Leonardo Da Vinci Accomplishments

The Italian Renaissance began in Florence, Italy in the early 1400’s. Humanism, which was the revitalization of Greek and Roman philosophy, gained popularity during this time. The Renaissance is defined as “the literary and artistic period characterized by artistic innovation, new confidence in human abilities, and interest in classical civilization” (Bishop 453). Some of the most famous art pieces in history were created during the Renaissance. Well-known painters and sculptors from this era include Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. These artists often were commissioned to create pieces for their for the royal figures in that time.
Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most famous artists during the Renaissance. He was born in Florence, Italy in 1452 and was known as a painter, sculptor, and architect. Besides Virgin of the Rocks, some of da Vinci’s other famous works include Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and Salvator Mundi. Even though da Vinci is most famous for his paintings, he also had a love for anatomy and contributed scientific research. He intensely studied the
This oil painting stands just over six feet tall and 3 feet wide and the original is on display at the Louvre in Paris, France. Interestingly, there were two editions of this painting. It consists of a group of people in the foreground and what appears to be a cavernous landscape with light peeking through in the background. The people portrayed in the piece “includes the infant John the Baptist, the Virgin Mary, an angel, and the Christ Child (Bishop 207). The realistic form of the subjects can be contributed to da Vinci’s study of intense study of the human anatomy. Da Vinci also developed his own unique style of shading called “sfumato” where the “outlines are slightly blurred” (Bishop 207). This technique makes the painting more realistic and was also used in his painting of the Mona