“Leonardo da Vinci – 1452” | Grandma’s Stories

Apr 15th “Leonardo da Vinci – 1452”

Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance artist and engineer, known for paintings like “The Last Supper” and “Mona Lisa,” and for inventions like a flying machine.

Leonardo da Vinci

BIRTH DATE: April 15, 1452

DEATH DATE: May 2, 1519

DID YOU KNOW?: Leonardo da Vinci was born out of wedlock to a respected Florentine notary and a young peasant woman.
DID YOU KNOW?: Da Vinci used tempera and oil on dried plaster to paint “The Last Supper,” which led to its quick deterioration and flaking.
DID YOU KNOW?: For da Vinci, the “Mona Lisa” was forever a work in progress, as it was his attempt at perfection, and he never parted with the painting.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Vinci, Italy

PLACE OF DEATH: Amboise, France

Leonardo da Vinci – 1452

The Renaissance polymath is known for his genius in several disciplines.

An inventor, artist, scientist, mathematician who influenced the generations that followed him.

Da Vinci designed human flying machines including a type of helicopter.

Some of the world’s most treasured works of art include da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Mona Lisa

In 1503, da Vinci started working on what would become his most well-known painting — and arguably the most famous painting in the world —the “Mona Lisa.”

The privately commissioned work is characterized by the enigmatic smile of the woman in the half-portrait, which derives from da Vinci’s sfumato technique.

Adding to the allure of the “Mona Lisa” is the mystery surrounding the identity of the subject.

Princess Isabella of Naples, an unnamed courtesan and da Vinci’s own mother have all been put forth as potential sitters for the masterpiece.

It has even been speculated that the subject wasn’t a female at all but da Vinci’s longtime apprentice Salai dressed in women’s clothing.