Transcript LEONARDO DA VINCI

LEONARDO DA VINCI
HIS LIFE
Leonardo da Vinci was born in the little village of Vinci. His
father, Piero da Vinci, was a lawyer. His mother was peasant
girl named Caterina. Piero's parents took Leonardo into their
home and raised him. The boy showed one side of his genius
by working out difficult problems in mathematics and
engineering. But he showed greatest promise in drawing and
painting. As a result, his father took him to Florence to study
with Andrea del Verrocchio. Da Vinci studied painting,
sculpture, and engineering under Verrocchio. He became soon
better than his teacher. He went on working with Verrocchio
until about 1476, but he developed a different style.
Milan
In the early 1480's, Leonardo entered the service of
Ludovico Sforza, who later became Duke of Milan.
Leonardo went to Milan to design an immense
bronze statue in memory of Francesco Sforza.
Leonardo never finished this work, but he completed
a painting, The Madonna of the Rocks. This
painting, was the first to show completely the style
for which Leonardo is best known. The painting is at
the National Gallery in London.
VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS
FLORENCE
In 1499 Leonardo returned to Florence, where he
painted a portrait of the wife of a merchant named
Giocondo. The mysterious smile of the woman
Leonardo painted in the Mona Lisa or La Gioconda.
People appreciate the simplicity and dignity of his
painting. The mountain landscape in the background
is in perfect atmospheric perspective, and seems to
lead the viewer into infinity.
LA GIOCONDA
LATER YEARS
Leonardo returned to Milan in 1506, this time he worked for
Louis XII of France. He went on studying anatomy, and
concentrated his engineering on research on hydraulics and
aeronautics. Six years later, he joined Bramante, Raphael, and
Michelangelo in Rome to work for Pope Leo X. The four great
artists worked on designs and construction of the new Church
of St. Peter. Some of them also worked on other new or
enlarged buildings and rooms in the Vatican. Several French
kings admired Leonardo's work and invited him to live in
France. Da Vinci finally accepted in 1516, and settled in the
small castle of Cloux, near Amboise. He lived there until he
died, on May 2, 1519.
Clos Lucé in France, where
Leonardo lived from 1516 to 1519
THE LAST SUPPER
L’ANNUNCIAZIONE
ADORATION OF THE MAGI
THE END