101 Things You Didn't Know About Da Vinci Read Online Free
music and singing during his formative years, learning to play the lyre and other Renaissance instruments. One of his favorite âacademicâ subjects was probably mathematics; the ability to apply mathematical principles to art would, of course, be one of his signature trademarks later on. Is it possible that Leonardo simply had too much exposure to too many different things as a child? Leonardo was known for starting more tasks than he finished; his notebooks reveal many ideas that never actually took shape. Maybe he tried so many things, he never learned to focus on one at a time.
Perhaps not insignificantly, Leonardo was left-handed. Generally speaking, the right hemisphere of the human brain (more dominant in left-handed people) controls art, music, creativity, and emotions. In contrast, right-handed people are more oriented toward the left hemisphere of the brain, which is associated with math, science, language, and speech. Leonardo's left-handedness likely has something to do with his unusual style of writing, which flowed from right to left. He wrote letters backwards, so they formed a mirror image. You might already know someone who writes this wayâthis style isn't uncommon among left-handed people, and Leonardo could have devised the technique as a child. Some historians believe he developed it as a sort of secret code to protect his notes and sketchbooks from being copied; others think it was the result of being both left-handed and dyslexic. Whatever the reason, Leonardo's writing method added to his uniqueness and made his homework pretty hard to copy!
During the Renaissance, artists couldn't just run down to the corner art supply store for paints and brushesâthey had to make things themselves. As a child, Leonardo probably used materials he found or borrowed from his grandfather to create his sketches. Though only seventeen years old when he was apprenticed to master artist Verrocchio, Leonardo had already shown promise. Few dated drawings survive from Leonardo's childhood and the first few years of his apprenticeship. Nevertheless, one of Leonardo's earliest known drawings, a pen-and-ink landscape of the Arno Valley, from 1473, is also one of the first drawings ever to detail landscape in a truly realistic, convincing style. Even at the beginning of his career, Leonardo was already innovating!
9
What did they do before there were bookstores?
Leonardo da Vinci's early educational resources were few and far between. He certainly didn't walk to the nearest Borders to pick up new books! Rather, most of his knowledge came from experience. As previously discussed, he spent plenty of time with his Uncle Francesco as a youngster. Being a farmer, Francesco taught Leonardo much about nature. Leonardo's early interest in sketching probably began at this time.
While textbooks and teachers were scarce, Leonardo still loved to read. Though his formal schooling probably didn't go past a primary grade, he took advantage of friends' and relatives' libraries. After moving in with his grandfather, he was probably home-schooled in math, science, reading, and writing. Amazingly, he learned physics and anatomy more or less on his own.
Leonardo certainly wasn't the only artist who didn't go to college. Many others were self-educated, which goes to show that if you want to strike it big, you need to get out there and do what needs to be done. Michelangelo Buonarroti, another one of the Renaissance's greatest artists and architects, didn't have much formal instruction either, but he persevered and ultimately carved his own distinct place in history. Schooling or no schooling, great artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo quickly gained skill and talent far beyond what most achieve in a lifetime.
10
Apprenticeship, or learning from your elders
When Leonardo was sixteen (in 1468), his paternal grandfather died and his remaining family moved to Florence. This move would ultimately be of great importance to
Perhaps not insignificantly, Leonardo was left-handed. Generally speaking, the right hemisphere of the human brain (more dominant in left-handed people) controls art, music, creativity, and emotions. In contrast, right-handed people are more oriented toward the left hemisphere of the brain, which is associated with math, science, language, and speech. Leonardo's left-handedness likely has something to do with his unusual style of writing, which flowed from right to left. He wrote letters backwards, so they formed a mirror image. You might already know someone who writes this wayâthis style isn't uncommon among left-handed people, and Leonardo could have devised the technique as a child. Some historians believe he developed it as a sort of secret code to protect his notes and sketchbooks from being copied; others think it was the result of being both left-handed and dyslexic. Whatever the reason, Leonardo's writing method added to his uniqueness and made his homework pretty hard to copy!
During the Renaissance, artists couldn't just run down to the corner art supply store for paints and brushesâthey had to make things themselves. As a child, Leonardo probably used materials he found or borrowed from his grandfather to create his sketches. Though only seventeen years old when he was apprenticed to master artist Verrocchio, Leonardo had already shown promise. Few dated drawings survive from Leonardo's childhood and the first few years of his apprenticeship. Nevertheless, one of Leonardo's earliest known drawings, a pen-and-ink landscape of the Arno Valley, from 1473, is also one of the first drawings ever to detail landscape in a truly realistic, convincing style. Even at the beginning of his career, Leonardo was already innovating!
9
What did they do before there were bookstores?
Leonardo da Vinci's early educational resources were few and far between. He certainly didn't walk to the nearest Borders to pick up new books! Rather, most of his knowledge came from experience. As previously discussed, he spent plenty of time with his Uncle Francesco as a youngster. Being a farmer, Francesco taught Leonardo much about nature. Leonardo's early interest in sketching probably began at this time.
While textbooks and teachers were scarce, Leonardo still loved to read. Though his formal schooling probably didn't go past a primary grade, he took advantage of friends' and relatives' libraries. After moving in with his grandfather, he was probably home-schooled in math, science, reading, and writing. Amazingly, he learned physics and anatomy more or less on his own.
Leonardo certainly wasn't the only artist who didn't go to college. Many others were self-educated, which goes to show that if you want to strike it big, you need to get out there and do what needs to be done. Michelangelo Buonarroti, another one of the Renaissance's greatest artists and architects, didn't have much formal instruction either, but he persevered and ultimately carved his own distinct place in history. Schooling or no schooling, great artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo quickly gained skill and talent far beyond what most achieve in a lifetime.
10
Apprenticeship, or learning from your elders
When Leonardo was sixteen (in 1468), his paternal grandfather died and his remaining family moved to Florence. This move would ultimately be of great importance to
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