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Leonardo da Vinci was one of the world�s greatest geniuses. Besides being a painter, sculptor, architect and scientist, he also had an eye on the future and worked on such projects as parachutes, submarines, tanks, helicopters and the machine gun and Leonardo may also have designed the first bicycle.

4-15-1452: Leonardo da Vinci was born in a small Tuscan town called Vinci, near Florence. He was the illegitimate son of the Florentine notary and landlord Ser Piero di Antonio da Vinci.

1457: Leonardo and his family moved to Florence.

The apprentice:

1466: By the time Leonardo was 14 years old he was skilled in design, construction and music. He became an apprentice of the Florentine painter and sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio. Leonardo also worked with Botticelli and other painters.

1472: Leonardo entered in the painter's guild of Florence.

1473: Leonardo�s first known and dated work is a pen-and-ink drawing of the Arno valley is sketched.

1475: Leonardo contributed an angel to Verrocchio�s painting of the baptism of Christ, proving his ability.

The Master

1478-80: Leonardo no longer a student. Would be known as an artist, sculptor and painter and revolutionized painting with his approach to shadows and hues and also devised his own formula of paint.

1482-1483: Leonardo was employed by Ludovico Sforza, the duke of Milan and, along with producing his artwork, served as the duke�s military engineer designing such things as portable bridges, ships, cannons and armored vehicles.

1483-1486: he was commissioned to make a large altarpiece The Virgin of the Rocks for the Franciscan Confraternity in the Church of S. Francesco

1486: Leonardo explored the possibility of human flight.

1488: Began his anatomical drawings. Treatise on Painting

1485-1489: along with his artwork, Leonardo studied botany, anatomy, medicine, geography, etc. He worked on an instruction manual for his apprentices and students called the Treatise on Painting Also made theater designs, architectural drawings and models for the dome of Milan Cathedral.

Circa 1490: he created the Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani (Lady with an Ermine) and other paintings and worked on the equestrian statue of Francesco Sforza.

1492: Leonardo designed a flying machine.

1495 to 1497: Leonardo painted The Last Supper for the refectory of the Dominican Monastery Santa Maria delle Grazie.

1502: Back in Florence, Leonardo becomes the chief architect and engineer of Cesare Borgia, duke of Romagna.

1503-06: Leonardo painted the portrait known as Mona Lisa (also known as La Gioconda).

1506-1512: French Governor Charles d'Amboise is Leonardo's patron. He lived in Milan where he continued his painting and anatomical studies.

1509: Leonardo assisted mathematician Luca Pacioli in his work known as Divina Proportione.

1510: Devoted much time to anatomical research.

1511: After the death of Charles d'Amboise, Giuliano de'Medici becomes Leonardo's patron and the artist resided in the Papal court at Rome.

1515: Constructed a mechanical lion for the coronation of Francis I, King of France and painted his self-portrait.

1514 -1516: With the pope as benefactor Leonardo lived in Rome and worked on his science projects.

1516: Leonardo went to France where he was appointed "the first painter, engineer and architect to King" Francis I.

5-2-1519: Leonardo died in Cloux, France and was buried in the Church of St. Florentine in Amboise.

If you want to see the paintings of Leonardo and other artists, please go to:
www.kfki.hu/~arthp/
You can also go to the following site and find other art websites:
www.artcyclopedia.com/