Other scientists believe that the point is in the peculiarities of the author's artistic manner. Allegedly, Leonardo applied paint in such a special way that the face of Mona Lisa is constantly changing.

Many insist that the artist depicted himself in a female form on the canvas, which is why such a strange effect turned out. One scientist even found symptoms of idiocy in Mona Lisa, motivating them with disproportionate fingers and lack of flexibility in the hand. But, according to the British doctor Kenneth Keel, the peaceful state of a pregnant woman is conveyed in the portrait.

There is also a version that the artist, who was allegedly bisexual, painted his student and assistant Gian Giacomo Caprotti, who was next to him for 26 years. This version is supported by the fact that Leonardo da Vinci left this painting to him as a legacy when he died in 1519.

They say... ... that the great artist owes his death to the Gioconda model. That many hours of exhausting sessions with her exhausted the great master, since the model herself turned out to be a biovampire. This is still talked about today. As soon as the picture was painted, the great artist was gone.

6) Creating a fresco " The Last Supper» Leonardo da Vinci searched for ideal models for a very long time. Jesus must embody Good, and Judas, who decided to betray him at this meal, is Evil.

Leonardo da Vinci interrupted work many times, going in search of sitters. Once, while listening to the church choir, he saw in one of the young choristers the perfect image of Christ and, inviting him to his studio, made several sketches and sketches from him.

Three years have passed. The Last Supper was almost completed, but Leonardo never found a suitable sitter for Judas. The cardinal, who was in charge of painting the cathedral, hurried the artist, demanding that the fresco be completed as soon as possible.

And after a long search, the artist saw a man lying in the gutter - young, but prematurely decrepit, dirty, drunk and ragged. There was no time for studies, and Leonardo ordered his assistants to deliver him directly to the cathedral. With great difficulty they dragged him there and put him on his feet. The man did not really understand what was happening and where he was, and Leonardo da Vinci captured on canvas the face of a man mired in sins. When he finished the work, the beggar, who by this time had already recovered a little, went up to the canvas and shouted:

I have seen this picture before!

- When? Leonardo was surprised. “Three years ago, before I lost everything. At that time, when I sang in the choir, and my life was full of dreams, some artist painted Christ from me ...

7) Leonardo had the gift of foresight. In 1494, he made a series of notes that paint pictures of the world to come, many of which have already come true, and others are coming true now.

"People will talk to each other from the most distant countries and answer each other" - we are talking here, of course, about the telephone.

"People will walk and not move, they will talk to those who are not, they will hear those who do not speak" - television, tape recording, sound reproduction.

"You will see yourself falling from great heights without any harm to you" - obviously skydiving.

8) But Leonardo da Vinci also has such riddles that baffle researchers. Maybe you can figure them out?

"People will throw out of their own homes those supplies that were meant to sustain their lives."

"Most of the male race will not be allowed to breed, because their testes will be taken away."

Want to learn more about Da Vinci and bring his ideas to life?

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci is a man of Renaissance art, sculptor, inventor, painter, philosopher, writer, scientist, polymath (universal man).

The future genius was born as a result of a love affair between the noble Piero da Vinci and the girl Katerina (Katarina). According to the social norms of that time, the marriage union of these people was impossible due to the low birth of Leonardo's mother. After the birth of her first child, she was given in marriage to a potter, with whom Katerina lived the rest of her life. It is known that from her husband she gave birth to four daughters and a son.

Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci

The first-born Piero da Vinci lived with his mother for three years. Immediately after his birth, Leonardo's father married a rich representative of a noble family, but his legal wife was never able to give birth to an heir. Three years after the marriage, Piero took his son to him and took up his upbringing. Stepmother Leonardo died after 10 years, trying to give birth to an heir. Pierrot remarried, but was quickly widowed again. In total, Leonardo had four stepmothers, as well as 12 paternal half-siblings.

Creativity and inventions of da Vinci

The parent gave Leonardo as an apprentice to the Tuscan master Andrea Verrocchio. During his studies with a mentor, Piero's son learned not only the art of painting and sculpture. Young Leonardo studied the humanities and technical sciences, the skill of leather dressing, the basics of working with metal and chemical reagents. All this knowledge was useful to da Vinci in life.

Leonardo received confirmation of the qualifications of the master at the age of twenty, after which he continued to work under the supervision of Verrocchio. The young artist was involved in small work on the paintings of his teacher, for example, he prescribed background landscapes and clothes. minor characters. Leonardo had his own workshop only in 1476.


Drawing "Vitruvian Man" by Leonardo da Vinci

In 1482, da Vinci was sent by his patron Lorenzo de' Medici to Milan. During this period, the artist worked on two paintings that were never completed. In Milan, Duke Lodovico Sforza enrolled Leonardo in the court staff as an engineer. A high-ranking person was interested in defensive devices and devices for entertaining the court. Da Vinci had the opportunity to develop the talent of an architect and the ability of a mechanic. His inventions turned out to be an order of magnitude better than those offered by contemporaries.

The engineer stayed in Milan under the Duke of Sforza for about seventeen years. During this time, Leonardo painted the paintings “Madonna in the Grotto” and “Lady with an Ermine”, created his most famous drawing “Vitruvian Man”, made a clay model of the equestrian monument of Francesco Sforza, painted the wall of the refectory of the Dominican monastery with the composition “The Last Supper”, made a number of anatomical sketches and drawings of devices.


Leonardo's engineering talent was useful to him after returning to Florence in 1499. He got a job with Duke Cesare Borgia, who counted on da Vinci's ability to create military mechanisms. The engineer worked in Florence for about seven years, after which he returned to Milan again. By that time, he had already completed work on his most famous painting, which is now stored in the Louvre Museum.

The master's second Milan period lasted six years, after which he left for Rome. In 1516, Leonardo went to France, where he spent his last years. On the journey, the master took with him Francesco Melzi, a student and main heir artistic style da Vinci.


Portrait of Francesco Melzi

Despite the fact that Leonardo spent only four years in Rome, it is in this city that the museum named after him is located. In the three halls of the institution you can get acquainted with the devices built according to the drawings of Leonardo, look at copies of paintings, photos of diaries and manuscripts.

The Italian devoted most of his life to engineering and architectural projects. His inventions were both military and peaceful. Leonardo is known as a developer of tank prototypes, an aircraft, a self-propelled cart, a searchlight, a catapult, a bicycle, a parachute, a mobile bridge, a machine gun. Some drawings of the inventor still remain a mystery to researchers.


Drawings and sketches of some of the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci

In 2009, the Discovery TV channel aired a series of films called Da Vinci Apparatus. Each of the ten episodes of the documentary series was dedicated to the construction and testing of mechanisms according to Leonardo's original drawings. The film's technicians tried to recreate the inventions of the Italian genius using materials from his era.

Personal life

The personal life of the master was kept by him in the strictest confidence. For entries in his diaries, Leonardo used a cipher, but even after decoding, the researchers received little reliable information. There is a version that da Vinci's unconventional orientation was the reason for the secrecy.

The basis of the theory that the artist loved men was the guesswork of researchers based on circumstantial facts. At a young age, the artist appeared in a case of sodomy, but it is not known for certain in what capacity. After this incident, the master became very secretive and stingy with comments about his personal life.


Possible lovers of Leonardo include some of his students, the most famous of which is Salai. The young man was endowed with an effeminate appearance and became a model for several paintings by da Vinci. The painting "John the Baptist" is one of the surviving works of Leonardo, for which Salai posed.

There is a version that "Mona Lisa" was also written from this sitter, dressed in a woman's dress. It should be noted that there is some physical similarity between the people depicted in the paintings "Mona Lisa" and "John the Baptist". It remains a fact that da Vinci bequeathed his artistic masterpiece to Salai.


Historians also rank Francesco Melzi as a possible beloved of Leonardo.

There is another version of the secret of the Italian's personal life. There is an opinion that Leonardo had a romantic relationship with Cecilia Gallerani, who, presumably, is depicted in the portrait "Lady with an Ermine". This woman was the favorite of the Duke of Milan, the owner of the literary salon, the patroness of the arts. She introduced the young artist to the circle of Milanese bohemia.


Fragment of the painting "Lady with Ermine"

Among da Vinci's notes, a draft letter was found addressed to Cecilia, which began with the words: "My beloved goddess ...". Researchers suggest that the portrait of the "Lady with an Ermine" was painted with clear signs of unspent feelings for the woman depicted on it.

Some researchers believe that the great Italian did not know carnal love at all. Men and women were not physically attracted to him. In the context of this theory, it is assumed that Leonardo led the life of a monk who did not give birth to descendants, but left a great legacy.

Death and grave

Modern researchers have concluded that the probable cause of the artist's death is a stroke. Da Vinci died at the age of 67 in 1519. Thanks to the memoirs of contemporaries, it is known that by that time the artist was already suffering from partial paralysis. Leonardo couldn't move right hand, as researchers believe, due to a stroke in 1517.

Despite the paralysis, the master continued active creative life, resorting to the help of a student of Francesco Melzi. Da Vinci's health was deteriorating, and by the end of 1519 it was already difficult for him to walk without assistance. This evidence is consistent with the theoretical diagnosis. Scientists believe that a second attack of cerebrovascular accident in 1519 completed life path famous Italian.


Monument to Leonardo da Vinci in Milan, Italy

At the time of his death, the master was in the Clos Luce castle near the city of Amboise, where he lived for the last three years of his life. In accordance with Leonardo's will, his body was buried in the gallery of the church of Saint-Florentin.

Unfortunately, the master's grave was devastated during the Huguenot wars. The church, in which the Italian rested, was plundered, after which it fell into severe disrepair and was demolished by the new owner of the Amboise castle, Roger Ducos, in 1807.


After the destruction of the Saint-Florentin chapel, the remains from many graves from different years were mixed and buried in the garden. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, researchers made several attempts to identify the bones of Leonardo da Vinci. Innovators in this matter were guided by the lifetime description of the master and chose the most suitable fragments from the remains found. They have been studied for some time. The work was led by archaeologist Arsen Usse. He also found fragments of a tombstone, presumably from the grave of da Vinci, and a skeleton, in which some fragments were missing. These bones were reburied in the reconstructed tomb of the artist in the chapel of Saint Hubert on the grounds of the Château d'Amboise.


In 2010, a team of researchers led by Silvano Vincheti was about to exhume the remains of a Renaissance master. It was planned to identify the skeleton using genetic material taken from the graves of Leonardo's paternal relatives. Italian researchers failed to obtain permission from the owners of the castle to carry out the necessary work.

In the place where the Church of Saint-Florentin used to be, at the beginning of the last century, a granite monument was erected, marking the four hundredth anniversary of the death of the famous Italian. The reconstructed tomb of the engineer and the stone monument with his bust are among the most popular sights of Amboise.

Secrets of da Vinci paintings

Leonardo's work has occupied the minds of art historians, religious researchers, historians and the public for more than four hundred years. Works Italian artist became an inspiration for people of science and creativity. There are many theories that reveal the secrets of da Vinci's paintings. The most famous of them says that when writing his masterpieces, Leonardo used a special graphic code.


With the help of a device of several mirrors, the researchers managed to find out that the secret of the views of the characters from the paintings "La Gioconda" and "John the Baptist" lies in the fact that they are looking at a masked creature resembling an alien alien. The secret cipher in Leonardo's notes was also deciphered using an ordinary mirror.

Mystifications around the work of the Italian genius led to the emergence of a number of works of art, the author of which was the writer . His novels have become bestsellers. In 2006, the film The Da Vinci Code was released, based on the work of the same name by Brown. The film was met with a wave of criticism from religious organizations, but set box office records in its first month of release.

Lost and unfinished works

Not all of the master's works have survived to our time. Works that have not survived include: a shield with a painting in the form of the head of Medusa, a sculpture of a horse for the Duke of Milan, a portrait of the Madonna with a spindle, the painting "Leda and the Swan" and the fresco "Battle of Anghiari".

Modern researchers know about some of the master's paintings thanks to the preserved copies and memoirs of da Vinci's contemporaries. For example, the fate of the original Leda and the Swan is still unknown. Historians believe that the painting may have been destroyed in the mid-seventeenth century on the orders of the Marquise de Maintenon, wife of Louis XIV. Sketches made by Leonardo's hand and several copies of the canvas made by different artists have survived to our time.


The painting depicted a young naked woman in the arms of a swan, at whose feet babies hatched from huge eggs play. When creating this masterpiece, the artist was inspired by a famous mythical story. It is interesting that the canvas based on the story of the copulation of Leda with Zeus, who took the form of a swan, was written not only by da Vinci.

Leonardo's lifetime rival also painted a picture dedicated to this ancient myth. The painting by Buonarotti suffered the same fate as the work of da Vinci. Paintings by Leonardo and Michelangelo simultaneously disappeared from the collection of the French royal house.


Among the unfinished works of the brilliant Italian, the painting "The Adoration of the Magi" stands out. The canvas was commissioned by the Augustinian monks in 1841, but remained unfinished due to the departure of the master to Milan. The customers found another artist, and Leonardo saw no reason to continue working on the painting.


Fragment of the painting “The Adoration of the Magi”

Researchers believe that the composition of the canvas has no analogues in Italian painting. The painting depicts Mary with the newborn Jesus and the Magi, and behind the backs of the pilgrims are horse riders and the ruins of a pagan temple. There is an assumption that Leonardo depicted in the picture among the men who came to the son of God, and himself at the age of 29 years.

  • Researcher of religious mysteries Lynn Picknett published the book Leonardo da Vinci and the Brotherhood of Zion in 2009, naming the famous Italian as one of the masters of a secret religious order.
  • It is believed that da Vinci was a vegetarian. He wore clothes made of linen, neglecting outfits made of leather and natural silk.
  • A team of researchers plans to isolate Leonardo's DNA from the surviving personal belongings of the master. Historians also claim they are close to finding da Vinci's maternal relatives.
  • The Renaissance was the time when noble women in Italy were addressed with the words "my mistress", in Italian - "Madonna" (ma donna). In colloquial speech, the expression was reduced to "monna" (monna). This means that the name of the painting "Mona Lisa" can literally be translated as "Madame Lisa".

  • Raphael Santi called da Vinci his teacher. He visited the studio of Leonardo in Florence, tried to adopt some features of his artistic style. Raphael Santi also called Michelangelo Buonarroti his teacher. The three artists mentioned are considered the main geniuses of the Renaissance.
  • Australian enthusiasts have created the largest traveling exhibition inventions of the great architect. The exposition was developed with the participation of the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Italy. The exhibition has already visited six continents. During its operation, five million visitors were able to see and touch the works of the most famous engineer of the Renaissance.

One of my favorite books so far is "The Da Vinci Code". The genre of the work - a mystical detective - masterfully creates an aura of mystery around the already mysterious phenomenon of Leonardo. I can’t call him only an artist or a sculptor, since this person was Creator(and only with a capital letter) of the Renaissance, multifaceted and talented. So who was Leonardo da Vinci?

How it all started

What a pity that photography and cinema did not appear until several centuries after Leonardo. I really want to see what this person looked like, what clothes he wore, smiled or, on the contrary, frowned his shaggy eyebrows. However, the strict image of the master can still be seen in Piazza della Scala in Milan. Monument, depicting Leonardo and his students, it's hard not to notice, but it's very easy to spend an hour looking at His face.


Da Vinci was originally identified by his father in painters and sculptors and began to study in Florence. An inquisitive mind and a thirst for knowledge did not limit the young man only to the sphere of art. were soon mastered Humanities sciences, chemistry, modeling and drafting.

After Florence, da Vinci ends up in Milan, where he becomes engineer at the court of the Duke of Sforza. We can say that it was the duke who contributed to the development of new directions in Leonardo's "career": architecture and mechanics.

If we imagine that the Skolkovo Foundation already existed in the Renaissance, then the drawings and projects of the newly-minted engineer would be considered innovative and would immediately single out the grand. The scope of Leonardo's scientific interest had the widest range: from military devices up to peaceful inventions.


Who was Leonardo da Vinci

For all my enough long life(he died at the age of 67) the creator was able to achieve amazing success in many areas science and art. For example.

Childhood

The house where Leonardo lived as a child.

Workshop of Verrocchio

Defeated teacher

Painting by Verrocchio "The Baptism of Christ". The angel on the left (lower left corner) is a creation by Leonardo.

In the 15th century, ideas about the revival of ancient ideals were in the air. At the Florentine Academy, the best minds of Italy created the theory of the new art. Creative youth spent their time in lively discussions. Leonardo remained aloof from the stormy public life and rarely left the workshop. He had no time for theoretical disputes: he improved his skills. Once Verrocchio received an order for the painting "The Baptism of Christ" and instructed Leonardo to paint one of the two angels. It was a common practice in art workshops of that time: the teacher created a picture together with student assistants. The most talented and diligent were entrusted with the execution of a whole fragment. Two angels, painted by Leonardo and Verrocchio, clearly demonstrated the superiority of the student over the teacher. As Vasari writes, the amazed Verrocchio abandoned the brush and never returned to painting.

Professional activity, 1476-1513

At the age of 24, Leonardo and three other young men were brought to trial on false and anonymous accusations of sodomy. They were acquitted. Very little is known about his life after this event, but he probably had his own workshop in Florence in 1476-1481.

In 1482, Leonardo, being, according to Vasari, a very talented musician, created a silver lyre in the form of a horse's head. Lorenzo de' Medici sent him as a peacemaker to Lodovico Moro, and sent the lyre with him as a gift.

Personal life

Leonardo had many friends and students. As for love relationship, there is no reliable information on this subject, since Leonardo carefully concealed this side of his life. He was not married, there is no reliable information about novels with women. According to some versions, Leonardo had an affair with Cecilia Gallerani, Lodovico Moro's mistress, with whom he wrote his famous painting"Lady with an Ermine". A number of authors, following the words of Vasari, suggest intimate relationships with young men, including students (Salai), others believe that, despite the painter's homosexuality, relations with students were not intimate.

End of life

Leonardo was present at the meeting of King Francis I with Pope Leo X in Bologna on December 19, 1515. Francis commissioned a craftsman to construct a mechanical lion capable of walking, from whose chest a bouquet of lilies would emerge. Perhaps this lion greeted the king in Lyon or was used during negotiations with the pope.

In 1516, Leonardo accepted the invitation of the French king and settled in his castle of Clos Luce, where Francis I spent his childhood, not far from the royal castle of Amboise. In the official rank of the first royal painter, engineer and architect, Leonardo received an annual annuity of a thousand ecu. Never before had Leonardo held the title of engineer in Italy. Leonardo was not the first Italian master who, by the grace of the French king, received "the freedom to dream, think and create" - before him, Andrea Solario and Fra Giovanni Giocondo shared a similar honor.

In France, Leonardo painted almost nothing, but masterfully organized court festivities, planned a new palace in Romorantan with a planned change in the riverbed, a canal project between the Loire and Saône, the main two-way spiral staircase in the Chateau de Chambord. Two years before his death, the master's right hand went numb, and he could hardly move without assistance. Leonardo, 67, spent the third year of his life in Amboise in bed. On April 23, 1519, he left a will, and on May 2, he died surrounded by his students and his masterpieces at Clos Luce. According to Vasari, da Vinci died in the arms of King Francis I, his close friend. This unreliable, but widespread legend in France is reflected in the paintings of Ingres, Angelika Kaufman and many other painters. Leonardo da Vinci was buried in the castle of Amboise. An inscription was engraved on the tombstone: “The ashes of Leonardo da Vinci rest in the walls of this monastery, the greatest artist, engineer and architect of the French kingdom.

The main heir was the disciple and friend Francesco Melzi who accompanied Leonardo, who for the next 50 years remained the main manager of the master’s legacy, which included, in addition to paintings, tools, a library and at least 50 thousand original documents on various topics, of which only a third has survived to this day. Another student of Salai and a servant got half of Leonardo's vineyards each.

Main dates

  • - birth of Leonardo ser Piero da Vinci in the village of Anchiano near Vinci
  • - Leonardo da Vinci enters the studio of Verrocchio as an apprentice artist (Florence)
  • - member of the Florentine Guild of Artists
  • - - work on: "Baptism of Christ", "Annunciation", "Madonna with a vase"
  • Second half of the 70s. Created "Madonna with a flower" ("Madonna Benois")
  • - Saltarelli scandal
  • - Leonardo opens his own workshop
  • - according to the documents, this year Leonardo already had his own workshop
  • - the monastery of San Donato a Sisto orders Leonardo a large altarpiece "The Adoration of the Magi" (not completed); work has begun on the painting "Saint Jerome"
  • - invited to the court of Lodovico Sforza in Milan. Work has begun on the equestrian monument of Francesco Sforza.
  • - "Portrait of a musician" was created
  • - development of a flying machine - ornithopter based on bird flight
  • - anatomical drawings of skulls
  • - painting "Portrait of a musician". A clay model of the monument to Francesco Sforza was made.
  • - Vitruvian Man - the famous drawing, sometimes called canonical proportions
  • - - completed "Madonna in the Grotto"
  • - - work on the fresco "The Last Supper" in the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan
  • - Milan is captured by the French troops of Louis XII, Leonardo leaves Milan, the model of the Sforza monument is badly damaged
  • - enters the service of Cesare Borgia as an architect and military engineer
  • - cardboard for the fresco "Battle in Anjaria (at Anghiari)" and the painting "Mona Lisa"
  • - return to Milan and service with King Louis XII of France (at that time in control of northern Italy, see Italian Wars)
  • - - work in Milan on the equestrian monument to Marshal Trivulzio
  • - painting in St. Anne's Cathedral
  • - "Self-portrait"
  • - moving to Rome under the auspices of Pope Leo X
  • - - work on the painting "John the Baptist"
  • - moving to France as a court painter, engineer, architect and mechanic
  • - dies of disease

Achievements

Art

Leonardo is primarily known to our contemporaries as an artist. In addition, it is possible that da Vinci could also have been a sculptor: researchers from the University of Perugia - Giancarlo Gentilini and Carlo Sisi - claim that the terracotta head they found in 1990 is the only sculptural work of Leonardo da Vinci that has come down to us. However, da Vinci himself at different periods of his life considered himself primarily an engineer or scientist. He gave fine arts not very much time and worked quite slowly. Therefore, the artistic heritage of Leonardo is not quantitatively large, and a number of his works have been lost or badly damaged. However, his contribution to the world artistic culture is extremely important even against the background of the cohort of geniuses that the Italian Renaissance gave. Thanks to his works, the art of painting moved to a qualitatively new stage in its development. The Renaissance artists who preceded Leonardo decisively abandoned many of the conventions of medieval art. It was a movement towards realism and much has already been achieved in the study of perspective, anatomy, greater freedom in compositional decisions. But in terms of picturesqueness, work with paint, the artists were still quite conventional and constrained. The line in the picture clearly outlined the subject, and the image had the appearance of a painted drawing. The most conditional was the landscape, which played a secondary role. Leonardo realized and embodied a new painting technique. His line has the right to blur, because that's how we see it. He realized the phenomena of light scattering in the air and the appearance of sfumato - a haze between the viewer and the depicted object, which softens color contrasts and lines. As a result, realism in painting moved to a qualitatively new level.

Science and Engineering

His only invention, which received recognition during his lifetime, was a wheel lock for a pistol (wound with a key). At the beginning, the wheeled pistol was not very common, but by the middle of the 16th century it had gained popularity among the nobles, especially among the cavalry, which even affected the design of armor, namely: Maximilian armor for firing pistols began to be made with gloves instead of mittens. The wheel lock for a pistol, invented by Leonardo da Vinci, was so perfect that it continued to be found in the 19th century.

Leonardo da Vinci was interested in the problems of flight. In Milan, he made many drawings and studied the flight mechanism of birds of various breeds and bats. In addition to observations, he also conducted experiments, but they were all unsuccessful. Leonardo really wanted to build an aircraft. He said: “He who knows everything, he can do everything. Just to find out - and there will be wings! First, Leonardo developed the problem of flight with the help of wings set in motion by human muscle power: the idea of ​​​​the simplest apparatus of Daedalus and Icarus. But then he came to the idea of ​​building such an apparatus to which a person should not be attached, but should retain complete freedom to control it; the apparatus must set itself in motion by its own power. This is essentially the idea of ​​an airplane. Leonardo da Vinci worked on a vertical takeoff and landing apparatus. On the vertical "ornitottero" Leonardo planned to place a system of retractable ladders. Nature served as an example for him: “look at the stone swift, which sat on the ground and cannot fly up because of its short legs; and when he is in flight, pull out the ladder, as shown in the second image from the top ... so you need to take off from the plane; these ladders serve as legs ... ". With regard to landing, he wrote: “These hooks (concave wedges) which are attached to the base of the ladders serve the same purpose as the tips of the toes of a person who jumps on them and his whole body does not shake while doing so, as if he jumping in heels." Leonardo da Vinci proposed the first scheme for a spotting scope (telescope) with two lenses (now known as the Kepler spotting scope). In the manuscript of the Atlantic Code, sheet 190a, there is an entry: “Make spectacle glasses (ochiali) for the eyes to see the moon big” (Leonardo da Vinci. “LIL Codice Atlantico ...”, I Tavole, S. A. 190a),

Anatomy and medicine

During his life, Leonardo da Vinci made thousands of notes and drawings on anatomy, but did not publish his work. Making an autopsy of the bodies of people and animals, he accurately conveyed the structure of the skeleton and internal organs including small details. According to professor of clinical anatomy Peter Abrams, scientific work da Vinci was 300 years ahead of her time and in many ways surpassed the famous Grey's Anatomy.

inventions

List of inventions, both real and attributed to him:

  • Lightweight portable bridges for the army
  • double lens telescope

Thinker

... Empty and full of errors are those sciences that are not generated by experience, the father of all certainty, and do not end in visual experience ...

No human research can be called true science unless it has gone through mathematical proofs. And if you say that the sciences that begin and end in thought have truth, then we cannot agree with you on this, ... because experience, without which there is no certainty, does not participate in such purely mental reasoning.

Literature

Huge literary heritage Leonardo da Vinci has survived to this day in a chaotic form, in manuscripts written with the left hand. Although Leonardo da Vinci did not print a single line of them, however, in his notes he constantly turned to an imaginary reader and throughout the last years of his life did not leave the thought of publishing his works.

Already after the death of Leonardo da Vinci, his friend and student Francesco Melzi selected from them passages related to painting, from which the “Treatise on Painting” (Trattato della pittura, 1st ed.,) was subsequently compiled. In its full form, the manuscript legacy of Leonardo da Vinci was published only in the 19th-20th centuries. In addition to its enormous scientific and historical significance, it also has artistic value due to its concise, energetic style and unusually clear language. Living in the heyday of humanism, when the Italian language was considered secondary compared to Latin, Leonardo da Vinci admired his contemporaries for the beauty and expressiveness of his speech (according to legend, he was a good improviser), but did not consider himself a writer and wrote as he spoke; therefore, his prose is an example of the colloquial language of the 15th century intelligentsia, and this saved it as a whole from the artificiality and grandiosity inherent in the prose of the humanists, although in some passages of the didactic writings of Leonardo da Vinci we find echoes of the pathos of the humanistic style.

Even in the least "poetic" fragments, the style of Leonardo da Vinci is distinguished by vivid imagery; thus, his "Treatise on Painting" is equipped with magnificent descriptions (for example, the famous description of the flood), which amaze with the skill of verbal transmission of picturesque and plastic images. Along with descriptions in which the manner of an artist-painter is felt, Leonardo da Vinci gives in his manuscripts many examples of narrative prose: fables, facets (joking stories), aphorisms, allegories, prophecies. In fables and facies, Leonardo stands on the level of the prose writers of the fourteenth century, with their ingenuous practical morality; and some of its facies are indistinguishable from Sacchetti's novellas.

Allegories and prophecies have a more fantastic character: in the first, Leonardo da Vinci uses the techniques of medieval encyclopedias and bestiaries; the latter are in the nature of humorous riddles, distinguished by the brightness and accuracy of phraseology and imbued with caustic, almost Voltaireian irony, directed at the famous preacher Girolamo Savonarola. Finally, in the aphorisms of Leonardo da Vinci, his philosophy of nature, his thoughts about the inner essence of things, are expressed in epigrammatic form. Fiction had for him a purely utilitarian, auxiliary meaning.

Diaries of Leonardo

To date, about 7,000 pages have survived from Leonardo's diaries, which are in various collections. At first, the priceless notes belonged to the master's favorite student, Francesco Melzi, but when he died, the manuscripts disappeared. Separate fragments began to "emerge" at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. At first, they did not meet the due interest. Numerous owners did not even suspect what kind of treasure fell into their hands. But when the scientists established the authorship, it turned out that the barn books, and art history essays, and anatomical sketches, and strange drawings, and research on geology, architecture, hydraulics, geometry, military fortifications, philosophy, optics, drawing technique - the fruit of one person. All entries in Leonardo's diaries are made in a mirror image.

Students

From the workshop of Leonardo came such students (“leonardeski”) as:

  • Ambrogio de Predis
  • Giampetrino

The illustrious master summarized his many years of experience in educating young painters in a number of practical recommendations. The student must first master the perspective, explore the forms of objects, then copy the drawings of the master, draw from life, study the works of different painters, and only after that take on his own creation. “Learn diligence before speed,” advises Leonardo. The master recommends developing memory and especially fantasy, encouraging you to peer into the vague contours of the flame and find new, amazing forms in them. Leonardo calls on the painter to explore nature, so as not to become like a mirror that reflects objects without knowing about them. The teacher created "recipes" for images of faces, figures, clothes, animals, trees, sky, rain. In addition to the aesthetic principles of the great master, his notes contain wise worldly advice to young artists.

After Leonardo

In 1485, after a terrible plague in Milan, Leonardo proposed to the authorities a project of an ideal city with certain parameters, layout and sewerage system. The Duke of Milan, Lodovico Sforza, rejected the project. Centuries passed, and the authorities of London recognized Leonardo's plan as the perfect basis for the further development of the city. In modern Norway, there is an active bridge designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Tests of parachutes and hang gliders, made according to the sketches of the master, confirmed that only the imperfection of the materials did not allow him to take to the skies. At the Roman airport, bearing the name of Leonardo da Vinci, a gigantic statue of a scientist with a model helicopter in his hands is installed. “Do not turn around the one who aspires to the star,” wrote Leonardo.

  • Leonardo, apparently, did not leave a single self-portrait that could be unambiguously attributed to him. Scientists have doubted that Leonardo's famous self-portrait of sanguine (traditionally dated to -1515), depicting him in old age, is such. It is believed that perhaps this is just a study of the head of the apostle for the Last Supper. Doubts that this is a self-portrait of the artist have been expressed since the 19th century, the last of which was recently expressed by one of the largest experts on Leonardo, Professor Pietro Marani.
  • He played the lyre with virtuosity. When Leonardo's case was considered in the court of Milan, he appeared there precisely as a musician, and not as an artist or inventor.
  • Leonardo was the first to explain why the sky is blue. In the book "On Painting" he wrote: "The blue of the sky is due to the thickness of the illuminated particles of air, which is located between the Earth and the blackness above."
  • Leonardo was ambidexterous - he was equally good at right and left hands. It is even said that he could simultaneously write different texts with different hands. However, he wrote most of the works with his left hand from right to left.
  • Leonardo in his famous diaries wrote from right to left in a mirror image. Many people think that in this way he wanted to make his research secret. Perhaps that is the way it is. According to another version, the mirror handwriting was his individual feature (there is even evidence that it was easier for him to write in this way than in a normal way); there is even the concept of "Leonardo's handwriting."
  • Among Leonardo's hobbies were even cooking and serving art. In Milan for 13 years he was the manager of court feasts. He invented several culinary devices that make the work of cooks easier. The original dish "from Leonardo" - thinly sliced ​​stew, with vegetables laid on top - was very popular at court feasts.
  • In Terry Pratchett's books, there is a character named Leonard, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. Pratchett's Leonard writes from right to left, invents various machines, engages in alchemy, paints pictures (the most famous is the portrait of Mona Ogg)
  • A considerable number of Leonardo's manuscripts were first published by the curator of the Ambrosian Library, Carlo Amoretti.

Bibliography

Compositions

  • Natural science writings and works on aesthetics. ().

About him

  • Leonardo da Vinci. Selected natural science works. M. 1955.
  • Monuments of world aesthetic thought, vol. I, M. 1962.
  • I. Les manuscrits de Leonard de Vinci, de la Bibliothèque de l'Institut, 1881-1891.
  • Leonardo da Vinci: Traite de la peinture, 1910.
  • Il Codice di Leonardo da Vinci, nella Biblioteca del principe Trivulzio, Milano, 1891.
  • Il Codice Atlantico di Leonardo da Vinci, nella Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milano, 1894-1904.
  • Volynsky A. L., Leonardo da Vinci, St. Petersburg, 1900; 2nd ed., St. Petersburg, 1909.
  • General history of arts. T.3, M. "Art", 1962.
  • Gukovsky M. A. The mechanics of Leonardo da Vinci. - M.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1947. - 815 p.
  • Zubov V.P. Leonardo da Vinci. M.: Ed. Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1962.
  • Pater V. Renaissance, M., 1912.
  • Seil G. Leonardo da Vinci as artist and scientist. Experience in psychological biography, St. Petersburg, 1898.
  • Sumtsov N. F. Leonardo da Vinci, 2nd ed., Kharkov, 1900.
  • Florentine readings: Leonardo da Vinci (collection of articles by E. Solmi, B. Croce, I. del Lungo, J. Paladina and others), M., 1914.
  • Geymüller H. Les manuscrits de Leonardo de Vinci, extr. de la Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1894.
  • Grothe H., Leonardo da Vinci als Ingenieur und Philosoph, 1880.
  • Herzfeld M., Das Traktat von der Malerei. Jena, 1909.
  • Leonardo da Vinci, der Denker, Forscher und Poet, Auswahl, Uebersetzung und Einleitung, Jena, 1906.
  • Müntz, E., Leonardo da Vinci, 1899.
  • Peladan, Leonardo da Vinci. Textes choisis, 1907.
  • Richter J. P., The literary works of L. da Vinci, London, 1883.
  • Ravaisson-Mollien Ch., Les écrits de Leonardo de Vinci, 1881.

Genius in the series

Among all the films about Leonardo, The Life of Leonardo da Vinci (1971), directed by Renato Castellani, is perhaps the best example in which a compromise is found between entertaining and educational. The film begins with the death of Leonardo in the arms of Francis I. And then the announcer (a technique used by the director to give historical explanations without disturbing the film's overall flow) interrupts the narrative sequence to tell us that this is nothing more than a fictionalized version of the Lives of » Vasari . Thus, already in the prologue of the film, Castellani touches upon the problem of the mystical riddle of personality, incredibly rich and multifaceted (“What, after all, do we know about the life of such famous person? Very few!") Critical moments in the Castellani biopic were the scenes when Leonardo makes a sketch of a man hanged for participation in the Pazzi conspiracy in 1478, shocking his friend Lorenzo di Credi, and another episode where Leonardo dissects a corpse in the hospital of Santa Maria Nuovi to find out “the cause of an easy death” - both episodes are presented as a metaphor for the indefatigable thirst for knowledge of the artist, who does not know any moral obstacles even in the face of death. The first years of life in Milan were marked by projects for Navigli and an incredibly passionate work on never-written treatises on anatomy, but there were few works of art, among them the amazing “Lady with an Ermine”, depicted so convincingly. In that Leonardo, who organized magnificent festivities and empty glorifications of il Moro, we see the fate of the artist (it seems that this is what Renato Castellani alludes to) - both yesterday and today - to be forced to drive hack-work or to do what is required of an obliging courtier in order to to be able to do what the artist himself wants.

Gallery

see also

Notes

  1. Giorgio Vasari. Biography of Leonardo da Vinci, Florentine painter and sculptor
  2. A. Makhov. Caravaggio. - M.: Young Guard. (ZhZL). 2009. p. 126-127 ISBN 978-5-235-03196-8
  3. Leonardo da Vinci. Masterpieces of graphics / Ya. Pudik. - M.: Eksmo, 2008. - S. 182. - ISBN 978-5-699-16394-6
  4. Original Leonardo Da Vinci Music
  5. White, Michael (2000). Leonardo, the first scientist. London: Little, Brown. p. 95. ISBN 0-316-64846-9
  6. Clark, Kenneth (1988). Leonardo da Vinci. Viking. pp. 274
  7. Bramly, Serge (1994). Leonardo: The Artist and the Man. Penguin
  8. Georges Goyau, Francois I, Transcribed by Gerald Rossi. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VI. Published 1909. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved 2007-10-04
  9. Miranda, Salvador The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: Antoine du Prat (1998-2007). Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
  10. Vasari Giorgio Lives of the Artists. - Penguin Classics, 1568. - P. 265.
  11. Reconstruction of a mechanical lion by Leonardo (Italian). Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  12. "Ici Léonard, tu sera libre de rêver, de penser et de travailler" - Francis I.
  13. Art historians have found the only sculpture of Leonardo. Lenta.ru (March 26, 2009). Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
  14. How accurate are Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings? , BBCRussian.com, 05/01/2012.
  15. Jean Paul Richter The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. - Dover, 1970. - ISBN 0-486-22572-0 and ISBN 0-486-22573-9 (paperback) 2 volumes. A reprint of the original 1883 edition, cited by
  16. Leonardo da Vinci's Ethical Vegetarianism
  17. TV company NTV. Official site | NTV news | Another Da Vinci Mystery
  18. http://img.lenta.ru/news/2009/11/25/ac2/picture.jpg

Literature

  • Antseliovich E. S. Leonardo da Vinci: Elements of physics. - M .: Uchpedgiz, 1955. - 88 p.
  • Volynsky A. L. The life of Leonardo da Vinci. - M.: Algorithm, 1997. - 525 p.
  • Dityakin V. T. Leonardo da Vinci. - M .: Detgiz, 1959. - 224 p. - (School library).
  • Zubov V.P. Leonardo da Vinci. 1452-1519 / V. P. Zubov; Rep. ed. cand. art history M. V. Zubova. The Russian Academy of Sciences . - Ed. 2nd, add. - M .: Nauka, 2008. - 352 p. - (Scientific and biographical literature). - ISBN 978-5-02-035645-0(in trans.) (1st edition - 1961).
  • Camp M. Leonardo / Per. from English. K. I. Panas. - M.: AST: Astrel, 2006. - 286 p.
  • Lazarev V. N. Leonardo da Vinci: (1452-1952) / Design by the artist I. F. Rerberg; Institute of Art History of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. - M .: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1952. - 112, p. - 10,000 copies.(in trans.)
  • Mikhailov B.P. Leonardo da Vinci architect. - M.: State publishing house of literature on construction and architecture, 1952. - 79s.
  • Mogilevsky M. A. Optics from Leonardo // Science first hand. - 2006. - No. 5. - S. 30-37.
  • Nicholl Ch. Leonardo da Vinci. Flight of the mind / Per. from English. T. Novikova. - M.: Eksmo, 2006. - 768 p.
  • Seil G. Leonardo da Vinci as an artist and scientist (1452-1519): An experience of psychological biography / Per. from fr. - M.: KomKniga, 2007. - 344 p.
  • Filippov M. M. Leonardo da Vinci as an artist, scientist and philosopher: Biographical sketch. - St. Petersburg, 1892. - 88 p.
  • Zoelner F. Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519. - M.: Taschen; Art spring, 2008. - 96 p.
  • Zoelner F. Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519: Complete collection of paintings and drawings / Per. from English. I. D. Glybina. - M.: Taschen; Art spring, 2006. - 695 p.
  • "100 People Who Changed the Course of History" Leonardo da Vinci Weekly Edition. Issue #1
  • Jessica Taish, Tracey Barr Leonardo da Vinci for dummies = Da Vinci For Dummies. - M .: "Williams", 2006. - S. 304. -

The personality of this genius excites the minds of mankind for more than one century. And today people continue to wonder who Leonardo da Vinci was. Known for his paintings and the latest developments in engineering, he was ahead of the times in which he lived. More than 500 years have passed since the death of the great creator, but his name always arouses keen interest even today. Scientists studying the biography and activities of the inventor say that it is impossible to capture the scale of the Renaissance titanium. Having become a legend during his lifetime, da Vinci remains an unattainable ideal in our world.

Biography of a genius

To begin with, let's get acquainted with master of genius leaving behind many mysteries. To understand the nature of the hero of all time, let's get acquainted with it will be described in this article.

This unique person was born in 1452. It is still unknown who his mother was, and the father, who recognized his son, did not take him to him for four years.

The boy had a good education, although, as Leonardo himself mentioned, it was unsystematic. From childhood, he surprised everyone with his talent, and the painting of a wooden shield is known, on which the teenager depicted the formidable Gorgon Medusa, which struck those around him with its realism. Now a copy of this work, made by Caravaggio, is stored in a museum in France. The father, who noticed the excellent data of his son, decides that they need to be developed, and sends the child to study in Florence to his friend, famous artist Verrocchio. From this moment begins a new stage in the life of Leonardo da Vinci, whose work left a noticeable mark in art and science. I must say that the young man's talent was appreciated, and after the teacher saw the image of an angel made by the student, he no longer picked up a brush.

New period in life

True, not everyone noticed the skillful creations of the young master, who was very upset because he was not invited to work in the Vatican, like other artists. Thus ends the Florentine period and begins a new one.

Frustrated, da Vinci moves to Milan, an industrial city where not creative people lived, but artisans who stood firmly on their feet. The young man finds the business executive L. Sforza and asks for his patronage, mentioning first of all his engineering ideas, and not his artistic merits. Lodovico does not refuse a pleasant young man, whose work at that time proved that he was a brilliant designer.

In the Milan period, projects of aircraft, machine tools, locks, canals, mills, surprising everyone with their novelty, appeared, however, no one undertook to implement them. And even enlightened minds, sincerely admiring the undoubted talent of the painter, did not understand his inventions, which looked absurd for that time.

Genius that influenced culture

At the end of the 15th century, the master returned to Florence, where one of the most mysterious works, causing controversy among scientists, appeared - "La Gioconda". The main masterpiece, which has not left indifferent spectators and art critics for several centuries, has had a great influence on world artistic culture. Da Vinci himself did not part with his creation, and we owe the preservation of it in eternity to the king who bought the painting from the aging and losing health of the master.

In 1519, the heart of a brilliant Italian, whose inventions were ahead of their time, stops (it happened in France), and all works and manuscripts go to one of his students.

Human or not?

The legacy of the greatest creator is carefully studied from all sides, and a historically significant figure with a huge scope of activity will be considered an unattainable ideal for a long time to come.

During the life of a lonely inventor, none of his ideas were realized, but if, as scientists believe, at least one idea of ​​a genius was brought to life, then scientific and technological progress would begin much earlier. So who was Leonardo da Vinci? The prescient titan of the Renaissance was called a sorcerer and was not well liked for his unique versatility. The mysterious master, who spent a lot of time on strange inventions, frightened the townsfolk, who considered him a sorcerer who made a deal with the devil himself.

He did incredible things, for which he was suspected of serving black magic. It was believed that an ordinary person could not be so gifted, and Leonardo broke all the usual stereotypes and, moreover, was incredibly strong physically. Outwardly showing no emotions, he kept a diary where he addressed himself as you, and for those who read the notes, it seems that two personalities lived in the genius, one of which led the Italian.

Seer

The secrets of Leonardo da Vinci remained a mystery, because no one knows how a genius could invent a gas mixture with which a person could dive to a depth, because for this he would need knowledge of biochemistry, and such a science did not exist in those days.

Da Vinci foresaw the future and succeeded in it. His "Prophecies", made at the end of the 15th century, tell of events that are taking place in our day. It was he who spoke about the fact that air bombs leaving funnels would be dropped on the ground, people would parachute and talk on the phone, and the outline of an atomic mushroom is clearly traced in the picture called “The End of the World”.

Supernatural abilities

Followers of the esoteric sciences consider him a messenger of Shambhala, who has developed occult abilities. The Florentine controlled his senses so carefully that he always had an even temper. His contemporaries repeatedly wondered who Leonardo da Vinci was, because he did not give the impression of an ordinary person. The lonely genius had no friends and family, and communication with relatives ceased. No and no evidence love stories which could shed light on the nature of the creator. For him, there was no such thing as night, because he slept for 15 minutes every four hours, reducing daily sleep to a minimum.

Riddles of a self-portrait

Leonardo da Vinci (the photo of his paintings confirms this) did not leave a signature on his masterpieces, but a barely visible sign - a bird flying up, symbolizing enlightened humanity. Even da Vinci's self-portrait is controversial. Viewers observe an elderly man whose appearance changes depending on the angle, this can be seen even in photographs taken from different angles and video filming in motion. But art historians are convinced that this is a sketch of the head of the apostle from The Last Supper.

Secrets of the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci

The master invented a special technique for painting pictures, in which the depicted objects do not look clear, but blurry, without visible borders. The principle of sfumato (scattering) allows the viewer to awaken the imagination and notice how the canvas comes to life. The master himself fumigated his room with smoke and recommended young talents to practice painting in this way.

The famous "Mona Lisa", aka "La Gioconda", by Leonardo da Vinci is written in this technique, and the main feature of the picture is the woman's lively smile, when it seems to many that the mysterious stranger raises the corners of her lips, which changes her expression.

Scientists who are interested in this issue conducted a computer study and found that Mona Lisa's smile expresses happiness, disgust, fear and anger at the same time. Other researchers are convinced that the lack of eyebrows causes such an effect. There is another version, according to which the smile is elusive due to the fact that it is in the low-frequency range of light.

The personality of the depicted lady on the canvas also excites the minds of scientists. Many are not inclined to believe that Francesco Giocondo, the wife of a silk merchant from Florence, posed for the artist. Among the original versions, several stand out: according to one, da Vinci painted himself in women's clothes, the other says that this is a portrait of a student who has been with the master for 26 years.

Encrypted secret signs

The Last Supper fresco by Leonardo da Vinci, kept in Milan, even after 500 years, is of great interest to researchers who are trying to decipher the secret signs of genius. The painting, which contains many messages to posterity, perfectly captures the sign language, which is studied by art historians. The image painted on the wall of the monastery conveys the very moment when Jesus tells that one of the seated apostles will betray him.

Surprisingly, the same person posed for the image of Christ and Judas, only at different times in his life. The inspired young man singing in the choir impressed the artist so much that he immediately understood: the embodiment of goodness had been found. A few years later, da Vinci discovered a drunkard in a ditch, from whom the image of Judas was painted. As it turned out later, it was one and the same person, and this fact proves that good and evil always go together in life.

The thumb of Christ's right hand touches the tablecloth, while the others are raised - a gesture of regret and sadness, which other artists began to use in their work. Judas, clutching a purse with his right hand, overturns the salt shaker with his left - a sign of trouble in Christianity. And Peter, who has risen, is overwhelmed with anger, and it is not in vain that he clutches a knife in his hand, with which he wants to punish the future traitor.

An interesting hypothesis of researchers arguing that da Vinci portrayed himself among the apostles: as it seems to many, he is Thaddeus, sitting with his back to Christ. Given the atheistic views of the artist, this version seems plausible.

It is impossible not to mention that during the Second World War a shell hit the church building, which destroyed everything except the wall with the fresco.

"Madonna" by Leonardo da Vinci

The most touching work of the Italian reflects the strength of his talent, and the image of a spiritual woman and a caring mother is one of the master's favorites. The painting, bearing the full name "Madonna Litta", is now in the Hermitage, and anyone can enjoy the talent of a brilliant painter.

The main feature of the work, written not in oil, but in tempera, is bright saturated colors that evoke bright feelings. And the background, immersed in darkness, is needed so that the face of the Mother of God clearly appears towards the viewer.

The mother who feeds her child embodies the ideal female beauty, and the eternal masterpiece has touched us for five centuries, which speaks of the incredible skill of the author.

The closed composition is opened by the gaze of the infant Christ, and this is another encrypted symbolism. God, who looks at people, promises them to always be near them. It is known that the creator often bought birds in the market and released them into the sky, so it was no coincidence that he depicted a child clutching a goldfinch with one hand. The painter confirmed that this is not just getting mother's milk, but spiritual feeding, and the soul of a bird copies the soul of a person.

Drawing - scientific work

No less famous is the drawing in which the master emphasized the natural ideality and mathematical proportionality. The work is not just an artistic creation, but also a whole scientific work.

Coming from other worlds?

The personality of an extraordinary visionary who was ahead of his time is as mystically attractive today as it was several centuries ago. However, we still cannot say who Leonardo da Vinci really was. Amazing with the versatility of his talent, this Italian had a huge impact on the development of our civilization, so the eternal debate about whether he is a person, or who arrived from the future and shared important secrets with us, will continue for more than one century.