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The end of Leonardo's life

From September of 1513 to 1516, Leonardo spent most of his time in the Vatican in Rome where the famous painters, Raphael and Michelangelo were active at this time. Leonardo was commissioned, for Francis I of France who recaptured Milan, to make a mechanical lion which could walk forward then open its chest to reveal a cluster of lilies. In 1516 Leonardo lived in a castle next to the king, receiving a very generous pension. In France Leonardo didn't paint very much anymore, but he did make hydrological studies. It was said everywhere he went the famous, Mona Lisa, was carried in a baggage with him. By the very end of his life it was said Francis I became a very close friend os his and that the King (Francis) held Leonardo’s head in his arms as he died. Being 67 years old, Leonardo died in May 2, 1519 in Amboise.

Back to Milan, Italy.

In 1506 Leonardo went to Milan once again at the summons of the French governor. Over the years Leonardo made many paintings and was named court painter to King Louis XII of France. For the next six years Leonardo divided his time between Milan and Florence as he visited his half sisters and half brothers and other relatives. He also continued working on his paintings and sculptures. During this time, after his father passed away, Leonardo was growing old and settled for a bit in Milan in his own house. In Milan, he continued his engineering projects and worked on a figure for a monument to Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, commander of the French forces in the city; although the project was not completed, drawings and studies of the project have been preserved.

1500- Florence, Italy- A great painting is born.

Here in Florence, 1500, Leonardo created his most famous art piece, the Mona Lisa or "la Gioconda", the laughing one. It’s fame rests, in particular, on the smile on the women’s face. The way the painting was painted was so the exact nature of the smile cannot be determined. Vasari, who is generally thought to have known the painting only by repute, said that "the smile was so pleasing that it seemed divine rather than human; and those who saw it were amazed to find that it was as alive as the original”. He also stated the opinion that the manner of painting would make even "the most confident master ... despair and lose heart. The perfect state of preservation and the fact that there is no sign of repair or over painting is extremely rare in a panel painting of this date.”

Leonardo's stay in Milan

During Leonardo’s stay in Milan, Leonardo produced many other paintings, drawings, theater deigns, architectural drawings, and models for the dome of Milan Cathedral. One of his biggest projects in Milan was a bronze monument to Francesco Sforza but in December of 1499 the Sforza family was driven out of Milan by French forces and Leonardo left the statue unfinished. In 1500 Leonardo left Milan and returned to Florence. Amazing paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci was painted during his time in Milan. Paintings like The Virgin of the Rocks and one of his most extraordinary and famous pieces, The Last Supper.

Leonardo finds his talent in art

In 1466, Leonardo da Vinci was apprenticed as a studio boy to Andrea del Verrocchio. Andrea was a famous painter and sculptor of his day and as Leonardo worked with him he was introduced to many activates giving him many skills. In 1472, he entered the painter’s club of Florence and was known as Andrea’s great assistant. During these years this painter's skills enhanced tremendously. In Verrocchio's workshop, Leonardo da Vinci also met up with other famous artists Botticelli, Perugino and Lorenzo di Credi. He produced great paintings like the Kneeling Angel, The Baptism of Christ, and Adoration of the Magi.

Leonardo Da Vinci's Childhood

There isn't much information about Leonardo's childhood but there are a few things stated by him that has been recorded. Firstly Leonardo's birth name was Lionardo di ser Piero da Vinci. He was born on April 15, 1452 in the Tuscan hill town of Vinci in the territory of Florence. Leonardo spent his first five years in the hamlet of Anchino and then moved in with his grandfather in Vinci. He received an informal education in Latin, geometry and mathematics but did not show any signs of talent. It was often told that Leonardo drove his teachers crazy with all his questions.