DuckstersDucksters
History Biography Geography Science Games

Biography

Leonardo da Vinci



Go here to watch a video about Leonardo da Vinci.


Self Portrait by Leonardo da Vinci
Back to Biographies Biography:

Leonardo da Vinci was an artist, scientist, and inventor during the Italian Renaissance. He is considered by many to be one of the most talented and intelligent people of all time. The term Renaissance Man (someone who does many things very well) was coined from Leonardo's many talents and is today used to describe people who resemble da Vinci.

Where was Leonardo da Vinci born?

Leonardo was born in the town of Vinci, Italy on April 15, 1452. Not much is known about his childhood other than his father was wealthy and had a number of wives. About the age of 14 he became an apprentice to a famous artist named Verrocchio. This is where he learned about art, drawing, painting and more.

Leonardo the Artist

Leonardo da Vinci is regarded as one of the greatest artists in history. Leonardo excelled in many areas including drawing, painting, and sculpture. Although we don't have a lot of his paintings today, he is probably most famous for his paintings and also gained great fame during his own time due to his paintings. Two of his most famous paintings, and perhaps two of the most famous in the world, include the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Mona Lisa Painting
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo's drawings are also quite extraordinary. He would keep journals full of drawings and sketches, often of different subjects that he was studying. Some of his drawings were previews to later paintings, some were studies of anatomy, some were closer to scientific sketches. One famous drawing is the Vitruvian Man drawing. It is a picture of man who has perfect proportions based off the notes from the Roman architect Vitruvius. Other famous drawings include a design for a flying machine and a self portrait.

Leonardo the Inventor and Scientist

Many of da Vinci's drawings and journals were made in his pursuit of scientific knowledge and inventions. His journals were filled with over 13,000 pages of his observations of the world. He drew pictures and designs of hang gliders, helicopters, war machines, musical instruments, various pumps, and more. He was interested in civil engineering projects and designed a single span bridge, a way to divert the Arno River, and movable barricades which would help protect a city in the case of attack.


Studies of the arm by Leonardo da Vinci

Many of his drawings were on the subject of anatomy. He studied the human body including many drawings on muscles, tendons, and the human skeleton. He had detailed figures of various parts of the body including the heart, arms, and other internal organs. Leonardo didn't just study the human anatomy either. He also had a strong interest in horses as well as cows, frogs, monkeys, and other animals.

Fun Facts about Leonardo da Vinci

Activities

Take a ten question quiz about this page.

  • Listen to a recorded reading of this page:





    • Go here to watch a video about Leonardo da Vinci.

    Back to Biographies

    More Inventors and Scientists:

    Alexander Graham Bell
    George Washington Carver
    Marie Curie
    Leonardo da Vinci
    Thomas Edison
    Albert Einstein
    Henry Ford
    Ben Franklin
    Johannes Gutenberg
    The Wright Brothers
    		 More Artists:

    Salvador Dali
    Leonardo da Vinci
    Edgar Degas
    Wassily Kandinsky
    Eduoard Manet
    Henri Matisse
    Claude Monet
    Michelangelo
    Pablo Picasso
    Raphael
    Rembrandt
    Georges Seurat
    J.M.W. Turner
    Vincent van Gogh
    Andy Warhol


    Works Cited



    Ducksters Footer Gif with Ducks


    About Ducksters Privacy Policy 

     

    This site is a product of TSI (Technological Solutions, Inc.), Copyright 2025, All Rights Reserved. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use.















    Page was generated in 0.20441889762878