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Leonardo da Vinci- A Brief History of the Renaissance Man
Written by Varda Bajpai
February 21, 2022
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Last Supper are often used to exemplify the artwork of the Renaissance era. Yet the title of “artist” is not the only name that fits a man as talented as he. Da Vinci was an architect, engineer, painter, sculptor, draftsman, scientist, and the epitome of a Renaissance man. His extreme talents in numerous fields make him an inspiration to many and one of my favorite artists.
Da Vinci’s most notable achievements are arguably his famous paintings— namely, the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. However, in the spirit of the Renaissance, his talents were not limited to painting. Throughout his life, Da Vinci designed weapons, buildings, and machinery, and his blueprints were truly centuries before his time. His sketches and notes included prototypes for modern inventions such as the parachute, the helicopter, the hydraulic screw, and many more. Yet his scientific work was not limited to inventions in physics-- he also had a keen interest in advanced geometry, arithmetic, cosmology, military matters, and politics. He also spent a large portion of his life studying human anatomy, and even performed dissections on actual human corpses. This interest (along with his interest in artwork) is displayed in his famous sketch of the Vitruvian man— a sketch known to scientists and avid graphic tee enthusiasts alike.
Da Vinci also spent a large portion of his life studying the philosophy of the world, and he spent a lot of time in nature, trying to understand life as a whole. He also studied the philosophy of humans, and believed that sight was man’s highest sense.
In lieu of all of his achievements listed here, perhaps one of the most important things that Da Vinci produced in his life were his numerous notebooks, which made his knowledge accessible to the generations succeeding him. Through his notes, Leonardo Da Vinci passed his knowledge down to others, making it possible for the world to grow from his insights. However, these notes still required a small amount of deciphering, as they were all written backwards (i.e. right to left rather than left to write). Although it is unknown why he chose to do this, one popular theory is that he simply did not want to smudge the ink, as he was left-handed.
Da Vinci’s incredible prowess in the aforementioned fields undoubtedly bestow upon him the title of “Renaissance Man”, as he was a person who knew and did it all.