Leonardo da Vinci


Florentine artist

Birth April 15, 1452
Death May 2, 1519
Place of Birth Vinci, Italy
Principal Residence Florence
Known for Initiating the Italian High Renaissance with paintings that set a new standard for composition and expression of complex emotion
Possessing a sprawling intellect that touched astoundingly diverse areas of knowledge, but suffering from a tendency to assume too many projects in various fields, and failing to complete most
Milestones 1466 Began his career as an apprentice to Florentine artist Andrea del Verrochio
1470 Contributed a kneeling angel to Verrochio's Baptism of Christ. Leonardo's angel is generally considered superior to Verrochio's central figures.
1481 Began painting Adoration of the Magi, an unfinished work that reveals his technique of beginning with a dark painting surface and adding elements of light, unlike most painters of his time who started with outlined figures on a white surface
1485 While serving the duke of Milan as a military advisor, painted The Virgin of the Rocks, which demonstrated his use of sfumato, a technique he developed for blending tones to create a soft glow and sense of atmosphere
1495-1497 At Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, painted The Last Supper, a dramatic depiction of the moment Jesus announced that he would be betrayed
1503 Began but did not finish Battle of Anghiari, a work that broke with conventions of battle painting and depicted the violent fury of battle rather than the historical narrative
1503-1506 Painted the Mona Lisa, which he kept with him for the remainder of his life
1506 Was summoned to Milan by Charles d'Amboise, where he designed a military monument that was never built, and devoted his energies to anatomical studies
1510?-1513? Drew a self-portrait, perhaps the most famous of the many drawings he produced
1514-1516 Resided in the Vatican and focused his attention on scientific experimentation
1516 Moved to France to enter the servi