Leonardo Da Vinci And His Contributions To Western...

An Analysis of Leonardo da Vinci and His Contributions to Western Civilization Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous artists to have ever lived, and his contributions to the development of western civilization are irrefutable. Born on April 15, 1452, near Florence, Italy, one would not have guessed that he was destined for a life of greatness. He was the illegitimate child of an up-and-coming notary and a peasant girl, and he spent most of his childhood with his doting father (â€Å"Da Vinci - The Renaissance Man.†). At the age of 15, he became an apprentice in the workshop of Andrea del Verrochio, where his undeniable talent soon became apparent. He remained an apprentice until 1477, when he left to explore other opportunities.†¦show more content†¦He then drew vertical lines and a single horizontal line, known as the horizon line. The vertical lines connected at the â€Å"vanishing point,† in the center of the horizon, giving the illusion of distance and depth to the two-dimensional canvas. Despite the relative simplicity of the method, the results were revolutionary at the time (â€Å"Linear Perspective†). Linear perspective was not the only tool that da Vinci employed to better his art; da Vinci’s excellent understanding of human anatomy allowed for more life-like and three-dimensional figures in his paintings. It is believed that da Vinci’s interest in human anatomy began during his apprenticeship under Verrochio (Heydenreich). Leonardo expressed a fascination with the skeletal and muscular structures of the human form, and eventually researched the internal organs as well. Da Vinci even received permission by the Republic of Florence to dissect corpses for research purposes. He performed dissections on men, women, and fetuses, racking up a total of about 30 dissections, only ceasing his studies when the Pope forbade him from continuing. (Heydenreich). In addition to dissecting cadavers to research the human form and its mechanics, Leonardo da Vinci sketched his findings and published some of them. The most famous of these sketches is the â€Å"Vitruvian Man,† which da Vinci drew to show that the human form is proportional in the context of circles and squares.Show MoreRelatedRenaissance Influence On Art772 Words   |  4 PagesMichelangelo, da Vinci, and Raphael had a stronger effect on and are greater representations of the time. Leonardo da Vinci, born April 15, 1452, has been labeled by History.com editors as â€Å"the ultimate Renaissance man, [who] practiced all the visual arts and studied a wide range of topics, including anatomy, geology, botany, hydraulics and flight.† (History.com Staff) Da Vinci is a renowned artist of his time. As a child, da Vinci had not been educated on art, but at the age of 15 his father hadRead MoreEssay on The Renaissance835 Words   |  4 Pagesheritage for almost eight centuries. No other world civilization had experienced such a disjunction from its cultural past. There were many events in history prior to this that led to the unfolding of this classic revival. Between 1300 and 1500, education had become far more accessible, their was the birth of humanism, and the invention of the printing press. Many prominent men influenced this time: Dante, Chaucer, Erasmus, Calvin, and Leonardo. The later Middle Ages were thus a period of growthRead MoreA Grand Chain Of Rebell ion First Beginning Of The Renaissance Era2674 Words   |  11 Pages15th-century Florence. (Copenhaver, 1992.) Leonardo da Vinci (1450–1519) is considered the most famous figure among the several artisans of the Renaissance era. During Renaissance, artists, writers and philosophers were breaking out of the â€Å"dark ages† and allowing themselves to experiment with new ideas. Men such as Leonardo da Vinci were engrossing themselves with topics such as art, medicine and technology; it was the ultimate rebellious movement in Western civilization. Leonardo’s life and work exhibitedRead MoreThe Renaissance Versus the Reformation1340 Words   |  6 Pages sometimes, as the Renaissance man must have felt in finding new riches at every point and in the certainty that unexplored areas of knowledge and experience await at every turnÂâ€"Polykarp Kusch. Two very critical periods in the history of western civilization involved the eras of the Renaissance and the Reformation. The renaissance evolved mainly in direct result to the medieval times where the people where obedient t o authority. The reformation took place right after in the sixteenth centuryRead MoreNorthern Humanism, Renaissance, and Late Mannerism1960 Words   |  8 PagesHumanism, or Christian humanism, was known for its contributions to the Renaissance with idealism, rationalism, and classical literature. Well known humanists during this period include Francois Rabelais, Marguerite of Angouleme, and Desiderius Erasmus. â€Å"Rabelais wrote a five-part satire titled The Histories of Gargantua and Pantagruel, in which he vigorously attacked the church’s abuses and ridiculed the clergy and theologians† (Matthews 370). However, his obscene references set him aside of northernRead MoreComparing The Tang Dynasty And The Western Civilization1524 Words   |  7 Pagesthe mid 19th century, it did not stop people from seeing the defined roles each gender had before this monumental event in history. This essay will focus on and analyze the Tang dynasty, the period of the European/I talian Renaissance, and the western civilization during the Enlightenment and their time period’s gender roles in comparison with each other. The Tang dynasty started in 618 CE through 907 CE. Within this time period compared to previous dynasties, conditions of roles for women seemed toRead MoreEssay on How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization1804 Words   |  8 PagesRoles of the Catholic Church in Western civilization has been scrambled with the times past and development of Western society. Regardless of the fact that the West is no longer entirely Catholic, the Catholic tradition is still strong in Western countries. The church has been a very important foundation of public facilities like schooling, Western art, culture and philosophy; and influential player in religion. In many ways it has wanted to have an impact on Western approaches to pros and cons inRead MoreThe Luxor Temple And Saint Peter s Basilica1822 Words   |  8 Pages religious beliefs, culture, and mythology play key roles in the beliefs of both timepieces of Art. The architectural medium is not only impressive, but it is captivating to t he eye as well. One can only marvel at the unique wonders of ancient civilization. The Luxor Temple Chinlung, Hsieh. Sacred Destinations. Photo of Luxor Temple: #19137. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2015. Maderno, Carlos. Maderno, Carlos: Saint Peter’s Basilica, Faà §ade in Rome 1607. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2015Read MoreMedieval Europe And The Renaissance Essay3095 Words   |  13 PagesBurckhardt – Burckhardt wrote The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy in 1860. He was one of the founding fathers of art history but also one of the original creators of cultural history. The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy was the most influential interpretation of the Italian Renaissance in the nineteenth century. Burckhardt considered the study of ancient history an intellectual necessity and was a highly respected scholar of Greek civilization. 3. Leon Battista Alberti – AlbertiRead MoreAncient Architecture : Luxor Temple And Saint Peter s Basilica1963 Words   |  8 Pages religious beliefs, culture, and mythology play key roles in the beliefs of both timepieces of Art. The architectural medium is not only impressive, but it is captivating to the eye as well. One can only marvel at the unique wonders of ancient civilization. The Luxor Temple Chinlung, Hsieh. Sacred Destinations. Photo of Luxor Temple: #19137. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2015. (â€Å"http://www.sacred-destinations.com/egypt/luxor-luxor-temple†). Maderno, Carlos. Maderno, Carlos: Saint Peter’s Basilica,