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If you happen to fly, you will continue to walk the earth, drawing his eyes to the heavens, for there you have been and there you will seek always // Leonardo da Vinci

Today we will talk about a very talented artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. He deservedly and immortally bears the title of the most brilliant man in the world. Now try to name the person who left behind as many creations as Leonardo da Vinci did. I think that this will be difficult...

Machine gun, scuba, tank, hang glider, car, helicopter, parachute... If you try to continue this logical series, the educated person will probably say: Leonardo da Vinci. It is unlikely that in the history of the planet there is another person who can be characterized by the same number of epithets: inventor, artist, anatomist, musician, architect, sculptor, engineer, genius, visionary, poet... His inventions were hundreds of years ahead of time. His life is shrouded in mystery, and some of the work is still surprising.

What if Leonardo had a lot more creative possibilities? What if European monarchs listened to his opinion more often? What would be the history of Europe and of all mankind? Perhaps Columbus would have sailed to the Islands of America in submarines, Ivan the terrible would have traveled to Moscow by car, and in the battle of Waterloo would have been destroyed a lot of tanks and aircraft. But this is so, if a bit show out a fantasy...

The life of Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo's life was first described by the artist Giorgio Vasari in his biographical work “Vite” (Biography), dedicated to the outstanding artists, sculptors and architects of the time. Although the author was not personally acquainted with Leonardo, at present his book is the most reliable source of information about the great inventor.

Like most geniuses, Leonardo (April 15, 1452 — may 2, 1519) was born in a remote province — the village of Anhiano near the small Italian town of Vinci (now it has about 14 thousand inhabitants). It is noteworthy that the” Renaissance man", as his descendants will call him, was an illegitimate child. His father-señor Piero da Vinci - worked as a notary and was distinguished by prosperity. The mother was (presumably) a peasant woman named Katerina. After birth, the father immediately recognized Leonardo as his son and named him, according to the then tradition, “Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci”, which meant: Leonardo, son of Piero of Vinci.

Foto: Leonardo da Vinci. "Head of an angel"

Interestingly, da Vinci preferred to sign his works abbreviated, without specifying the name: "Leonardo”, or, "Io, Leonardo"

Foto: Verrocchio. Epiphany of Christ. The second half of 1470 years

Leonardo's artistic talent manifested itself early. Father, seeing his drawings (they say that to work on the drawing of the head of the jellyfish child caught snakes, lizards, bats and other animals), gave the fifteen-year-old boy to study in the Studio of the famous artist Andrea del Verrocchio. There Leonardo spent only five years, then he was admitted to the Guild of painters.

According to legend, when Verrocchio saw one of the works of his student, superior to any of his own, the master forever left the painting. This legend is beautiful, but not true, as Verrocchio was a typical “multi-machine” and worked as a conveyor, creating monotonous paintings, sculptures, moonlighting as a court “mass — entertainer”, in short-lived only due to the number of products and did not stop working until old age.

Teacher Verrocchio used the painting "angel's Head" by Leonardo da Vinci in his painting Epiphany of Christ. Photos of both paintings are shown above in the photos

Vasari says that young Leonardo was handsome, graceful, tall, well — built, physically strong-he could bend a horseshoe with one hand, was well-versed in fencing, knightly art, horse riding and dancing. Future genius since childhood, I loved animals — probably why all his life he was a staunch vegetarian. Leonardo was sociable and smart, but always sought to seclusion, which gave him the opportunity to work in full force

The entire life of Leonardo traveled to Europe, working on something on one powerful patron, on the other. In addition to his main activities (painting, sculpture, architecture, engineering), the master was engaged in seemingly completely unworthy of genius things — entertained aristocrats singing, playing the lute, recited poems of his own composition, was engaged in the organization of celebrations.

Leonardo da Vinci. The Benois Madonna. About the year 1478

Leonardo had the inherent good sense of humour. According to Vasari, the master took a living lizard, attached to her wings of leather, poured mercury and fluttered while moving, glued horns and beard, tamed the creature and kept it in a box. From time to time he showed it to his friends, who, seeing such a monster, immediately went to their heels. Vasari also wrote that Leonardo dried the bovine intestines so that they became very small. In one room he lay the bellows, with which he could inflate the intestine to such a size that it filled the room, pressing all present to the walls.

One of the most unusual architectural projects of that time was Leonardo's plan to raise the ancient baptistery of St. Giovanni in Florence, in order to build on its Foundation and give the building a more solid look. Contemporaries are unable to refute the calculations of the master — they were so thorough, however, in General, considered the idea impracticable.

In January 2005, researchers discovered a secret laboratory Leonardo, equipped in the premises of the convent near the Church of the Santissima-Annutsiata in Florence. There were found untouched frescoes of the master, as well as a room for the preparation of corpses (Leonardo and his disciples opened hundreds of the dead, studying anatomy).

Foto: Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa. About the year 1503

Probably, there is no more famous canvas in the world than "Mona Lisa". It is popular in all countries, widely replicated as a recognizable and catchy image. "Mona Lisa "in its four hundred year history and visited the brand, and became a victim of kidnapping, mentioned in the song NAT king Cola, her name was quoted in tens of thousands of publications and films, and the expression" smile Mona Lisa " has become a stable phrase, even stamped phrase.

It is believed that the picture-a portrait of Lisa Gerardini, wife of a Florentine cloth merchant named Del Giocondo. The time of writing, about 1503 — 1505. Created a great canvas by Leonardo da Vinci. Perhaps, if the picture was painted by another master, it would not envelop such a dense veil of mystery.

   This is a small work of art measuring 76.8 x 53 cm written in oil on a Board of poplar wood. There is a picture in the Louvre, where she is given a special room bearing her name. She was brought to France by the artist himself, who moved here under the patronage of king Francis.

It must be said that the aura of legendary and unusual envelops this canvas only the last 100 years or more, with the light hand of Theophile Gautier, who wrote about the smile of Gioconda. Before that, contemporaries admired the skill of the artist in the transfer of facial expression, virtuoso performance and choice of colors, liveliness and naturalness of the image, but did not see in the picture hidden signs, hints and encrypted messages.

   Now most of all people are occupied by the notorious riddle of the smile of Mona Lisa. She is only the hint of a smile, a slight movement of the corners of the lips. Perhaps the interpretation of the smile lies in the name of the painting — La Gioconda in Italian can mean "fun". Maybe all these centuries the Mona Lisa just laughs at our vain attempts to unravel its secrets?

It makes no sense to deny the great artistic merits of this picture. She is an absolute masterpiece of the Renaissance and a significant achievement in the work of the master, no wonder that Leonardo himself appreciated this work and for many years did not part with it. 

   Most people perceive the mass point of view and treat the picture as a mysterious canvas, a masterpiece sent to us from the past by one of the most brilliant and talented artists in the history of art. A minority sees the "Mona Lisa" is extremely beautiful and skillfully executed painting. The mystery is only that we attributed to her the features that they want to see.

   The most limited, fortunately, group of people refers to those who are outraged and annoyed by this picture. Yes, it happens, otherwise what can explain at least four cases of vandalism, because of which the canvas is now protected by a thick bulletproof glass.

   Be that as it may, "Gioconda" continues to exist and delight all new generations of viewers with its mysterious half-smile and complex unsolved mysteries. Perhaps in the future someone will find answers to existing questions. Or create new legends.

Foto: Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna Litta. Around 1490

"Madonna Litta" created in Milan - the highest creation of Leonardo da Vinci. It's a Renaissance classic in its purest form. The female type of face, inherent in the images of Leonardo, in addition to portraits, is captured in perfect shape. Nothing extra. The child pressed his lips and hand to his mother's chest, and his eye is directed to the viewer, who does not notice the young mother, she thought, looking at her son. Red dress and blue Cape, in harmony with the high sky in the openings of two Windows - self-sufficient beauty of the earth's woman and it is a woman of the Renaissance.

Leonardo left behind about 13,000 pages of various manuscripts-notes, diaries, drawings, treatises, canons, “codes” (a set of various works by Leon devoted to a particular topic). I must say that the master's works were not strictly ordered, although the author tried to systematize them, numbering the pages.

Foto: "Vitruvian man" is the result of Leonardo's study of regularities in the proportions of the human body

Leonardo da Vinci was left-handed and wrote "mirror" - that is, from right to left, although sometimes, for example, for correspondence with officials, he used the usual writing style.

Around the same peculiarity of the master was rumored. Someone of the researchers of his work have stated that Leonardo deliberately wrote “contrary” to his records were not available to the ignorant and fools. However, the most likely is another version-the fact that earlier for writing used pointed goose feathers. Lefty was easier to “pull” the pen across the paper from right to left and not “push” it from left to right, with the power of scratching the sheet.

Foto: Leonardo da Vinci. The figure to the head of the Madonna. 1480 years

To imagine the scale of his scientific work, it should be remembered that Leonardo combined invention with painting, sculpture and architecture. This man was fickle in his creative Hobbies, often moved from place to place. He did not receive a classical scientific education and sincerely believed that the Sun revolves around the Earth. And finally, let's face it — Leonardo was inherently a survivor who existed only at the expense of rich “sponsors”. If not for a lucky coincidence (the father noticed the talent of his son), that Leonardo, most likely, would be some kind of a rope dancer at the Florentine fair assumption is quite Nietzschean and true though, because the unrestrained imagination of da Vinci always drew him to something supernatural.

It is known that scientific and technological progress is best stimulated by war. Leonardo really was a chance for the introduction of flying machines, tanks and submarines in the military. For this purpose it was necessary a little: the educated European monarch who is fond of all new (someone similar to Peter I), and da Vinci's letter to it in which the master would offer the engineering services. This could completely change the history of our planet.

Almost all geniuses somehow pay for their gift-poverty, ugliness, madness or early death. Leonardo was a happy exception. Yes — he was not able to transform this world, and its research and development found no use among his contemporaries. However, the wizard lived to a ripe old age, had accumulated a lot of money and in no way needed. The most interesting thing is that if he had the opportunity to choose, he probably would have agreed to endure deprivation, if only his research had been implemented in practice. And this is a sign of a really great scientist.

Foto: Leonardo da Vinci. The head of the Apostle James the Elder for the fresco "Last supper" and the architectural motif. 1495-1497 years

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Leonardo da Vinci created himself, his life as the embodiment of a new myth, the myth of the Renaissance, the myth of man, the function of matter and space. In principle, what is nature, space, eternity, God or gods, if there is no man with his self-awareness of himself and the world, with his creation of art, a symbol of beauty and eternity. There are many books in my library about the activities of Leonardo da Vinci. Gradually, I will introduce you to the different activities of the great genius.

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 Until next time, @r3benok

  Author's photo of the iPhone 6 S+