Leonardo DaVinci - Clow Elementary School

Leonardo DaVinciPainter, sculptor, architect, musician,scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor,anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanistand writer(1452 – 1519)

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci Born April 15, 1452 in Vinci(Florence, Italy).His name means Leonardo,son of Piero, from Vinci.He is the best example ofa Renaissance Man –someone who was very goodat many things.He is considered one of thegreatest painters of all timeand the most diversely talentedperson ever to have lived.

Annunciation (1475-1480) His informal education included Latin, geometry, andmathematics. He was not a stand-out studentApprenticed to a renowned painter, Da Vinci was so good, histeacher stopped painting because he couldn’t compare

The Last Supper, (1490)Leonardo’s “The Last Supper” was declared a masterpiece immediately,but it deteriorated quickly, so that within 100 years, it was almost completely ruined.Leonardo chose a kind of paint that flaked off and grew mold.

Only about 15 of his paintingssurvive today, mostly becausehe painted with experimentaltechniques, which ended uppeeling, flaking, and fadingfrom the canvas. But Leonardoalso kept notebooks, drawingin them every day. Hisdrawings survive where hispaintings do not.John the Baptist (1514)The model is Da Vinci’s student Salai

DaVinci’s notebooks arepacked with over 13,000 pagesof detailed drawings and noteson an enormous range ofinterests, like designs for wingsand shoes for walking onwater. He drew faces,emotions, animals, plants,bones, war machines,helicopters, and architecture.Da Vinci was left handed, andall of his writing in thenotebooks is writtenbackwards–in cursive–so that itreads correctly when seen in amirror!A page from Da Vinci’s notebook

Many of his inventions werehundreds of years ahead of theirtime. In 1502, he designed a bridgewith a single span of 720 feet for theSultan of Istanbul. 504 years later, in2006, the Turkish governmentdecided to build the bridgeaccording to Leonardo’s plan!

While Italy was at war with France in 1502, he created a map forCesare Borgia, the son of Pope Alexander VI. Maps were exremelyrare at this time–a new concept and big military advantage. Cesarehired Leonardo to be his chief military engineer and architect

Leonardo started the mostfamous painting in the world, theMona Lisa or“la Gioconda” (the laughing one)in 1503. Its fame rests mostly inher strange smile. The artist’ssubtle shadowing at the cornersof her mouth and eyes – whichcame be known as “sfumato” orLeonardo’s smoke – wasevidence of his incredible talentin showing human expression.All who saw it were awestruck.One of the few of his paintings tosurvive, it is at the Louvre, Paris.The Mona Lisa (1503-05)

In 1515, King Francis I of France capturedMilan, Italy and Leonardo entered the king’sservice. King Francis became a close friend,andlegend has it thatthe king cradledLeonardo’s head in hisarms as Leonardo diedon May 12, 1519 atClos Lucé, France.Statue ofLeonardo outsidethe Uffizi inFlorenceSelf portraitClos Lucé(leonardo’s final residence)

This presentation is based on aversion found atfieldartdiscovery.com.Thanks to Art Discovery at FieldSchool!

Art ProjectBe an Inventor Students will make asketch of a newinvention on their paperusing pencils. They will then build theircreation, using simplesupplies such as tape,paper plates, string,popsicle sticks, paperclips, and straws.

The Mona Lisa (1503-05) Leonardo started the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa or “la Gioconda” (the laughing one) in 1503. Its fame rests mostly in her strange smile. The artist’s subtle shadowing at the corners of her mouth and eyes – which came be known as “sfumato” or Leonardo’s smoke – was