Leonardo Da Vinci has come to define the “Renaissance Man” and is widely recognized as a Universal Genius and one of the most diversely talented men to have ever lived. He combined an “unquenchable curiosity” with feverishly imaginative invention.

While his fame initially rested on his achievements as a painter, he also became known for his notebooks, in which he made drawings and notes on science and technology; these involve a variety of subjects including anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and palaeontology. Leonardo's genius epitomized the Renaissance humanist idea.

He was the illegitimate son of a notary and peasant woman in Vinci, in the region of Tuscany. Leonardo was educated in the studio of the renowned Italian painter Andrea del Verrocchio. Much of his earlier working life was spent in the service of Ludovico il Moro in Milan. Later he worked in Rome, Bologna and Venice. He spent his last three years in France, where he died in 1519. 

Leonardo is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time. Mona Lisa is the most 

famous of his works. The Last Supper is the most reproduced religious painting of all time and his 

Vitruvian Man drawing is also regarded as 

a cultural icon.

TRY THIS! Pretend you’re a philosopher and write one or two easy-to-understand sentences that explain this quotation from Leonardo. Ask the class (or your friends) to choose the one they think best expresses his meaning.