Leonardo Da Vinci

Renaissance Man

Leonardo da Vinci

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n the death of Leonardo da Vinci, a former student of Leonardo’s, said: “The loss of such a man is mourned by all, for it is not in the power of Nature to create another.” If you had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with the smartest, most creative person to ever walk the Earth, what would you want to know about? Would you want to know about his accomplishments? Would you want to know how and why he did what he did? Does he have any suggestions for you? Leonardo died over 500 years ago. He’s not available for an interview, but we can still try to find answers to these questions.

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The Renaissance Man

Leonardo da Vinci is honoured for his achievements as an artist, scientist, inventor, architect and engineer. Born in 1452, he was the most brilliant star in a galaxy of shining stars during the Renaissance. Leonardo possessed an extraordinary combination of curiosity, thirst for knowledge, and creativity. No other person who has ever lived can match the breadth and depth of Leonardo’s intellectual and artistic work. He is The Renaissance Man.

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He painted two of the best known paintings ever: the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He sought to understand a wide range of things in the natural world. His notebooks are filled with sketches and thoughts about mechanics, anatomy, motion, optics, the flow of liquids, and weapons of war. He developed a plan for the total redesign of the city of Milan as the “Ideal City,” although it was never constructed. He sculpted the largest ever statue of a horse for a monument, but it was destroyed before being cast into bronze. He studied birds in flight and designed a variety of flying machines, including the helicopter and the parachute.

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Da Vinci was well aware of his genius and once said: “I wish to work miracles…” but he was also his greatest critic.

“I have offended God and mankind because my work didn’t reach the quality it should have.”

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