Artist, engineer, scientist, inventor, musician—Leonardo da Vinci did it all. And he did it well.
As a painter, he created the Mona Lisa. It’s the most famous artwork in the world. As an inventor, he made sketches of tanks, planes, submarines, and helicopters. Yet those machines weren’t actually made until centuries after his death. Leonardo was highly skilled in architecture, sculpture, biology, botany, anatomy, geology, optics, and city planning. He’s been called one of the greatest thinkers and creators of all time. Those who knew him said he sang beautifully and was a fine musician. And that’s not all—people said he was kind, generous, and charming.
Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, in or near the town of Vinci, in central Italy (da Vinci means “from Vinci”). Not much is known about his early life. His father’s elderly parents brought him up. He probably had only an elementary education.
So, how did this son of a peasant woman and a law clerk grow up to be a brilliant man and one of the world’s top artists? Read on.
