About drawing artist - Research Paper Example

Born on April 15, 1452 to Ser Piero and Caterina, Leonardo da Vinci was an illegitimate child who was brought up by his father. Da Vinci worked in Florence as an apprentice for Andre del Verrochio. The 15-year-old was already a gifted artist and was asked by del Verrocchio to help him with The Baptism of Christ. It is said that da Vinci’s work on the kneeling angel in this painting surpassed his master’s. At the age of 20, he was accepted into the painter’s guild of Florence. He moved to Milan in 1482 and here was where he created one of his greatest works, The Last Supper.

Da Vinci would head back to Florence around 1500 and get commissioned to do a couple of paintings he would never finish before heading for Milan again to work for the French governor. During this time, he would create another of his masterpieces, The Mona Lisa. Da Vinci was primarily an architect for the governor of Milan and did not come up with any significant piece from this time. When the French was removed from Milan in 1513, Da Vinci went and lived in Rome for three years before moving permanently to France.

He died at the age of 67. Da Vinci is credited for a number The Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, Vitruvian Man and Madonna of the Rocks. The Mona Lisa, as mentioned earlier, was supposedly a portrait of a merchant’s wife. However, so many stories have come up as to who was the model for The Mona Lisa. The painting became more popular when it was stolen in August 21, 1911 from the Salon Carré of the Louvre Museum. After 2 years, the painting was found under the possession of Vincenzo Peruggia, an employee of the Louvre.

He was trying to sell the painting in Florence.The Vitruvian Man was made with pen and ink around 1487. Vitruvius was a Roman architect who described the ideal human proportions as part of his book De Architectura. The drawing has a picture of a man standing with his legs together and his arms outstretched to his sides in the middle of the page. The man’s arms were also drawn as they would be raised a few inches upwards. The man’s legs were also drawn as they would be apart. Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man has served as an inspiration for several media.

For example, it can be found on the Italian 1 euro coin. A figure in a space suit in the poses of the Vitruvian Man is on the EVA patch of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s space suit. Finally, as discussed lengthily in the movie and book, Da Vinci Code, the artist was also responsible for The Last Supper. Da Vinci’s representation of the Last Supper is one of the most popular masterpieces in the world. The master started work on the painting in 1495 for Ludovico il Moro at the dining hall of the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

The painting is that of Christ telling his disciples about a traitor among them. Christ appears in the middle of the table while his disciples are on opposite ends of the table. The painting has been criticized for all the restorations that have been done on it. As with the Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian Man, Da Vinci’s Last Supper has also been referenced in contemporary media. Leonardo Da Vinci may have not created as many masterpieces as other artists during his time. However, his works have been studied and celebrated years and years after the painter died.

Da Vinci and his brilliance have indeed made a mark in the world. References:“Leonardo Da Vinci’s Life”. www.davincilife.com. n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2012.“Top 25 Crimes of the Century: Stealing the Mona Lisa, 1911.” TIME. 2 December 2007. Web. 1 December 2012. Lester, Toby. Da Vinci’s Ghost: Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image. New York, NY: Free Press, 2012. Print.