Leonardo Da Vinci Biography Essay

Leonardo da Vinci was a famous artist and scholar, during the Italian Renaissance. Da Vinci is best known for his painting, the Mona Lisa. Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 to an unmarried couple in Vinci, Italy. He was an Italian painter, sculptor, engineer, inventor, architect, and a student of all things scientific. Leonardo da Vinci mostly educated himself. While he is mostly recognized as an artist, there are many other areas he excelled in, making him the perfect example of a “Renaissance Man.”

Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 to an unwedded peasant woman named Caterina and Ser Piero, a Florentine notary. He was raised by his father and stepmother (biography.com). According to Jason Stegall, “[Leonardo was] born

(biography.com). It turned out to be his most famous painting, and over time has earned the title, “the most famous painting in the world” (art and critique). The Mona Lisa has largely gained fascination with the unusual details da Vinci painted such as, “the ever elusive smile, the misty atmosphere, the hazy landscape in the background and, most of all, the ambiguous, inscrutable expression on the face” (art and critique). This leaves the viewers with a sense of wonder. The identity of the sitter is unknown adding to the mystery behind the Mona Lisa. Many assumptions have been made of her identity: his assistant The Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France where it gets millions of viewers.

Da Vinci left Italy and moved to France in 1516 because, “French ruler Francis I generously offered him the title of “Premier Painter and Engineer and Architect to the King,” which gave him the opportunity to paint and draw at his leisure while living in a country manor house.” At the age of 67, Leonardo da Vinci died on May 2, 1519 at Cloux; he continued with his studies until his death. (history.com). The site of his burial was destroyed by the French Revolution, so Da Vinci’s gravesite cannot be found to this