Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath known for his work as a painter, draftsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect.

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath known for his work as a painter, draftsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. He is especially famous for artworks such as the *Mona Lisa* and *The Last Supper*, as well as for his notebooks on anatomy, engineering, and other subjects. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures of the Renaissance.

Life and career

Leonardo da Vinci was born on 15 April 1452 in Anchiano, near Vinci, in the Republic of Florence. He died on 2 May 1519 in France. During the High Renaissance, he worked across art, engineering, science, and design.

Artistic legacy

Leonardo is best known as a painter, with the *Mona Lisa* and *The Last Supper* among his most famous works. His art is admired for composition, expression, and technical innovation. He created some of the best-known images in European art, and his surviving works, though relatively few, had a substantial influence on later artists and thinkers.

Scientific and technical work

His notebooks include studies and drawings on anatomy, mechanics, optics, botany, and other topics. Many of his ideas were influential even when they were not built in his lifetime. He studied subjects including anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, and engineering.

Notebooks and drawings

Leonardo left extensive notes and sketches that document his investigations into nature, the human body, and machines. These materials are a major source for understanding his thought and methods. His fame initially rested on painting, but his notebooks also made him famous for scientific and technical observations.