Leonardo da Vinci: A Biography

Author: Wen Qing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most outstanding representatives of the Renaissance. A versatile artistic and scientific genius. We only know a small part of his thoughts. Da Vinci loved painting from a young age. At the age of 14, he followed his father to Florence and entered the art workshop led by the famous painter and sculptor Verrocchio to study painting. Verrocchio had very strict requirements for his students and had unique training methods. He did not let Da Vinci copy famous ancient paintings at first, nor did he teach much painting theory, but instead asked Da Vinci to draw an egg. After a few days, Da Vinci grew impatient, and Verrocchio told him, "Among a thousand eggs, there are never two with exactly the same shape; even the same egg will look different when viewed from different angles." Da Vinci remembered his teacher's teaching and practiced his basic skills diligently, eventually mastering painting techniques. Da Vinci was a humanist and focused on life in his paintings, striving to create realistic and vivid artistic images. Once, he worked as an assistant with his teacher on a painting. Verrocchio, unable to break free from the constraints of religious theology, drew a part that was dull and lifeless; whereas Da Vinci's depiction of an angel was natural and lifelike, creating a striking contrast. Verrocchio, after seeing it, sighed in admiration. Da Vinci's mural "The Last Supper" is a world-famous painting. The content depicts the scene of Jesus being betrayed by one of his disciples, Judas, and about to be arrested, with the 12 disciples (including the betrayer) sharing their last meal together. The painting features numerous figures, each with a different expression. Another world-famous painting is "Mona Lisa," which depicts the gentle and beautiful smile of a young woman. Her eyes seem to radiate a subtle smile from the heart, vividly captured on the canvas. This painting is now preserved in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, and is a treasure in the world's art collection.