LEONARDO DA VINCI

Where was Leonardo da Vinci born?

Born on 15 April 1452 in Vinci, Italy, the artist was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero, a notary, and Caterina, a peasant woman. He received his early education in Florence, where he apprenticed with the renowned artist Andrea del Verrocchio. This apprenticeship provided da Vinci with a foundation in painting and sculpture and exposed him to technical and mechanical arts.

What are Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous Artworks?

Da Vinci’s innovative techniques and profound understanding of human anatomy and expression continue to be celebrated today. His paintings, drawings, and sculptures are masterful in their intricate detail, geometry, and pioneering use of advanced techniques.

What is the significance of Leonardo da Vinci’s work The Last Supper?

Between 1495 and 1498, Leonardo painted The Last Supper on the wall of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. This iconic fresco—a highly skilled process involving the application of pigment into wet plaster—captures the moment Jesus announces that one of his disciples will betray him, showcasing da Vinci’s mastery in depicting human emotion and complex narrative within a single composition.

Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?

The Mona Lisa or La Gioconda (c. 1503–19) is renowned for its subject’s enigmatic expression. It is an exemplary use of the popular Renaissance sfumato painting technique, in which paint is applied and blended to produce a hazy or smoky effect, producing a more optical or atmospheric quality.

In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre by an Italian handyman who believed it should be returned to Italy. It took two years for the painting to be recovered in Florence and returned to the Louvre. The resulting coverage and reproductions of the painting in newspapers worldwide contributed to its immense global fame.

The Musee du Louvre estimates that 80% of visitors come specifically to see the artwork, which is kept behind protective glass. Due to her fame and notoriety, the Mona Lisa has been subject to many attacks over the years, such as being doused with acid, hit by a rock, and, more recently, having soup and cake thrown at it by climate protesters.

What are Leonardo da Vinci’s scientific studies and inventions?

Beyond his artistic achievements, Leonardo engaged in extensive scientific studies. His notebooks are filled with observations and sketches on anatomy, astronomy, architecture, botany, and engineering. He conceptualised inventions such as flying machines, an armoured vehicle, and various mechanical devices, many of which were visionary and ahead of his time.

Where has Leonardo da Vinci’s work been exhibited?

Despite his death being over 500 years ago, da Vinci’s work continues to be the focus of numerous exhibitions worldwide.

• Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan, The National Gallery, London (9 November 2011–5 February 2012).
• Leonardo da Vinci, Musée du Louvre, Paris (24 October 2019–24 February 2020)
• Leonardo da Vinci, Master Draftsman, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (22 January–30 March 2003).

What are Leonardo da Vinci’s key publications?

Leonardo da Vinci’s life and work was immortalised by one of the most famous texts in art history, Giorgio Vasari’s Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects (1550), in which he described da Vinci as ‘Truly marvellous and celestial’. In 2025, Phil Melanson’s novel Florenzer explores Leonardo’s life within the context of Renaissance Florence, shedding light on aspects of his personal life and the cultural milieu in which he lived. Leading contemporary Leonardo expert, Martin Kemp, published Living with Leonardo: Fifty Years of Sanity and Insanity in the Art World and Beyond in 2018—a series of memoirs detailing the historian’s relationship with the painter over his career.

Hazel Ellis | Ocula | 2025