Leonardo Da Vinci - Artist Biography

Leonardo da Vinci was in every aspect the definition of the "renaissance man." No other artist in the history of western culture was as revolutionary, as influential, and as ahead of his time as da Vinci. It's no surprise that people find inspiration in his work even to this day, and if you're looking to hang a da Vinci from your wall, you can find a variety of prints on PosterCheckOut.com.

Da Vinci: a Biography
Leonardo da Vinci was born the illegitimate son of Caterina, a peasant woman in the northern Italian town of Vinci. His father, a 25-year-old notary, raised Leonardo in a home where the young boy had access to a treasure trove of scholarly works. At the age of 15, da Vinci became an apprentice in the Andrea del Verrochio workshop in Florence. It was here that his talents began to flourish.

Da Vinci proved to be better than his masters almost from the beginning. His rising star was quickly noticed by the Milan nobility, who stole him away from Florence and commissioned him to produce a number of works for them over the next 17 years. Duke Ludovico Sforza was da Vinci's main benefactor, and the young man produced art, weapons, machines and even buildings for him during his years in Sforza's court.

A fascinating side effect of da Vinci's fascination with virtually any subject was his frequent penchant for failing to finish works that he had started. Always looking for the next great thing, da Vinci actually only completed six works during his 17 years in Milan. Of these, "The Last Supper" remains a testament to the skill and inventiveness of this truly unique artist.