Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 a period during the renaissance. Anchiano, which is 3 km away from Vinci, is where the family of Leonardo lived in this area since the 13th century. The father of Leonardo da Vinci, Ser Piero, was a 25 years old public notary when Leonardo was born. In the same year when Leonardo was born Ser Piero married his first wife. He didn't marry the mother of Leonardo, because probably she was a daughter of a farmer. The mother of Leonardo was called Catarina. Her first name is all what we know today. 1457 Leonardo moved to his grandfather from Anchiano to Vinci. From this time he was member of his fathers family, but his they never acknowledged him. Leonardo went to school in Vinci. Leonardo learned at school to write, to read and to calculate. Also, he was taught in how to do geometry and speak Latin. Leonardo tried to improve his knowledge in Latin, because he thought that he didn't learn enough at school. Leonardo lived in Vinci until 1466. at the age of 14 he moved to Florence where he began an apprenticeship in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio. Verrocchio was a talented artist, and Leonardo had learned a lot by him. On June 1472 Leonardo was listed in the red book of painters from Florence. The first known and dated work of Leonardo da Vinci is a pen-and-ink drawing of the Arnovalley Leonardo drew it on August 5, 1473. On April 8, 1476 Leonardo was announced to have a homosexual affair with Jacopo Saltarelli, who was a model. Leonardo moved to Amboise in 1516 in the small castle Cloux, which is now called Le Clos Luce. In France Leonardo didn't paint, but he made hydrological studies.

Leonardo’s health wasn’t good; he had been paralysis on the right side of his body since 1517. On April 23, 1519 Leonardo wrote his last will. Leonardo died on May 2, 1519 in Amboise. Leonardo da Vinci was 67 year old when he died.

Mona Lisa is the most famous work of Leonardo da Vinci. The painting is full of mysteries and secrets. Originally the painting was larger than today, because two columns, one on the left the other one on the right side of Mona Lisa, have been cut. That is the reason why it is not easy to recognize that Mona Lisa is sitting on a terrace. The theory of the Mona Lisa is that Leonardo painted it of himself. The facial features are almost aligned with Leonardo’s. Another theory is it is a painting that resembles Leonardo’s mother. My theory behind the Mona Lisa is that it is suppose to be what Leonardo would look like if he were a woman. I think this because of that rumors that Leonardo was a homosexual. I now believe that it is true. Leonardo doesn’t smile in his self-portraits but he makes Mona Lisa smile. Therefore I think Leonardo would have like to be a women. Other famous paintings are “The Last Supper”, “Madonna of the Rocks”, and “ The Vitruvian Man”. Leonardo da Vinci didn’t just paint he drew, studied, and built in a wide range of categories. Some of the categories are people, hands, artillery, flying machines, boats, heads, wombs, comic scenes, spheres, water, plants, fetus, self-portraits, dragons, skeletons, and battles.

Bibliography

Books

 Williams, Jay. Leonardo da Vinci. New York, American Heritage Publishing Co., 1965.

 Goldscheider,Ludwig. Leonardo da Vinci. New York, Graphic, 1964.

 Popham A. E. The Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. Harcourt, Brace & World, 1945

Web Pages

 Pine, Betty. "Leonardo da Vinci: biography." Essortment. 2001. Page Wise, Inc.. Feb 15. 2001. .

 Reuteler David . "Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci ." . Oct 16.1994 . . Feb 15. 2001. .

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