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The Italian Renaissance was one of the most remarkable periods in all of Western History. It was an era of great cultural achievements that laid the foundation of the modern world and it produced many remarkable individuals. One of the most remarkable of these was Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists who ever lived. However, he was so much more than this he was also a polymath and is often referred to as a ‘Universal Genius’. Among the subjects that he contributed to were science, engineering, mechanics, urban planning, cartographer, philosophy, anatomy, and others. Leonardo is recognized as making a unique contribution to the Renaissance, that period of time which saw the re-birth of learning and a move to a secular worldview. The Florentine artist and polymath made a decisive contribution to this epoch. He decisively influenced artistic trends in his own time and in the later Renaissance. His interest in science and experiment inspired many humanists to study the world and nature. He was also a great inventor, but his inventions had little impact, on his own era.

====Influence on art====

During the early Renaissance, painting had advanced greatly, because of great artists such as Botticelli and Verrocchio. However, Leonardo was to raise painting to new heights and his work is not only intrinsically important but very influential. His work was revolutionary because it was so realistic and expressive. Leonardo used his anatomical studies to better understand the human body and especially its actions. This allowed him to create images of people that are highly realistic and very dynamic. The emotions expressed by Leonardo are much more naturalistic than previous artists <ref>Hall, Marcia B. Color and meaning: practice and theory in Renaissance painting (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), p 117</ref>. Leonardo inspired many painters to adopt a more naturalistic approach. His ideas on painting were presented in his Treatise on Painting, which was widely read. Leonardo was a master of painting techniques, including that of chiaroscuro, which is the treatment of the light and shade. Many incorrectly assume that Leonardo invented this technique, but he certainly perfected it. His technique was followed by many subsequent painters. Based on his scientific studies, Leonardo was a master of linear perspective and he exceeded all those who went before him. He developed new ways of representing perspective and this gave his painting more depth and made them appear more realistic. Perhaps his greatest contribution to the painting was the development of the sfumato technique, a new way to blend glazes. This made the figures in a painting living and breathing subjects. The techniques and styles developed by Leonardo were revolutionary and they, in particular, influenced the other great Florentine, Michelangelo. The frescoes of Michelangelo became more dynamic and expressive, as a result of the work of Leonardo. This was despite the fact that the two great artists did not like each other and were bitter rivals. The genius from Vinci later inspired other painters of the High Renaissance such as Raphael (1483-1520). Da Vinci’s treatment of the Virgin Mary was very influential in the paintings of Raphael. Among the others whose work was shaped by the great Florentine was Filippino Lippi (1457–1504) and del Sarto (1486–1531). Leonardo was also a very important influence on sculpture. His original sculptures are now lost. However, at the time they proved enormously influential on the development of Renaissance sculpture. The Florentine was also interested in architecture and helped to design the cupola for the Cathedral in Milan. He wrote an unpublished treatise on architecture and produced many architectural drawings <ref>Kemp, Martin. Leonardo da Vinci: the marvelous works of nature and man (Oxford, Oxford, University Press, 2007), p 113</ref>. These inspired many architects including the great Bramante.

====Leonardo and science====

Leonardo is one of the towering figures in the development of the Renaissance and indeed Western culture. He was a remarkable man and a genuine polymath who had extraordinary insights and achievements. The Florentine was able to develop new techniques in painting that revolutionized the art form and it inspired many of the greatest painters of the Renaissance, such as Raphael. Leonardo had a great influence on sculpture and architecture in Italy during his lifetime and after. Leonardo was also a scientist and interested in a wide range of subjects. His scientific discoveries, such as those in anatomy were kept secret, largely out of fear of the Church. However, his approach to study and his interest in nature, inspired many to adopt a more modern outlook. Leonardo was a designer and inventor of genius. However, most of his ideas remained only ideas and often impractical. Therefore, his inventions made little impact on the Renaissance.

Kemp, Martin. Leonardo da Vinci: the marvellous works of nature and man. Oxford University Press, 2007.

Da Vinci, Leonardo. A treatise on painting. Read Books Ltd, 2013.

====References====

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