101 Things You Didn't Know About Da Vinci Read Online Free Page A
Leonardo's career; Florence was home to many of the best artists of the day, including Andrea Verrocchio (1435â1488). Art took many forms during the Renaissance, and Verrocchio was not only a master of painting, but also sculpture, goldsmithing, music, and other arts. No doubt, Leonardo's father made a smart move by securing his son an apprenticeship with such a great master.
Florence in the mid-fifteenth century was a haven for up-and-coming artists; imagine a loose parallel to Greenwich Village in New York City. Except in those days, patrons worked more closely with artisans. Artists held high social positions, were well respected, and often mingled with powerful Italian families. By the mid-1470s, Florence was home to more than fifty stoneworking shops and close to thirty master painting studios. For a student like Leonardo, there was no better place to be.
But Leonardo wasn't the only star in the sky. Verrocchio had other students, including Sandro Botticelli. Still, apprenticeship did have its advantages for Leonardo. There was a fairly established program for the skills interns had to learn, and Leonardo studied the technical aspects of painting, including how to grind and mix pigments into various paint colors. He probably also studied color theory, learning which colors combine to form other colors, how saturation could contribute to different tones, and so on. You can't paint if you don't know the fundamentals, and Leonardo certainly learned them well.
This crucial internship covered the basics of painting on wood panels. Leonardo was probably also exposed to canvas techniques, including how to stretch and prepare canvases for painting and how different materials would accept paint in different ways. Leonardo also got his first introduction to casting in bronze, a skill he mastered later on down the road. He certainly learned bronze casting from one of the bestâVerrocchio was responsible for some of the greatest bronzes the world had ever seen, such as his David and his equestrian statue with Bartolomeo Colleoni. He also created bronzes of many saints, including St. John and St. Peter. In addition to metalworking in 3-D, Verrocchio produced bronze relief sculptures, quite common at the time. To put it in modern terms, Verrocchio's studio was the Harvard of the Renaissance.
Leonardo's apprenticeship in Verrocchio's studio lasted until about 1472. At that time he was admitted to the Company of Painters, Florence's painting guild. Probably eager to test the waters on his own, Leonardo had the opportunity to branch out as an independent artist. But he didn't give up all ties to Verrocchio's workshop, probably because he wanted to further his education and continue his association with the master.
Collaboration on paintings was not uncommon at this time; a patron might provide the general direction for a piece of art; sometimes entire studios (masters and apprentices) worked together on a single painting. Leonardo assisted Verrocchio with at least one of his great works, The Baptism of Christ , in 1472. The two artists also collaborated on other works, including the Madonna di Piazza (1474). Though Leonardo must have gradually evolved from a student to an equal in Verrocchio's eyes, he didn't come into his own until he started working alone.
11
Turning dust into gold: Early painting experience
Leonardo da Vinci probably got his first formal exposure to artists' technical tools during his apprenticeship to Andrea Verrocchio (see number 10). As already mentioned, artists in the fifteenth century had to make their paints from scratch. Leonardo much preferred oil paint because it allowed subtle variations in the colors that just weren't possible with tempera.
The science of mixing oil paints was intense; it certainly wasn't a simple skill. The paint had to be colored, and it also had to adhere properly to the painted surface. Paint is a type of emulsion (a liquid suspension where oil and water are mixed
Florence in the mid-fifteenth century was a haven for up-and-coming artists; imagine a loose parallel to Greenwich Village in New York City. Except in those days, patrons worked more closely with artisans. Artists held high social positions, were well respected, and often mingled with powerful Italian families. By the mid-1470s, Florence was home to more than fifty stoneworking shops and close to thirty master painting studios. For a student like Leonardo, there was no better place to be.
But Leonardo wasn't the only star in the sky. Verrocchio had other students, including Sandro Botticelli. Still, apprenticeship did have its advantages for Leonardo. There was a fairly established program for the skills interns had to learn, and Leonardo studied the technical aspects of painting, including how to grind and mix pigments into various paint colors. He probably also studied color theory, learning which colors combine to form other colors, how saturation could contribute to different tones, and so on. You can't paint if you don't know the fundamentals, and Leonardo certainly learned them well.
This crucial internship covered the basics of painting on wood panels. Leonardo was probably also exposed to canvas techniques, including how to stretch and prepare canvases for painting and how different materials would accept paint in different ways. Leonardo also got his first introduction to casting in bronze, a skill he mastered later on down the road. He certainly learned bronze casting from one of the bestâVerrocchio was responsible for some of the greatest bronzes the world had ever seen, such as his David and his equestrian statue with Bartolomeo Colleoni. He also created bronzes of many saints, including St. John and St. Peter. In addition to metalworking in 3-D, Verrocchio produced bronze relief sculptures, quite common at the time. To put it in modern terms, Verrocchio's studio was the Harvard of the Renaissance.
Leonardo's apprenticeship in Verrocchio's studio lasted until about 1472. At that time he was admitted to the Company of Painters, Florence's painting guild. Probably eager to test the waters on his own, Leonardo had the opportunity to branch out as an independent artist. But he didn't give up all ties to Verrocchio's workshop, probably because he wanted to further his education and continue his association with the master.
Collaboration on paintings was not uncommon at this time; a patron might provide the general direction for a piece of art; sometimes entire studios (masters and apprentices) worked together on a single painting. Leonardo assisted Verrocchio with at least one of his great works, The Baptism of Christ , in 1472. The two artists also collaborated on other works, including the Madonna di Piazza (1474). Though Leonardo must have gradually evolved from a student to an equal in Verrocchio's eyes, he didn't come into his own until he started working alone.
11
Turning dust into gold: Early painting experience
Leonardo da Vinci probably got his first formal exposure to artists' technical tools during his apprenticeship to Andrea Verrocchio (see number 10). As already mentioned, artists in the fifteenth century had to make their paints from scratch. Leonardo much preferred oil paint because it allowed subtle variations in the colors that just weren't possible with tempera.
The science of mixing oil paints was intense; it certainly wasn't a simple skill. The paint had to be colored, and it also had to adhere properly to the painted surface. Paint is a type of emulsion (a liquid suspension where oil and water are mixed
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