|
|
Leonardo Da Vinci (lay oh NAHR doe dah VEEN chee) was born in a small village called Vinci in the country of Italy. He was raised by his grandparents and even as a boy showed signs of genius. He could work hard mathematics problems and was a very good artist.
His father Piero recognized that he had artistic talent and sent him to Florence to study with the artist Verrocchio (və RAWK ih oh). In addition to art he also learned sculpture and engineering. Soon he was a better artist than his teacher. At age 20 he was accepted into the painters' guild in Florence.
About ten years later he was hired by Sforza, who later became Duke of Milan. It was during this time he painted The Last Supper. He painted it in the dining room in the Santa Maria delle Grazie monastery in Milan, Italy. The monks viewed it every time they sat down to eat.
The composition shows the apostles in four groups of three. From left to right the first group is made up of Bartholomew, James the Less and Andrew. In the second group we see Judas, Peter and John with Judas holding the bag of money. Jesus sits calmly in the middle. In the third group are Thomas, James, and Philip. Matthew, Thaddeus and Simon complete the picture. Jesus has just announced to them that one of them is going to betray Him and they are animated and visibly upset over His words.
Artists through the centuries had used egg tempera as the base for their paint, but Leonardo wanted to try something new, so he applied plaster to the wall and painted on the dried plaster. Unfortunately within 20 years the plaster began to flake off and the painting has required much repair through the years. The most recent restoration was completed in May 1999.
The Last Supper before restoration
Enlarged view
The Last Supper after restoration
Enlarged view
When the French army captured Milan, the duke had to flee, and Leonardo went back to Florence. It was here he painted the portrait of the wife of a merchant named Giocondo. It is called La Giocando, or Mona Lisa. Legend has it he hired musicians to play while he painted the portrait so his subject would stay in a good mood. Numerous words have been written about the painting and it remains one of the most recognizable paintings in the world.
Da Vinci used a painting technique called sfumato (sfoo-MAH-toe). He described it as "without lines or borders". The subject of the painting is blended into the background so that it becomes one with the background. We see this in the Mona Lisa which is our study for this lesson. If two objects were side by side, he would blur the line between them.
He was a musician who invented musical instruments. He would compose, then play and sing his own songs.
Probably of greater importance than his paintings are the contributions Leonardo made in the areas of engineering and architecture. He along with Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bramante designed St. Peter's Church in Rome as well as other buildings in the Vatican.
Leonardo kept books of sketches he made. He studied human anatomy and drew sketches of the body. He had ideas for inventions that would not be developed for hundreds of years. He had an idea for a flying machine, a propeller, and for weapons of war. He designed and built bridges, canals and locks to carry water and move ships. He built a helicopter which wouldn't take off and a glider which injured one of his pupils who was trying to fly it, so he quit trying to build the flying machines he was designing.
Crossbow by Leonardo Da Vinci
Enlarged view
Flying Machine by Leonardo Da Vinci
Enlarge
Ship Locks by Leonardo Da Vinci
Enlarge
He could write with both his right and left hands. We say such a person is ambidextrous. He wrote his notes backwards with his left hand. Those who read Italian can hold them up to a mirror and read them. It took people years to figure this out. Nearly 7,000 pages of his notes still exist today.
Leonardo was much more than an artist. He was a student of the human body, of biology, and the stars. He made hundreds of inventions. Prince Sforza hired him to work for him building catapults, bridges, and cannons. French King Francois I called him "painter, architect, and mechanic to the king". Leonardo Da Vinci was truly a man ahead of his time.References:
Kostner, Thomas, and Lars Roper.50 Artists You Should Know. New York: Prestel, 2006.
Order
Wilder, Jesse Bryant. Art History for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing Inc, 2007.
Order
Byrd, Robert. Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer, New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2003.
Order
Barter, James. Artists of the Renaissance, San Diego: Lucent Books,1946.
Order
Leonardo da Vinci self-portrait around 1512
RESEARCH LINKS
Exploring Leonardo
from the Museum of Science
Mona Lisa Mania
includes a kid's section
Leonardo Da Vinci
See index in the left column
Leonardo Da Vinci
biography with audio version
Art History
online interactive art lesson - elementary
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists: Da Vinci
By Grolier Publishing Company
Get aquainted with the world's greatest artists' in this kid-friendly introduction to Leonardo DaVinci. His biography is accompanied by cartoon drawings that highlight different aspects of his life, while reproductions of his famous notes and artwork give kids' exposure to his style of painting. 32 pages, softcover.
Who Was Leonardo DaVinci
By Roberta Edwards / Penguin Putnam Inc.
Learn about the life and times of Leonardo da Vinci! Full of adventure, this overview of da Vinci's life will keep kids reading about his feats in science and art. With explained terms and relatable text, children will receive an interesting introduction to the man who is our basis for the term "Renaissance Man." Timeline included. 112 pages, softcover. Ages 7-11.
A LIBRARY OF
ONLINE BOOKS and BOOK PREVIEWS
Leonardo Da Vinci: Renaissance Genius
by Barbara O'Connor (selected pages) Order here
Leonardo da Vinci: The Genius Who Defined the Renaissance (National Geographic)
by John Phillips (selected pages) Order here
Leonardo's Horse
by Jean Fritz, Hudson Talbott (no preview) Order
Leonardo da Vinci: Young artist, writer, and inventor
by George Edward Stanley (selected pages) Order here
Leonardo and His Times
by Andrew Langley (no preview)Order
Leonardo da Vinci for Kids
by Janis Herbert (selected pages)Order
Leonardo da Vinci
by M.C. Hall (selected pages) Order here
Leonardo da Vinci
by By Maria Teresa Zanobini Leoni, Maria Teresa Leoni Zanobini (selected pages) Order here
Leonardo da Vinci For Kids: his life and ideas : 21 activities
by Janis Herbert (selected pages) Order here
The Machines of Leonardo da Vinci and Franz Reuleaux
by Francis C. Moon, F. C. Moon (selected pages) Order here
Leonardo 16 Art Stickers
by Leonardo da Vinci (selected pages) Order here
Leonardo and the Flying Boy
by Laurence Anholt (selected pages) Order here
Leonardo da Vinci
by Maurice Walter Brockwell (selected pages) Order here
Art History for Dummies
by Jesse Bryant Wilder (selected pages) Order
50 Artists You Should Know
by Thomas Koster, Lars Roper (review, no preview) Order
Leonardo da Vinci
by Robert Henry Hobart Cust 1908 (full view)
Great Scientists and Discoveries
by Ron Shaw (selected pages) Order here
Preview these Amazon books using the links below.
The Life and Works of Leonardo da Vinci
by Sean Connolly (selected pages)
Art Masters: Leonardo da Vinci
by (selected pages)
Giants of Science: Leonardo da Vinci
by (selected pages)
Leonardo da Vinci
by Barbara Witteman (selected pages)
Great Scientists: Leonardo da Vinci
by John Malam (selected pages)
Great Artists: Leonardo da Vinci
by Joanne Mattern (selected pages)
Leonardo Da Vinci: A Nonfiction Companion to Monday with a Mad Genius
by Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce, Sal Murdocca (selected pages)
Monday With a Mad Genius (Magic Tree House #38)
by Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca (selected pages) Order here
Puzzles on these pages courtesy of
Songs of Praise and Armored Penguin
Page Comments
Most Recent Comments ( See more comments on this page ) 2011-02-03
nice
bird2011-01-31
awsome pic of monolissa she cute
austin turner2010-11-24
Oh you're right that's weird. I also heard that Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Leave a Comment View all Comments
Famous Artists in this Series
Index to Famous Paintings
Art Appreciation
Lessons for Kids
Work a Jigsaw Puzzle
Online Crossword Puzzle 
Online Word Search
Online Word Scramble
Color Picture Online
Online Multiple-Choice Test
![422758: Getting to Know the World"s Greatest Artists: Da Vinci](http://ag.christianbook.com/g/product/4/422758.gif "422758: Getting to Know the World"s Greatest Artists: Da Vinci")
