What William Shakespeare is to literature is Leonardo da Vinci to painting. Undoubtedly the greatest painter of the Renaissance Era, Leonardo da Vinci was a born genius whose unquenchable thirst and feverishly inventive imagination made him an iconic man of his generation. Today, he is revered as the most diversely talented individuals to have ever lived on Planet Earth. Some historians even go to the extent of calling him a ‘superhuman’ for no other man without superhuman qualities can claim to have such a daunting influence and expertise over a wide range of different subject areas. An Italian polymath, Leonardo’s area of interest widely ranged from invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics and engineering to literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography. Furthermore, he is widely known as the Father of Palaeontology, Ichnology, and Architecture, and is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time. He is even credited with the inventions of parachute, helicopter and tank. He conceptualized flying machines that were only realized several years after his death. In the field of art, he left behind a rich legacy of paintings, including the greatest ever art produced on canvas, ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘The Last Supper’ and ‘The Vitruvian Man’. While ‘Mona Lisa’ became the most famous and parodied portrait, ‘The Last Supper’ has been the most reproduced religious painting of all time. His painting of ‘The Vitruvian Man’ is a cultural icon and depicts the perfect blend of art and science. However, Leonardo created magic not only with his brush but with his pen too. His quotes covering the varied aspects of life are food for thought. Browse through his section and explore some of da Vinci’s quotes on life.
