planet would like to have an answer to this question. Some even decided that it was best to ask Leonardo himself about this, “resurrecting” the master with the help of modern scientific developments. However, the main components of the “formula” are visible to the naked eye: potential genius, coupled with incredible curiosity and a large share of humanism. And yet, any genius is a dreamer-practitioner. Judge for yourself, all the work of Leonardo da Vinci (here we include not only sketches, paintings, frescoes, but also all the scientific research of the Master) can be imagined as steps towards the realization of mankind’s long dreams of perfection. Did you want a person to fly like a bird? So we need to make him something like wings! Christ walked on water, so why shouldn’t mere mortals have the same opportunity? Let's build water skis!

The entire life and work of Leonardo da Vinci were filled with attempts to answer numerous questions about the laws of the universe, reveal the secrets of existence and direct them to the service of humanity. After all, do not forget that a Renaissance man is, first of all, a great humanist.

The biography of Leonardo da Vinci is, figuratively speaking, the story of several souls trapped in the body of one person. Indeed, in each of the areas studied, he exhibits very special qualities, which, in the understanding of ordinary people, can hardly belong to one single person. Perhaps this is why some have tried to prove that Leonardo da Vinci is just a pseudonym taken by a group of people. However, the theory was doomed to failure almost before its birth.

Today da Vinci is known to us to a greater extent as an unsurpassed artist. Unfortunately, no more than 15 of his works have reached us, while the rest either simply did not stand the test of time due to the master’s constant experiments with techniques and materials, or are considered not yet found. However, those works that have come down to us remain the most famous and most copied masterpieces of art in the world.

Biography of Leonardo da Vinci

The baby, subsequently baptized under the name Leonardo, was born, as recorded in the church book, “on Saturday, April 15, 1452 from the Nativity of Christ” from the extramarital affair of the peasant woman Catherine and the notary, ambassador of the Florentine Republic, Messire Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, a descendant rich, respected Italian family. The father, who had no other heirs at that time, wished to take his son into his home and give him a proper education. All that is known for sure about the mother is that she officially married a man from a peasant family and gave him 7 more children. By the way, Leonardo’s father was also subsequently married four times and presented his first-born (whom, by the way, he never made his official heir) with ten more brothers and two sisters.

Da Vinci’s entire subsequent biography is closely tied to his work; the events of the master’s life and the people he met naturally left their traces on the development of his worldview. Thus, a meeting with Andrea Verrocchio determined the beginning of his path in art. At the age of 16, Leonardo became a student in the studio of the famous master Verrocchio. It is in Verrocchio's workshop that Leonardo gets the opportunity to express himself as an artist: the teacher allows him to paint the face of an angel for the famous “Baptism of Christ”.

At the age of 20, da Vinci became a member of the Society of St. Luke, guild of artists, still working in the workshop of Verokkil until 1476. One of his first independent works, “Madonna of the Carnation,” dates back to the same period. Ten years later, Leonardo was invited to Milan, where he remained to work until 1501. Here Leonardo's talents are widely used not only as an artist, but also as a sculptor, decorator, organizer of all kinds of masquerades and tournaments, and a man who created amazing mechanical devices. Two years later, the master returns to his native Florence, where he paints his legendary fresco “The Battle of Angiani”.

Like most Renaissance masters, da Vinci traveled a lot, leaving a memory of himself in every city he visited. Towards the end of his life, he became “the first royal artist, engineer and architect” under François I, working on the architectural structure of the castle of Cloux. However, this work remained unfinished: da Vinci died in 1519, at the age of 67. Nowadays, in the castle of Cloux, from the plan originally conceived by the great Leonardo, only a double spiral staircase remains, while the rest of the architecture of the castle was repeatedly redone by subsequent dynasties of French kings.

The works of Leonardo da Vinci

Despite Leonardo's numerous scientific studies, his fame as a scientist and inventor somewhat pales in comparison to the glory of Leonardo the artist, whose few surviving works have fascinated and excited the mind and imagination of mankind for almost 400 years. It was in the field of painting that many of da Vinci’s works devoted to the nature of light, chemistry, biology, physiology and anatomy found their application.

His paintings remain the most mysterious works of art. They are copied in search of the secret of such mastery, they are discussed and argued about by entire generations of art connoisseurs, critics and even writers. Leonardo considered painting a branch of applied science. Among the many factors that make da Vinci’s works unique, one of the main ones is the innovative techniques and experiments used by the master in his works, as well as deep knowledge of anatomy, botany, geology, optics and even the human soul... Looking at the portraits he created, we We really see not just an artist, but an attentive observer, a psychologist who was able to understand the physical expression of the emotional component of the human personality. Da Vinci not only managed to understand this himself, but also found techniques that allowed him to transfer this knowledge to canvas with photographic accuracy. An unsurpassed master of sfumato and chiaroscuro, Leonardo da Vinci put all the power of his knowledge into his most famous works - the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper.

Leonardo believed that the best character to depict on canvas is the person whose body movements most closely match the movements of his soul. This belief can be considered da Vinci's creative credo. In his works, it was embodied in the fact that in his entire life he painted only one portrait of a man, preferring women as models, as individuals who were more emotional.

Early period of creativity

The periodization of the creative biography of Leonardo da Vinci is rather arbitrary: some of his works are not dated, and the chronology of the master’s life is also not always accurate. The very beginning of da Vinci's creative path can be considered the day when his father, Ser Piero, showed some sketches of his 14-year-old son to his friend Andrea del Verrocchio.

After a year, during which Leonardo was trusted only to clean the canvases, rub the paints and do other preparatory work, Verrocchio began to introduce his student to the traditional techniques of painting, engraving, architecture and sculpture. Here Leonardo gained knowledge of the basics of chemistry, metallurgy, mastered woodworking and even the beginnings of mechanics. Only to him, his best student, does Verrocchio trust the completion of his work. During this period, Leonardo did not create his own works, but greedily absorbed everything related to his chosen profession. Together with his teacher he works on The Baptism of Christ (1472-1475). The play of light and shadow, the facial features of the little angel, which da Vinci was entrusted to paint, amazed Verrocchio so much that he considered himself surpassed by his own student and decided never to take up a brush again. It is also believed that Leonardo became the model for the bronze sculpture of David and the image of the Archangel Michael.

In 1472, Leonardo was included in the “Red Book” of the Guild of St. Luca is the famous union of artists and doctors of Florence. At the same time, da Vinci’s first notable works appeared, which brought him fame: the ink sketch “Landscape of Santa Maria della Neve” and “The Annunciation”. He improves the sfumato technique, bringing it to unprecedented perfection. Now a light haze - sfumato - is not just a thin layer of blurred paint, but a really light veil of living fog. Despite the fact that by 1476. da Vinci opens his own workshop and receives his own orders, he still works closely with Verrocchio, treating his teacher with deep respect and respect. The Madonna of the Carnation, one of da Vinci’s most significant works, is dated to the same year.

Mature period of creativity

At the age of 26, da Vinci began a completely independent career, and also began a more detailed study of various aspects of natural science and became a teacher himself. During this period, even before his departure to Milan, Leonardo began work on “The Adoration of the Magi,” which he never completed. It is quite possible that this was a kind of revenge by da Vinci for the fact that Pope Sixtus IV rejected his candidacy when choosing an artist to paint the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican in Rome. Perhaps the fashion for Neoplatonism that reigned in Florence at that time also played a role in da Vinci’s decision to leave for the rather academic and pragmatic Milan, which was more in keeping with his spirit. In Milan, Leonardo takes on the creation of the “Madonna in the Grotto” for the altar of the chapel. This work clearly shows that da Vinci already has some knowledge in the field of biology and geodesy, since the plants and the grotto itself are depicted with maximum realism. All proportions and laws of composition are observed. However, despite such stunning performance, this painting became a point of contention between the author and customers for many years. Da Vinci devoted the years of this period to recording his thoughts, drawings, and deeper research. It is quite possible that a certain musician, Migliorotti, was involved in his departure to Milan. Just one letter from this man, which described the amazing works of engineering of the “senor, who also draws,” was enough for da Vinci to receive an invitation to work under the auspices of Louis Sforza, far from rivals and ill-wishers. Here he gets some freedom for creativity and research. She also organizes performances and celebrations, and provides technical equipment for the stage of the court theater. In addition, Leonardo painted many portraits for the Milanese court.

Late period of creativity

It was during this period that da Vinci thought more about military-technical projects, studied urban planning and proposed his own model of an ideal city.
Also, while staying in one of the monasteries, he receives an order for a sketch for the image of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus, St. Anna and John the Baptist. The work turned out to be so impressive that the viewer felt himself present at the described event, part of the picture.

In 1504, many students who considered themselves followers of da Vinci left Florence, where he stayed to put his numerous notes and drawings in order, and moved with their teacher to Milan. From 1503 to 1506 Leonardo begins work on La Gioconda. The model chosen is Mona Lisa del Giocondo, née Lisa Maria Gherardini. Numerous variations of the plot of the famous painting still do not leave artists and critics indifferent.

In 1513 Leonardo da Vinci moved to Rome for a while at the invitation of Pope Leon X, or rather to the Vatican, where Raphael and Michelangelo were already working. A year later, Leonardo begins the “Afterwards” series, which is a kind of response to the version proposed by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. The master also does not forget his passion for engineering, working on the problem of draining the swamps on the territory of the possessions of Duke Julien de' Medici.

One of the most ambitious architectural projects of this period was for da Vinci the Castle of Cloux in Amboise, where the master was invited to work by the King of France François I himself. Over time, their relationship became much closer than just a business one. Francois often listens to the opinion of the great scientist, treats him like a father, and has a hard time experiencing the death of da Vinci in 1519. Leonardo dies in the spring from a serious illness at the age of 67, bequeathing his manuscripts and brushes to his student, Francesco Melzi.

Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci

It may seem incredible, but some inventions made in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. in fact, they were already described in the works of da Vinci, like some of the things familiar to us. It seems that what the master would not mention in his manuscripts does not exist at all. There's even an alarm clock described there! Of course, its design is significantly different from what we see today, however, the invention deserves attention if only because of its design: scales whose bowls are filled with liquid. Pouring from one bowl to another, the water activates a mechanism that pushes or lifts the legs of a dozing person. It's hard not to wake up in such conditions!

However, the true genius of Leonardo the engineer is evident in his mechanical and architectural innovations. He managed to bring the latter to life almost completely (with the exception of the project for an ideal city). But regarding mechanics, application for it was not immediately found. It is known that da Vinci was preparing to test his flying machine himself, but it was never constructed, despite the detailed plan drawn up on paper. And the bicycle, created by a master from wood, also came into use several centuries later, as did a mechanical self-propelled carriage driven by two levers. However, the very principle of the cart's operation was used to improve the loom during Da Vinci's lifetime.
Being recognized as a genius of painting during his lifetime, Leonardo da Vinci dreamed all his life of a career as a military engineer, and therefore a special place in his activities was given to the study of fortifications, military vehicles, and defensive structures. So, it was he who developed excellent methods of repelling Turkish attacks in Venice, and even created a kind of protective spacesuit. But since the Turks never attacked, the invention was not tested in action. In the same way, only a combat vehicle resembling a tank remained in the drawings.

In general, unlike works of painting, Leonardo’s manuscripts and drawings have survived to this day in greater safety and continue to be studied today. Some drawings were even used to recreate machines that were not destined to appear during Da Vinci’s lifetime.

Painting by Leonardo da Vinci

Most of the works by da Vinci have not survived to this day due to the master’s constant experiments not only with painting techniques, but also with tools: paints, canvases, primers. As a result of such experiments, the composition of paints on some frescoes and canvases did not stand the test of time, light, and moisture.

In the manuscript dedicated to fine art, da Vinci mainly focuses not so much on writing technique, but on a detailed presentation of the innovations he invented, which, by the way, had a huge impact on the further development of art. First of all, these are some practical tips regarding the preparation of tools. So, Leonardo advises covering the canvas with a thin layer of glue, instead of the white primer mixture that was used before. An image applied to a canvas prepared in this way is fixed much better than on the ground, especially if painted in tempera, which was widespread at that time. Oil came into use a little later, and da Vinci preferred to use it specifically for writing on primed canvas.

Also, one of the features of da Vinci’s painting style is a preliminary sketch of the intended painting in transparent dark (brown) tones; these same tones were also used as the top, final layer of the entire work. In both cases, the completed work was given a gloomy tint. It is quite possible that over time the colors darkened even more precisely because of this feature.

Most of da Vinci's theoretical works are devoted to depicting human emotions. He talks a lot about the way of expressing feelings, and cites his own research. There is even a known case when Leonardo decided to experimentally test his guesses about how the facial muscles move during laughter and crying. Having invited a group of friends to dinner, he began to tell funny stories, making his guests laugh, while da Vinci carefully watched the movement of muscles and facial expressions. Possessing a unique memory, he transferred what he saw to the sketches with such accuracy that, according to eyewitnesses, people wanted to laugh along with the portraits.

Mona Lisa.

“Mona Lisa” aka “La Gioconda”, the full name is the portrait of Madame Lisa del Giocondo, perhaps the most famous work of painting in the world. Leonardo painted the famous portrait from 1503 to 1506, but even during this period the portrait was not completely completed. Da Vinci did not want to part with his work, so the customer never received it, but it accompanied the master on all his travels until the very last day. After the artist's death, the portrait was transported to the castle of Fontainebleau.

Mona Lisa has become the most mystical painting of all eras. It became the subject of research into artistic technique for 15th century masters. During the Romantic era, artists and critics admired its mystery. By the way, it is to the figures of this era that we owe such a magnificent aura of mystery accompanying the Mona Lisa. The era of romanticism in art simply could not do without the mystical surroundings inherent in all brilliant masters and their works.

The plot of the picture is known to everyone today: a mysteriously smiling woman against the backdrop of a mountain landscape. However, numerous studies are revealing more and more details that were not previously noticed. So, upon closer examination, it is clear that the lady in the portrait is dressed in full accordance with the fashion of her time, with a dark transparent veil draped over her head. It would seem that there is nothing special about this.

Compliance with fashion can only mean that the woman does not belong to the poorest family. But carried out in 2006. Canadian scientists, a more detailed analysis using modern laser equipment, showed that this veil, in fact, envelops the entire body of the model. It is this very thin material that creates the effect of fog, which was previously attributed to the famous sfumato by da Vinci. It is known that similar veils, enveloping the entire body, and not just the head, were worn by pregnant women. It is quite possible that it is precisely this state that is reflected in the smile of Mona Lisa: the peace and tranquility of the expectant mother. Even her hands are arranged in such a way, as if they are ready to rock a baby. By the way, the very name “La Gioconda” also has a double meaning. On the one hand, this is a phonetic variation of the Giocondo surname, to which the model herself belonged. On the other hand, this word is similar to the Italian “giocondo”, i.e. happiness, peace. Doesn't this explain the depth of the gaze, the gentle half-smile, and the whole atmosphere of the picture, where twilight reigns? Quite possible. This is not just a portrait of a woman. This is a depiction of the very idea of ​​peace and serenity. Perhaps this is precisely why she was so dear to the author.

Now the Mona Lisa painting is in the Louvre, belongs to the Renaissance style. The dimensions of the painting are 77 cm x 53 cm.

“The Last Supper” is a fresco created by da Vinci in 1494-1498. for the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Gresi, Milan. The fresco depicts the biblical scene of the last evening spent by Jesus of Nazareth, surrounded by his twelve disciples.

In this fresco, da Vinci tried to embody all his knowledge about the laws of perspective. The hall in which Jesus and the apostles are sitting is painted with exceptional precision in terms of proportions and distance of objects. The background of the room, however, is visible so clearly that it is almost a second picture rather than just a background.

Naturally, the center of the entire work is Christ himself, and it is in relation to his figure that the rest of the composition of the fresco is planned. The arrangement of the students (4 groups of three people) is symmetrical relative to the center - the Teacher, but not among themselves, which creates a feeling of living movement, but at the same time a certain aura of loneliness around Christ is felt. An aura of knowledge that is not yet available to his followers. Being the center of the fresco, the figure around which the whole world seems to revolve, Jesus still remains alone: ​​all other figures seem to be separated from him. The entire work is enclosed in a strict rectilinear framework, limited by the walls and ceiling of the room, and the table at which the participants of the Last Supper sit. If, for clarity, we draw lines along those points that are directly related to the perspective of the fresco, we will get an almost ideal geometric grid, the “threads” of which are aligned at right angles to each other. Such limited precision is not found in any other work by Leonardo.

In the Abbey of Tongerlo, Belgium, there is an amazingly accurate copy of the Last Supper, made by masters of da Vinci's school on his own initiative, since the artist was afraid that the fresco in the Milan monastery would not stand the test of time. It was this copy that the restorers used to recreate the original.

The painting is located in Santa Maria delle Grazie and measures 4.6 m x 8.8 m.

Vitruvian Man

"Vitruvian Man" is the common name for a graphic drawing by da Vinci made in 1492. as an illustration for entries in one of the diaries. The drawing depicts a naked male figure. Strictly speaking, these are even two images of the same figure superimposed on each other, but in different poses. A circle and a square are described around the figure. The manuscript containing this drawing is sometimes also called the “Canon of Proportions” or simply “Proportions of Man.” Now this work is kept in one of the museums of Venice, but is exhibited extremely rarely, since this exhibit is truly unique and valuable both as a work of art and as a subject of research.

Leonardo created his “Vitruvian Man” as an illustration of the geometric studies he carried out based on the treatise of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius (hence the name of da Vinci’s work). In the treatise of the philosopher and researcher, the proportions of the human body were taken as the basis for all architectural proportions. Da Vinci applied the research of the ancient Roman architect to painting, which once again clearly illustrates the principle of the unity of art and science put forward by Leonardo. In addition, this work also reflects the master’s attempt to relate man to nature. It is known that da Vinci considered the human body as a reflection of the universe, i.e. was convinced that it functions according to the same laws. The author himself considered the Vitruvian Man as a “cosmography of the microcosm.” There is also a deep symbolic meaning hidden in this drawing. The square and circle in which the body is inscribed do not simply reflect physical, proportional characteristics. A square can be interpreted as the material existence of a person, and a circle represents its spiritual basis, and the points of contact of geometric figures with each other and with the body inserted into them can be considered as the connection of these two foundations of human existence. For many centuries, this drawing was considered as a symbol of the ideal symmetry of the human body and the universe as a whole.

The drawing was made in ink. Dimensions of the picture: 34 cm x 26 cm. Genre: Abstract art. Direction: High Renaissance.

The fate of the manuscripts.

After the death of da Vinci in 1519. all the manuscripts of the great scientist and painter were inherited by Leonardo’s favorite student, Francesco Melzi. Fortunately, the bulk of the drawings and notes left by da Vinci, made by his famous method of mirror writing, have survived to this day, i.e. from right to left. Without a doubt, Leonardo left behind the largest collection of works of the Renaissance, but after his death, the manuscript did not have an easy fate. It’s even surprising that after so many ups and downs, the manuscripts still survived to this day.
Today, da Vinci’s scientific works are far from the same form that the Master gave them, who with special care grouped them according to the principles he knew. After the death of Malzi, the heir and keeper of the manuscripts, his descendants began to mercilessly squander the legacy of the great scientist, apparently not even knowing about its true value. Initially, the manuscripts were simply stored in the attic; later the Malze family gave away some of the manuscripts and sold individual sheets to collectors for a ridiculous price. Thus, all of da Vinci's records found new owners. It’s fortunate that not a single sheet was lost!

However, the power of evil fate did not end there. The manuscripts came to Pompeo Leoni, the court sculptor of the Spanish royal house. No, they were not lost, everything turned out to be much worse: Leoni undertook to “put in order” Da Vinci’s numerous notes, based, naturally, on his own principles of classification, and completely mixed up all the pages, separating, where possible, texts from sketches, but purely scientific, in his opinion, treatises from notes directly related to painting. Thus, two collections of manuscripts and drawings appeared. After Leoni's death, one part of the collection returned to Italy and until 1796. kept in the library of Milan. Some of the works came to Paris thanks to Napoleon, but the rest was “lost” by Spanish collectors and was discovered only in 1966 in the archives of the National Library in Madrid.

To date, all known da Vinci manuscripts have been collected, and almost all of them are in public museums in Europe, with the exception of one, which miraculously remains in a private collection. From the middle of the 19th century. Art researchers are working to restore the original classification of manuscripts.

Conclusion.

According to da Vinci's last will, sixty beggars accompanied his funeral cortege. The great Renaissance master was buried in the chapel of Saint-Hubert, in the vicinity of the castle of Amboise.
Da Vinci remained lonely all his life. Having neither a wife, nor children, nor even his own home, he devoted himself entirely to scientific research and art. The fate of geniuses is such that during their lifetime and after their death, their works, into each of which a particle of soul was invested, remain the only “family” of their creator. This happened in the case of Leonardo. However, everything that this man did, who managed to fully comprehend and embody the spirit of the Renaissance in his creations, has today become the property of all humanity. Fate itself arranged everything in such a way that without having his own family, da Vinci passed on a huge inheritance to all of humanity. Moreover, this includes not only unique recordings and amazing works, but also the mystery that surrounds them today. There was not a single century in which they did not try to unravel one or another plan of da Vinci, to look for what was considered lost. Even in our century, when many previously unknown things have become commonplace, the manuscripts, drawings and paintings of the great Leonardo do not leave museum visitors, art critics, or even writers indifferent. They still serve as an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Is this not the true secret of immortality?

Vitruvian Man

Madonna Benoit

Madonna Litta

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most talented and mysterious persons of the Renaissance. The Creator left behind a lot of inventions, paintings and secrets, many of which remain unsolved to this day. Da Vinci is called a polymath, or “universal man.” After all, he reached heights in almost all areas of science and art. In this article you will learn the most interesting things from the life of this person.

Biography

Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in the settlement of Anchiano in the Utuscan city of Vinci. The parents of the future genius were lawyer Piero, 25 years old, and orphan peasant Katerina, 15 years old. However, Leonardo, like his father, did not have a surname: da Vinci means “from Vinci.”

Until the age of 3, the boy lived with his mother. The father soon married a noble but barren lady. As a result, 3-year-old Leonardo was taken into care by a new family, separated from his mother forever.

Pierre da Vinci gave his son a comprehensive education and more than once tried to introduce him to the notary profession, but the boy did not show any interest in the profession. It is worth noting that during the Renaissance, illegitimate births were considered equal to those born legitimately. Therefore, even after the death of his father, Leonardo was helped by many noble people of Florence and the town of Vinci itself.

Verrocchio's workshop

At the age of 14, Leonardo became an apprentice in the workshop of the painter Andrea del Verrocchio. There the teenager drew, sculpted, and learned the basics of the humanities and technical sciences. 6 years later, Leonardo qualified as a master and was accepted into the Guild of St. Luke, where he continued to study the basics of drawing and other significant disciplines.

History includes the incident of Leonardo's victory over his teacher. While working on the painting “The Baptism of Christ,” Verrocchio asked Leonardo to draw an angel. The student created an image that was many times more beautiful than the whole picture. As a result, the amazed Verrochio gave up painting entirely.

1472–1516

1472–1513 years are considered the most fruitful in the artist’s life. After all, it was then that the polymath created his most famous creations.

In 1476–1481 Leonardo da Vinci had a personal workshop in Florence. In 1480 the artist became famous and began to receive incredibly expensive orders.

1482–1499 Da Vinci spent a year in Milan. The genius arrived in the city as a messenger of peace. The head of Milan, the Duke of Moro, often ordered da Vinci various inventions for wars and for the amusement of the court. In addition, Leonardo da Vinci began keeping a diary in Milan. Thanks to personal notes, the world learned about many of the creator’s discoveries and inventions, and about his passion for music.

Due to the French invasion of Milan, in 1499 year the artist returned to Florence. In the city, the scientist served Duke Cesare Borgia. On his behalf, da Vinci often visited Romagna, Tuscany and Umbria. There the master was engaged in reconnaissance and preparing fields for battles. After all, Cesare Borgia wanted to seize the Papal States. The entire Christian world considered the Duke a fiend from hell, and da Vinci respected him for his tenacity and talent.

In 1506 Leonardo da Vinci returned to Milan again, where he studied anatomy and the study of the structure of organs with the support of the Medici family. In 1512, the scientist moved to Rome, where he worked under the patronage of Pope Leo X until the latter's death.

In 1516 Leonardo da Vinci became a court advisor to the King of France, Francis I. The ruler allocated the artist the castle of Clos-Lucé and gave him complete freedom of action. In addition to an annual fee of 1000 ecus, the scientist received an estate with vineyards. Da Vinci noted that his French years gave him a comfortable old age and were the calmest and happiest in his life.

Death and grave

Leonardo da Vinci's life was cut short on May 2, 1519, presumably from a stroke. However, signs of the disease appeared long before this. The artist could not move his right hand due to partial paralysis since 1517, and shortly before his death he completely lost the ability to walk. The maestro bequeathed all his property to his students.

Da Vinci's first tomb was destroyed during the Huguenot Wars. The remains of various people were mixed and buried in the garden. Later, archaeologist Arsene Houssay identified the artist's skeleton from the description and transferred it to a reconstructed grave on the grounds of the Castle of Amboise.

In 2010, a group of scientists intended to exhume the body and conduct DNA testing. For comparison, it was planned to take material from the artist’s buried relatives. However, the owners of Watermelon Castle did not allow da Vinci to be exhumed.

Secrets of personal life

Personal life Leonardo da Vinci was kept in the strictest confidence. The artist described all love events in his diary using a special code. Scientists put forward 3 opposing versions regarding the personal life of a genius:

Secrets in the life of da Vinci

In 1950, the list of Grand Masters of the Priory of Sion, a Jerusalem order of monks founded in the 11th century, was made public. According to the list, Leonardo da Vinci was a member of a secret organization.

A number of researchers believe that the artist was its leader. The main task of the group was to restore the Merovingian dynasty - the direct descendants of Christ - to the throne of France. Another of the group's missions was to keep the marriage of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene secret.

Historians dispute the existence of the Priory and consider Leonardo's participation in it a hoax. Scientists emphasize that the Priory of Sion was created in 1950 with the participation of Pierre Plantard. In their opinion, documents were forged at the same time.

However, few surviving facts can only speak of the caution of the monks of the order and their desire to hide their activities. Da Vinci's writing style also speaks in favor of the theory. The author wrote from left to right, as if imitating Hebrew writing.

The Priory Mystery formed the basis of Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code. Based on the work, a film of the same name was made in 2006. The plot talks about a cryptex allegedly invented by Da Vinci - an encryption device. When you try to hack the device, everything written is dissolved in vinegar.

Predictions of Leonardo da Vinci

Some historians consider Leonardo da Vinci a seer, others - a time traveler who found himself in the Middle Ages from the future. So, scientists are wondering how the inventor could create a gas mixture for scuba diving without knowledge of biochemistry. However, it is not only da Vinci’s inventions that raise questions, but also his predictions. Many prophecies have already come true.

So, Leonardo da Vinci described Hitler and Stalin in detail, and also predicted the appearance of:

• missiles;
• telephone;
• Skype;
• players;
• electronic money;
• loans;
• paid medicine;
• globalization, etc.

In addition, da Vinci painted the end of the world, depicting an atomic one. Among future cataclysms, scientists have described the collapse of the earth's surface, the activation of volcanoes, the flood and the coming of the Antichrist.

Inventions

Leonardo da Vinci left the world a lot of useful inventions that became prototypes:

• parachute;
• airplane, hang glider and helicopter;
• bicycle and car;
• robot;
• eye glasses;
• telescope;
• spotlights;
• scuba gear and spacesuit;
• lifebuoy;
• military devices: tank, catapult, machine gun, mobile bridges and wheel lock.

Among Da Vinci's great inventions, his "Ideal City". After the plague pandemic, the scientist developed a project for Milan with proper planning and sewerage. It was supposed to divide the city into levels for the upper classes and trade, and ensure constant access of water to houses.

In addition, the master rejected narrow streets, which were a breeding ground for infections, and emphasized the importance of wide squares and roads. However, the Duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza did not accept the bold scheme. Centuries later, a new city, London, was built according to an ingenious project.

Leonardo da Vinci also left his mark on anatomy. The scientist was the first to describe the heart as a muscle and tried to create a prosthetic aortic valve. In addition, da Vinci accurately described and depicted the spine, the thyroid gland, the structure of the teeth, the structure of the muscles, and the location of the internal organs. Thus, the principles of anatomical drawing were created.

The genius also contributed to the development of art, developing blurred drawing technique and chiaroscuro.

Great paintings and their mysteries

Leonardo da Vinci left behind many paintings, frescoes and drawings. However, 6 works were lost, and the authorship of another 5 is disputed. There are 7 works of Leonardo da Vinci that are most famous in the world:

1. - Da Vinci's first work. The drawing is realistic, neat and done with light pencil strokes. When looking at the landscape, it seems that you are looking at it from a high point.

2. "Turin self-portrait". The painter created a masterpiece 7 years before his death. The painting is valuable because it gives the world an idea of ​​what Leonardo da Vinci looked like. However, some art historians believe that this is just a sketch for the Mona Lisa, made from another person.

3. . The drawing was created as an illustration for the book. Da Vinci captured a naked man in 2 positions superimposed on each other. The work is considered simultaneously an achievement of art and science. After all, the artist embodied the canonical proportions of the body and the golden ratio. Thus, the drawing emphasizes the natural ideality and mathematical proportionality of man.

4. . The painting has a religious plot: it is dedicated to the Mother of God (Madonna) and the Christ Child. Despite its small size, the painting amazes with its purity, depth and beauty. But “Madonna Litta” is also shrouded in mystery and raises a lot of questions. Why does the baby have a chick in his hands? Why is Our Lady's dress torn in the chest area? Why is the picture made in dark colors?

5. . The painting was commissioned by the monks, but due to his move to Milan, the artist never completed the work. The canvas depicts Mary with the newborn Jesus and the Magi. According to one version, 29-year-old Leonardo himself is depicted among the men.

6th masterpiece –

“The Last Supper” is a fresco depicting Christ’s last supper. The work is no less mysterious and mysterious than the Mona Lisa.
The history of the creation of the canvas is shrouded in mysticism. The artist quickly drew portraits of all the characters in the picture.

However, it was impossible to find prototypes for Jesus Christ and Judas. Once da Vinci noticed a bright and spiritual young man in the church choir. The young man became the prototype of Christ. The search for a model for the drawing of Judas dragged on for years.

Later, da Vinci found the most vile person in his opinion. The prototype of Judas was a drunkard found in a sewer. Having already completed the picture, Da Vinci learned that Judas and Christ were drawn by him from the same person.

Among the mysteries of the Last Supper is Mary Magdalene. Da Vinci depicted her at the right hand of Christ, as a lawful wife. The marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is also indicated by the fact that the contours of their bodies form the letter M - “Matrimonio” (marriage).

7th masterpiece – “Mona Lisa”, or “La Gioconda”

“Mona Lisa”, or “La Gioconda” is the most famous and mysterious painting by Leonardo da Vinci. To this day, art historians argue about who is depicted on the canvas. Among the popular versions: Lisa del Giocondo, Constanza d'Avalos, Pacifica Brandano, Isabella of Aragon, an ordinary Italian, da Vinci himself and even his student Salai in a woman's dress.

In 2005, it was proven that the painting depicts Lisa Gerandini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. This was indicated by the notes of da Vinci's friend Agostino Vespucci. Thus, both names become understandable: Mona - short for the Italian Madonna, my mistress and Gioconda - after the surname of Lisa Gerandini’s husband.

Among the secrets of the painting is the demonic and at the same time divine smile of the Mona Lisa, which is capable of enchanting anyone. When you focus on your lips, they seem to smile more. They say that people who look at this detail for a long time go crazy.

A computer study has shown that Mona Lisa's smile simultaneously expresses happiness, anger, fear and disgust. Some scientists are convinced that the effect is caused by the absence of front teeth, eyebrows or the heroine’s pregnancy. Others say that the smile seems to fade away due to the fact that it is in the low frequency range of light.

Researcher Smith-Kettlewell argues that the smile change effect is due to random noise in the human visual system.

The look of the Mona Lisa is also written in a special way. From whatever angle you look at the girl, it seems that she is looking at you.

The technique of writing La Gioconda is also impressive. The portrait, including the eyes and smile, is a series of golden ratios. The face and hands form an isosceles triangle, and some details fit perfectly into the golden rectangle.

Secrets of Da Vinci's paintings: hidden messages and meanings

The paintings of Leonardo da Vinci are shrouded in mysteries that hundreds of scientists from all over the world are struggling with. In particular, Ugo Conti decided to use the mirror method. The scientist was prompted to this idea by da Vinci’s prose. The fact is that the author wrote from left to right, and his manuscripts can only be read with the help of a mirror. Conti applied the same approach to reading paintings.

It turned out that the characters in da Vinci’s paintings point with their eyes and fingers to the places where the mirror should be placed.

A simple technique reveals hidden images and figures:

1. In the painting “The Virgin and Child, Saint Anne and John the Baptist” discovered a number of demons. According to one version, this is the Devil, according to another, the Old Testament god Yahweh in the papal tiara. It was believed that this god “protects the soul from the vices of the body.”

Click to enlarge

2. In the painting “John the Baptist”- “tree of life” with an Indian deity. A number of researchers believe that in this way the artist hid the mysterious painting “Adam and Eve in Paradise.” Da Vinci's contemporaries often mentioned the painting. For a long time it was believed that “Adam and Eve” was a separate picture.

3. On the “Mona Lisa” and “John the Baptist”- the head of a demon, the Devil or the god Yahweh in a helmet, somewhat similar to the hidden image on the canvas “Our Lady”. With this, Conti explains the mystery of the looks in the paintings.

4. On “Madonna of the Rocks”(“Madonna in the Grotto”) depicts the Virgin Mary, Jesus, John the Baptist and an Angel. But if you hold a mirror to the picture, you can see God and a number of biblical characters.

5. In the painting “The Last Supper” a hidden vessel is discovered in the hands of Jesus Christ. Researchers believe this is the Holy Grail. In addition, thanks to the mirror, the two apostles become knights.

6. In the painting “The Annunciation” hidden angelic, and in some versions alien, images.

Hugo Conti believes that you can find a hidden mystical drawing in every painting. The main thing is to use a mirror for this.

In addition to mirror codes, the Mona Lisa also stores secret messages under layers of paint. Graphic designers noticed that when the canvas is turned on its side, images of a buffalo, lion, monkey and bird become visible. Da Vinci thus told the world about the four Essences of man.

Some interesting facts about da Vinci include the following:

1. The genius was left-handed. Many scientists explain this by the master’s special writing style. Da Vinci always wrote in a mirror manner - from left to right, although he could write with his right hand.
2. The Creator was not constant: he quit one job and jumped to another, never returning to the previous one. Moreover, da Vinci moved to completely unrelated areas. For example, from art to anatomy, from literature to engineering.
3. Da Vinci was a talented musician and played the lyre beautifully.
4. The artist was a zealous vegetarian. Not only did he not eat animal food, but he also did not wear leather or silk. Da Vinci called people who eat meat “walking cemeteries.” But this did not prevent the scientist from being a master of ceremonies at court feasts and from creating a new profession - an “assistant” cook.
5. Da Vinci's passion for drawing knew no bounds. So, the master spent hours sketching the bodies of the hanged in detail.
6. According to one version, the scientist developed colorless and odorless poisons, as well as glass listening devices for Cesare Borgia.

They say that geniuses are born only when the world is ready to accept them. However, Leonardo da Vinci was far ahead of his era. The bulk of his discoveries and creations were appreciated only centuries later. Da Vinci proved by his own example that the human mind knows no boundaries.

Books were written and films were made about the titan of the Renaissance, and monuments were erected in his honor. Minerals, craters on the Moon and asteroids were named after the great scientist. And in 1994, they found a truly beautiful way to perpetuate the memory of the genius.

Breeders have developed a new variety of historical rose, called Rosa Leonardo da Vinci. The plant blooms continuously, does not burn out and does not freeze in the cold, like the memory of the “universal man”.

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Leonardo da Vinci was born in the town of Vinci (or near it), located west of Florence, on April 15, 1452. He was the illegitimate son of a Florentine notary and a peasant girl, was brought up in his father’s house and, being the son of an educated man, received a thorough primary education.

1467 - at the age of 15, Leonardo apprenticed to one of the leading masters of the Early Renaissance in Florence, Andrea del Verrocchio; 1472 - joined the guild of artists, studied the basics of drawing and other necessary disciplines; 1476 - he worked in Verrocchio’s workshop, apparently in collaboration with the master himself.

By 1480, Leonardo already had large orders, but 2 years later he moved to Milan. In a letter to the ruler of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, he introduced himself as an engineer, military expert and artist. The years he spent in Milan were filled with various activities. Leonardo da Vinci painted several paintings and the famous fresco “The Last Supper” and began to diligently and seriously keep his notes. The Leonardo we recognize from his notes is an architect-designer (the creator of innovative plans that were never implemented), an anatomist, a hydraulic engineer, an inventor of mechanisms, a creator of decorations for court performances, a writer of riddles, puzzles and fables for the entertainment of the court, musician and painting theorist.

1499 - after the expulsion of Lodovico Sforza from Milan by the French, Leonardo leaves for Venice, visits Mantua on the way, where he participates in the construction of defensive structures, and then returns to Florence. At that time, he was so passionate about mathematics that he didn’t even want to think about picking up a brush. For 12 years, Leonardo constantly moved from city to city, working for the famous in Romagna, designing defensive structures (never built) for Piombino.

In Florence he enters into rivalry with Michelangelo; This rivalry culminated in the enormous battle compositions that the two artists painted for the Palazzo della Signoria (also Palazzo Vecchio). Then Leonardo conceived a second equestrian monument, which, like the first, was never created. Throughout all these years, he continues to fill out his notebooks. They reflect his ideas relating to a variety of subjects. This is the theory and practice of painting, anatomy, mathematics and even the flight of birds. 1513 - as in 1499, his patrons are expelled from Milan...

Leonardo leaves for Rome, where he spends 3 years under the auspices of the Medici. Depressed and upset due to the lack of material for anatomical research, he engages in experiments that lead nowhere.

The kings of France, first Louis XII, then Francis I, admired the works of the Italian Renaissance, especially Leonardo's Last Supper. Therefore, it is not surprising that in 1516 Francis I, well aware of Leonardo’s versatile talents, invited him to the court, which was then located in the castle of Amboise in the Loire Valley. As the sculptor Benvenuto Cellini wrote, despite the fact that the Florentine worked on hydraulic projects and the plan of the new royal palace, his main occupation was the honorary position of court sage and adviser.

Fascinated by the idea of ​​​​creating an aircraft, the Florentine first developed the simplest apparatus (Daedalus and Icarus) based on wings. His new idea is an airplane with full control. But it was not possible to bring the idea to life due to the lack of a motor. Also, the scientist’s famous idea is a device with vertical take-off and landing.

Studying the laws of fluid and hydraulics in general, Leonardo made a great contribution to the theory of locks and sewer ports, testing ideas in practice.

Famous paintings by Leonardo - “La Gioconda”, “The Last Supper”, “Madonna with an Ermine”, and many others. Leonardo was demanding and precise in everything he did. Even before painting, he insisted on fully studying the subject before starting.

Leonardo's manuscripts are priceless. They were fully published only in the 19th and 20th centuries. In his notes, Leonardo da Vinci noted not just thoughts, but supplemented them with drawings, drawings, and descriptions.

Leonardo da Vinci was talented in many fields; he made significant contributions to the history of architecture, art, and physics.

Leonardo da Vinci died in Amboise on May 2, 1519; By this time, his paintings were usually distributed to private collections, and his notes lay in various collections, almost completely forgotten, for several more centuries.

Secrets of Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci encrypted a lot so that his ideas would be revealed gradually, as humanity could “ripen” to them. He wrote with his left hand and in very small letters, from right to left, so that the text looked like a mirror image. He spoke in riddles, made metaphorical prophecies, and loved to make puzzles. Leonardo da Vinci did not sign his works, but there are identification marks on them. For example, if you take a closer look at the paintings, you may find a symbolic bird taking off. There are, apparently, a lot of such signs, which is why one or another of his hidden “brainchildren” are unexpectedly discovered on famous canvases, centuries later. So, for example, it happened with the “Benois Madonna”, which for a long time, as a home icon, was carried with itinerant actors.

Leonard discovered the principle of scattering (or sfumato). The objects on his canvases have no clear boundaries: everything, like in life, is blurry, penetrates one into another, which means it breathes, lives, awakens imagination. To master this principle, he advised practicing: looking at stains on walls, ashes, clouds or dirt that appear from dampness. He specially fumigate the room where he worked with smoke in order to look for images in clubs.

Thanks to the sfumato effect, the flickering smile of Gioconda appeared: depending on the focus of the view, it seems to the viewer that Gioconda is smiling either tenderly or sinisterly. The second miracle of the Mona Lisa is that it is “alive.” Over the centuries, her smile changes, the corners of her lips rise higher. In the same way, the Master mixed the knowledge of various sciences, so his inventions find more and more applications over time. From the treatise on light and shadow come the beginnings of the sciences of penetrating force, oscillatory motion, and wave propagation. All of his 120 books have been distributed around the world and are gradually being revealed to humanity.

Leonardo da Vinci preferred the analogy method to all others. The approximate nature of an analogy is an advantage over the precision of a syllogism, when a third inevitably follows from two conclusions. But the more bizarre the analogy, the further the conclusions from it extend. Take, for example, Da Vinci’s famous illustration, which proves the proportionality of the human body. A human figure with outstretched arms and spread legs fits into a circle, and with closed legs and raised arms, into a square. This “mill” gave rise to various conclusions. Leonardo was the only one who created designs for churches in which the altar is placed in the middle (symbolizing the human navel), and the worshipers are evenly spaced around. This church plan in the form of an octahedron served as another invention of the genius - the ball bearing.

The Florentine loved to use contrapposto, which creates the illusion of movement. Everyone who saw his sculpture of a giant horse in Corte Vecchio involuntarily changed their gait to a more relaxed one.

Leonardo was never in a hurry to finish a work, because unfinishment is an integral quality of life. Finishing means killing! The Florentine's slowness was the talk of the town; he could make two or three strokes and leave the city for many days, for example, to improve the valleys of Lombardy or to create an apparatus for walking on water. Almost every one of his significant works is “unfinished.” The master had a special composition, with the help of which he seemed to specially create “windows of incompleteness” in the finished painting. Apparently, he left a place where life itself could intervene and correct something...

He played the lyre masterfully. When Leonardo's case was heard in the Milan court, he appeared there precisely as a musician, and not as an artist or inventor.

There is a version that Leonardo da Vinci was a homosexual. While the artist was studying in Verrocchio's studio, he was accused of molesting a boy who posed for him. The court acquitted him.

According to one version, Gioconda smiles from the realization of her secret pregnancy.

According to another, the Mona Lisa was entertained by musicians and clowns while she posed for the artist.

There is another assumption, according to which, “Mona Lisa” is a self-portrait of Leonardo.

Leonardo da Vinci, apparently, did not leave a single self-portrait that could be unambiguously attributed to him. Experts doubt that Leonardo's famous self-portrait of Sanguine (traditionally dated 1512-1515), depicting him in old age, is such. It is believed that this is probably only a study of the head of the apostle for the Last Supper. Doubts that this is a self-portrait of the artist began to be expressed in the 19th century; the last one to express them was recently one of the leading experts on Leonardo da Vinci, Professor Pietro Marani.

Scientists at the University of Amsterdam and American researchers, having studied the mysterious smile of Mona Lisa using a new computer program, unraveled its composition: according to them, it contains 83 percent happiness, 9 percent disdain, 6 percent fear and 2 percent anger.

Leonardo loved water: he developed instructions for underwater diving, he invented and described a device for underwater diving, a breathing apparatus for scuba diving. All of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions formed the basis of modern underwater equipment.

Leonardo was the first of the painters to begin dismembering corpses in order to understand the location and structure of the muscles.

Observations of the Moon in the waxing crescent phase led the researcher to one of the important scientific discoveries - Leonardo da Vinci established that sunlight is reflected from our planet and returns to the moon in the form of secondary illumination.

The Florentine was ambidextrous - he was equally good with his right and left hands. He suffered from dyslexia (impaired reading ability) - this ailment, called “word blindness,” is associated with reduced brain activity in a certain area of ​​​​the left hemisphere. It is a well-known fact that Leonardo wrote in a mirror manner.

Relatively not so long ago, the Louvre spent $5.5 million to move the artist’s most famous masterpiece, La Gioconda, from the general public to a room specially equipped for it. Two-thirds of the State Hall, occupying a total area of ​​840 square meters, was allocated for La Gioconda. m. The huge room was rebuilt into a gallery, on the far wall of which the famous work of the great Leonardo now hangs. The reconstruction, which was carried out according to the design of the Peruvian architect Lorenzo Piqueras, lasted about 4 years. The decision to move the “Mona Lisa” to a separate room was made by the administration of the Louvre due to the fact that in its original place, surrounded by other paintings by Italian masters, this masterpiece was lost, and the public was forced to stand in line to see the famous painting.

2003, August - a painting by the great Leonardo worth 50 million dollars, “Madonna with a Spindle,” was stolen from Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland. The masterpiece was stolen from the home of one of the richest landowners in Scotland, the Duke of Buccleuch.

It is believed that Leonardo was a vegetarian (Andrea Corsali, in a letter to Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici, compares him to an Indian who did not eat meat). The phrase often attributed to Leonardo: “If a person strives for freedom, why does he keep birds and animals in cages? .. man is truly the king of animals, because he cruelly exterminates them. We live by killing others. We are walking cemeteries! At an early age I gave up meat” is taken from the English translation of Dmitry Merezhkovsky’s novel “Resurrection of the Gods. Leonardo da Vinci."

Leonardo da Vinci created designs for a submarine, a propeller, a tank, a loom, a ball bearing and flying cars.

While building canals, Leonardo made an observation that later entered geology under his name as a theoretical principle for recognizing the time of formation of the earth's layers. He concluded that our planet is much older than the Bible indicated.

Da Vinci's hobbies even included cooking and the art of serving. In Milan, for thirteen years, he was the manager of court feasts. He invented several culinary devices to make the work of cooks easier. Leonardo's original dish - thinly sliced ​​stewed meat with vegetables laid on top - was very popular at court feasts.

In Terry Pratchett's books there is a character whose name is Leonard, whose prototype was Leonardo da Vinci. Pratchett's Leonard writes from right to left, invents various machines, practices alchemy, paints pictures (the most famous is the portrait of Mona Ogg)

A considerable number of Leonardo's manuscripts were first published by the curator of the Ambrosian Library, Carlo Amoretti.

Italian scientists made a statement about the sensational discovery. According to them, an early self-portrait of Leonardo has been discovered. The discovery belongs to the journalist Piero Angela.

He seemed to know the evolutionary keys to the secrets of the human psyche. Thus, one of Leonardo da Vinci’s secrets was a special sleep formula: he slept for 15 minutes every 4 hours, thus reducing his daily sleep from 8 to 1.5 hours. Thanks to this, the genius immediately saved 75 percent of his sleep time, which actually extended his lifespan from 70 to 100 years!

“The painter’s painting will not be perfect if he takes the paintings of others as an inspiration; but if he learns from natural objects, he will produce good fruit...”

Painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist - all this is Leonardo da Vinci. Wherever such a person turns, his every action is so divine that, leaving behind himself all other people, he reveals himself to be something given to us by God, and not acquired by human art. Leonardo da Vinci. Great, mysterious, attractive. So distant and so modern. Like a rainbow, the master’s fate is bright, mosaic, and colorful. His life is full of wanderings, meetings with amazing people and events. How much has been written about him, how much has been published, but it will never be enough. The mystery of Leonardo begins with his birth, in 1452 on April 15 in a town west of Florence. He was the illegitimate son of a woman about whom almost nothing is known. We don’t know her last name, age, appearance, we don’t know whether she was smart or stupid, whether she studied anything or not. Biographers call her a young peasant woman. Let it be so. Much more is known about Leonardo's father, Piero da Vinci, but not enough. He was a notary and came from a family that had settled in Vinci at least in the 13th century. Leonardo was brought up in his father's house. His education was obviously the same as that of any boy from a good family living in a small town: reading, writing, beginnings of mathematics, Latin. His handwriting is amazing, He writes from right to left, the letters are reversed so that the text is easier to read with the help of a mirror. In later years, he was interested in botany, geology, observing the flight of birds, the play of sunlight and shadow, and the movement of water. All this testifies to his curiosity and also to the fact that in his youth he spent a lot of time in the fresh air, walking around the outskirts of the town. These surroundings, which have changed little over the past five hundred years, are now almost the most picturesque in Italy. The father noticed and, taking into account the high flight of his son’s talent in art, one fine day selected several of his drawings, took them to Andrea Verrocchio, who was his great friend, and urgently asked him to say whether Leonardo, having taken up drawing, would achieve any success . Struck by the enormous potential that he saw in the drawings of the novice Leonardo, Andrea supported Ser Piero in his decision to devote him to this work and immediately agreed with him that Leonardo would enter his workshop, which Leonardo did more than willingly and began to practice not in just one area, but in all those areas where the drawing is included.

Painting Madonna in the Grotto. 1483-86

In nature, everything is wisely thought out and arranged, everyone should mind their own business, and in this wisdom lies the highest justice of life. Leonardo da Vinci

Painting Mona Lisa (La Gioconda). 1503-04

By 1514 - 1515 refers to the creation of a masterpiece by the great master - the painting La Gioconda. Until recently, they thought that this portrait was painted much earlier, in Florence, around 1503. They believed the story of Vasari, who wrote: “Leonardo undertook to make for Francesco del Gioconda a portrait of Monna Lisa, his wife, and, having worked on it for four years, left it unfinished. This work is now in the possession of the French king in Fontainebleau. By the way, Leonardo resorted to the following technique: since Madonna Lisa was very beautiful, while painting the portrait he held people who were playing the lyre or singing, and there constantly there were jesters who kept her cheerful and removed the melancholy that painting usually imparts to the portraits it makes.”

Where the spirit does not guide the artist's hand, there is no art.

Painting Madonna with a Flower (Benois Madonna). 1478

Thinking I was learning to live, I learned to die.

Painting of Madonna Litta. 1490

Painting "Madonna with Pomegranate". 1469

Painting Madonna. 1510

Painting Lady with an ermine. 1483-90

Painting Portrait of Ginevra de Benci. 1474-76

Painting of the Annunciation. 1472-75

Last Supper. 1498

Painting of John the Baptist. 1513-16

Head of a woman. 1500?

"Vitruvian Man". 1487

Virgin Mary with child and St. Anne

Portrait of a musician

The greatest scientist of his time, Leonardo da Vinci enriched almost all areas of knowledge with insightful observations and guesses. But how surprised the genius would have been if he had learned that many of his inventions are in use even 555 years after his birth. Oddly enough, only one invention of da Vinci received recognition during his lifetime - a wheel lock for a pistol that was wound with a key. At first, this mechanism was not widespread, but by the middle of the 16th century it had gained popularity among nobles, especially in the cavalry, which was even reflected in the design of the armor: Maximilian armor began to be made with gloves instead of mittens for the sake of firing pistols. The wheel lock for a pistol, invented by Leonardo da Vinci, was so perfect that it continued to be found in the 19th century. But, as often happens, recognition of geniuses comes centuries later: many of his inventions were expanded and modernized, and are now used in everyday life. For example, Leonardo da Vinci created a device that could compress air and force it through pipes. This invention has a very wide range of applications: from lighting stoves to ... ventilating rooms. He was educated at home, played the lyre masterfully, was the first to explain why the sky is blue and the moon is so bright, he was ambidextrous and suffered from dyslexia. He masters several drawing techniques: Italian pencil, silver pencil, sanguine, pen. In 1472 Leonardo was accepted into the guild of painters - the Guild of St. Luke, but remained to live in Verrocchio's house. He opened his own workshop in Florence between 1476 and 1478. On April 8, 1476, following a denunciation, Leonardo da Vinci was accused of being a gardener and arrested along with three friends. At that time in Florence, sadomea was a crime, and the capital punishment was burning at the stake. Judging by the records of that time, many doubted Leonardo’s guilt; neither an accuser nor witnesses were ever found. It was probably helped to avoid a harsh sentence by the fact that among those arrested was the son of one of the nobles of Florence: there was a trial, but the offenders were released after a short flogging. In 1482, having received an invitation to the court of the ruler of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, Leonardo da Vinci unexpectedly left Florence. Lodovico Sforza was considered the most hated tyrant in Italy, but Leonardo decided that Sforza would be a better patron for him than the Medici, who ruled in Florence and disliked Leonardo. Initially, the Duke took him on as the organizer of court holidays, for which Leonardo came up with not only masks and costumes, but also mechanical “miracles.” Magnificent holidays worked to increase the glory of Duke Lodovico. For a salary less than that of a court dwarf, in the Duke's castle Leonardo served as a military engineer, hydraulic engineer, court artist, and later as an architect and engineer. At the same time, Leonardo “worked for himself,” working in several areas of science and technology at the same time, but he was not paid for most of the work, since Sforza did not pay any attention to his inventions. In 1484-1485, about 50 thousand residents of Milan died from the plague. Leonardo da Vinci, who believed that the reason for this was the overpopulation of the city and the dirt that reigned in the narrow streets, suggested that the Duke build a new city. According to Leonardo's plan, the city was to consist of 10 districts of 30 thousand inhabitants each, each district was to have its own sewer system, the width of the narrowest streets was to be equal to the average height of a horse (a few centuries later, the Council of State of London recognized the proportions proposed by Leonardo as ideal and gave the order to follow them when laying out new streets). The design of the city, like many other technical ideas of Leonardo, was rejected by the Duke. Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to found an art academy in Milan. For teaching, he compiled treatises on painting, light, shadows, movement, theory and practice, perspective, movements of the human body, proportions of the human body. The Lombard school, consisting of Leonardo's students, appeared in Milan. In 1495, at the request of Lodovico Sforza, Leonardo began painting his Last Supper on the wall of the refectory of the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. On July 22, 1490, Leonardo settled young Giacomo Caprotti in his house (later he began to call the boy Salai - “Demon”). No matter what the young man did, Leonardo forgave him everything. The relationship with Salai was the most constant in the life of Leonardo da Vinci, who had no family (he did not want a wife or children), and after his death Salai inherited many of Leonardo’s paintings.
After the fall of Lodovic Sforza, Leonardo da Vinci left Milan. Over the years he lived in Venice (1499, 1500), Florence (1500-1502, 1503-1506, 1507), Mantua (1500), Milan (1506, 1507-1513), Rome (1513-1516). In 1516 (1517) he accepted the invitation of Francis I and left for Paris. Leonardo da Vinci did not like to sleep for long periods of time and was a vegetarian. According to some evidence, Leonardo da Vinci was beautifully built, had enormous physical strength, and had good knowledge of chivalry, horse riding, dancing, and fencing. In mathematics he was attracted only by what can be seen, so for him it primarily consisted of geometry and the laws of proportion. Leonardo da Vinci tried to determine the coefficients of sliding friction, studied the resistance of materials, studied hydraulics, and modeling. The areas that were interesting to Leonardo da Vinci included acoustics, anatomy, astronomy, aeronautics, botany, geology, hydraulics, cartography, mathematics, mechanics, optics, weapons design, civil and military engineering, and city planning. Leonardo da Vinci died on May 2, 1519 at the Castle of Cloux near Amboise (Touraine, France).

If you happen to fly, then from now on you will walk on the ground, turning your eyes to the sky, for there you have been and there you will always strive.

Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo da Vinci is a genius whose inventions belong entirely to both the past, present and future of humanity. He lived ahead of his time, and if even a small part of what he invented had been brought to life, then the history of Europe, and perhaps the world, would have been different: already in the 15th century we would have driven cars and crossed the seas in submarines. Leonardo da Vinci enriched almost all areas of knowledge with insightful observations and guesses. But how surprised a genius would be if he found out that many of his inventions are used even centuries after his birth.

I present to your attention a couple of inventions of Leonard da Vinci: Military equipment, Aircraft, Hydraulics, Various mechanisms.

The most daring dream of Leonardo the inventor, without a doubt, was human flight. One of the very first (and most famous) sketches on this topic is a diagram of a device that in our time is considered to be a prototype of a helicopter. Leonardo proposed making a propeller with a diameter of 5 meters from thin flax soaked in starch. It had to be driven by four people turning levers in a circle. Modern experts argue that the muscular strength of four people would not be enough to lift this device into the air (especially since even if lifted, this structure would begin to rotate around its axis), however, if, for example, a powerful spring were used as an “engine” , such a “helicopter” would be capable of flight - albeit short-term.

After a long and careful study of bird flight, which he began while still in Milan, Leonardo designed, and possibly built, the first model of a flying machine in 1490. This model had wings like a bat, and with its help, using the muscular efforts of the arms and legs, a person had to fly. Now we know that in this formulation the problem is unsolvable, because human muscular energy is not enough for flight.

The drawing of the device, which Leonardo himself described as follows, turned out to be prophetic: “If you have enough linen fabric sewn into a pyramid with a base of 12 yards (about 7 m 20 cm), then you can jump from any height without any harm to your body.” .

The figure shows an underwater breathing apparatus with parts of valves for air intake and release.

Swimming webbed gloves. To speed up swimming, the scientist developed a design of webbed gloves, which over time turned into the well-known flippers.

Diving suit. The project of Leonardo's diving suit was related to the problem of finding a person underwater. The suit was made of waterproof leather. It was supposed to have a large chest pocket, which was filled with air to increase volume, making it easier for the diver to rise to the surface. Leonardo's diver was equipped with a flexible breathing tube.

Lifebuoy. One of the most necessary things for teaching a person to swim is a lifebuoy. This invention of Leonardo remained virtually unchanged.

System for walking on water Leonardo's system for walking on water included swimming boots and poles.

Optics was popular in Leonardo's time and even had a philosophical connotation. Here are several machines for making mirrors and lenses. The second one from the top is intended for creating concave mirrors, the third one is for grinding them, the fourth one is for producing flat mirrors. The first and last machines make it possible to grind mirrors and lenses, making their surface smooth, while simultaneously converting rotational motion into alternating motion. There is also a known project (carried out by Leonardo between 1513 and 1516 during his stay in Rome) of a large parabolic mirror with many sides. It was conceived to heat laundry boilers by concentrating solar energy.

It is better to be deprived of movement than to be tired of being useful.

Leonardo da Vinci.

Milan's Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology is the largest in Europe. Leonardo da Vinci is famous for creating the ideal image of a person and expressing the ideal of female beauty in his painting "Mona Lisa", painted in 1503. Leonardo da Vinci, more often known only as an artist, was a genius who made numerous discoveries, developed innovative projects, and conducted research in the field of exact and natural sciences, including mathematics and mechanics. Leonardo wrote more than 7 thousand sheets of paper by hand in the process of developing his projects. Leonardo da Vinci made discoveries and guesses in almost all areas of knowledge, and his notes and sketches are considered as sheets from a natural philosophical encyclopedia. He became the founder of a new natural science that drew conclusions from experiments. Leonardo's favorite subject was mechanics, which he called “the paradise of mathematical sciences.” Leonardo believed that by unraveling the laws of mechanics, one could learn the secrets of the universe. Having devoted a lot of time to studying the flight of birds, he became the designer and creator of some flying machines and a parachute. Once you enter the Leonardo da Vinci Museum, you will be immersed in a world of interesting discoveries that will make you think about the infinity and ingenuity of the human mind.

Leonardo was not interested in anything! Incredibly, his interests even included cooking and the art of serving. In Milan, for 13 years he was the manager of court feasts. Leonardo invented several culinary devices to make the life of cooks easier. This is a device for chopping nuts, a bread slicer, a corkscrew for left-handed people, as well as a mechanical garlic press “Leonardo”, which is still used by Italian chefs to this day. In addition, he came up with an automatic spit for frying meat; a kind of propeller was attached to the spit, which was supposed to rotate under the influence of heated air flows coming up from the fire. A rotor was attached to a series of drives with a long rope; the forces were transmitted to the spit using belts or metal spokes. The hotter the oven heated up, the faster the spit rotated, which protected the meat from burning. Leonardo's original dish - thinly sliced ​​meat stewed with vegetables placed on top - was very popular at court feasts.
Leonardo da Vinci is a brilliant artist, a wonderful experimenter and an outstanding scientist, who embodied in his work all the most progressive trends of the Renaissance. Everything about him is amazing: his absolutely extraordinary versatility, his strength of thought, his scientific inquisitiveness, his practical mindset, his technical ingenuity, his wealth of artistic imagination, and his outstanding skill as a painter, draftsman and sculptor. Reflecting in his work the most progressive aspects of the Renaissance, he became that great, truly folk artist, whose historical significance far outgrew the framework of his era. He looked not to the past, but to the future.