The legendary life of Leonardo da Vinci
(Leonardo da Vinci; A.D. 1452 ~ 1519)

"Self Portrait" by Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1512, red chalk on paper,
Biblioteca Reale, Torino

1452 Born on 15th April, in Vinci, a town near Florence, Italy.
40 years before Cristoforo Colombo discovered the new continent.
1469 Apprenticed to the famous painter Andrea del Verrocchio’s workshop, starting his artistic career.
1472 Collaborated with Andrea del Verrocchio on his The Baptism of Christ, painting the young angel holding Jesus’ robe in the lower left corner. To acquire better painting skills and fulfil his curiosity about life, he started studying anatomy.
1475 Painted The Annunciation and The Virgin with Flowers.
1482 Hired by the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, to be his military engineer and architect.
1483 Painted Virgin of the Rocks under his own name.
1485 Designed war machines such as trebuchet and cannon. His most famous sketch of an armoured car was also made this year. The car was built with metal on the outside and propelled by soldiers who crank the gears by hand. It was the world’s first armoured car.
1489 Wrote theses on human anatomy and bird flight.
1490 Painted Lady with an Ermine and drew The Vitruvian Man, a drawing which showed the ideal body proportion inscribed by both a square and a circle.
1498

Spent three years on the fresco mural The Last Supper, one of the most important works of art of all time.
1503 Spent four years on Mona Lisa, applying the sfumato technique.
1513 Painted St. John the Baptist.
1516 Travelled to France upon invitation from King Francis I of France, living in Cloux castle near Amboise, where he painted his famous Self Portrait.
1517 - 1519

Suffered from eyesight deterioration and arthritis so that his hands could barely move freely. Later on, a stroke completely paralysed his right hand. But at an age of 66, he wrote, “I will carry on.”

On May 2, Da Vinci died in Cloux castle in the arms of King Francis I at the age of 67. He was buried in the Saint Hubert Chapel in Amboise. According to his will, his pupil Francesco Melzi was the key heir of his estate, receiving all his manuscripts, sketches and tools. The painting Mona Lisa and his other paintings were given to his other pupil Salai.