Leonardo

Leonardo da Vinci, commonly known simply as Leonardo, was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance whose interests encompassed art, science, engineering, anatomy, and invention. He was born in 1452 in Vinci, in the Florentine Republic, and worked in cities including Florence, Milan, and later France.

Leonardo is best known as an artist for two iconic works: the Mona Lisa (c. 1503–1506) and The Last Supper (c. 1495–1498). His painting style, characterized by refined anatomy, nuanced expression, and the use of sfumato, contributed to his reputation as a master of observation and technique.

Beyond art, Leonardo pursued extensive scientific study. His notebooks, written in mirror script and filled with diagrams, record observations on anatomy, optics, hydraulics, geology, and mechanics. He dissected human bodies to study anatomy and produced detailed drawings of muscles, bones, and organs, seeking to understand the natural world through empirical inquiry.

As an inventor and engineer, Leonardo sketched devices ranging from mechanical tools and bridges to flying machines and military apparatus. He conceptualized ideas such as an aerial screw and a parachute, anticipating later developments in aerodynamics and robotics, even though many designs were not realized in his lifetime.

In the final years of his life, Leonardo entered the service of the French crown and died in Amboise in 1519. His work embodies the integration of art and science and has had a lasting influence on subsequent generations in both fields.