Leonardo da Vinci

1452 - 1519

"It's easy to become a universal man", wrote Leonardo da Vinci when he was young. And indeed, he went on to gain fame as an artist, inventor, architect and scientist, even though he had only an elementary education. He also sang beautifully, played the lyre and made his own musical instruments. He was a great horseman and was so strong he could bend a horseshoe with his bare hands.

Leonardo's parents never married. His mother, a simple peasant girl, was not considered a suitable match for his well-to-do father. When Leonardo was 14, his father apprenticed him to the renowned artist Andrea del Verrocchio. One day, Leonardo painted an angel that was so much more beautiful than his master's work, that Verrocchio is said to have thrown down his brushes, swearing never to paint again. Leonardo commented, "A good student always surpasses his master".

Learn more about Leonardo da Vinci:

Exploring Leonardo
This web site has four main content sections: Inventor's Workshop - highlights some of Leonardo's futuristic inventions, introduces the elements of machines, lets students explore how these elements can work together to perform new functions, and gives students a chance to try analyzing Leonardo's inventions and designing their own.

Leonardo's Perspective
Introduces Leonardo's way of looking at the world and explores Renaissance techniques for representing the 3D world on 2D surfaces. What, Where, When? A brief biography of Leonardo da Vinci with images. Leonardo: Right to Left - explores Leonardo's curious habit