Leonardo da Vinci lived from 1452 to 1519. Leonardo was born in the Tuscan town of Vinci. He was the son of a lawyer. Da Vinci worked under the sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence. In 1438 he moved to Milan to work as an architect. In about 1495 he created The Last Supper in a refectory of the Monastery of Santa Maria Delle Grazie, Milan. In 1499 Leonardo was forced to flee to Florence because Milan had been invaded by the French. He produced many portraits while in Florence but the only one that survived was his famous Mona Lisa. Da Vinci wasn’t just a painter, he was interested in many fields. He studied science, architecture, and he was an inventor. Da Vinci studied anatomy in order to paint the human body in a more accurate manner. Leonardo was by definition a classic “Renaissance man.” (Biography 1)
The Renaissance, the art movement that da Vinci was apart of, began in 14th century Italy. Renaissance means rebirth and “describes the revival of interest in the artistic achievements of the Classical world” (Art Movements 1). Art during the Renaissance came to have two main themes; the artist’s individual expression, and experiences in the world. Michelangelo and Raphael were two other major art influences during the Renaissance. Renaissance art was all about people’s experiences and the mystery and beauty of nature and the world. During the Renaissance, many new technologies were developed. One of which was the printing press. The style of art that the Renaissance was known for came about in the 14th century, but it wasn’t until the late 15th and early 16th centuries that it was the most successful and well-known.
Leonardo da Vinci was not only one of the most influential artists of the Renaissance, but also one of the most influential scientists of his time. Leonardo spent a lot of time studying perspective, or what he called “a function of the eye”. Da Vinci said that his art’s purpose was to paint “man and the intention of his soul”. His interest in the anatomy of a human body is very evident in his artistic works. He would focus on the precision of the people in his compositions and the exactness of their movements (Johnston 1). One author said, “Leonardo characterizes the spirit of the Renaissance: he spent his life in the pursuit of knowledge, and was as revered for his vast intellect as he was for his astonishing skill as an artist” (Gregory 12).
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Leonardo had many accomplishments in his career, but he was at the peak of his career at the age of 42. At this point in his life, he was admired and respected by almost everyone. Da Vinci was never busier than he was at this point, and he even had his own school of apprentices. He wrote Treatise of Painting, a work that was influential to artists for centuries. At one point in his life, Leonardo even became a military engineer. This was a very productive period for da Vinci. The two most famous works of da Vinci are The Last Supper and Mona Lisa.
The Last Supper is a fresco painting of Jesus’ final meal with his disciples before his crucifixion. In the mural Leonardo gave each of the disciples a unique expression, depicting the ways they might have felt when Jesus told them one of them would deceive him. Some of the literal objects in this work are the people, the table, the food, and the walls. The first thing the viewer notices when they look at this mural is Jesus in the middle. Viewers can see that Jesus is the focal point of this painting because all of the other people are sort of separated from him, but all very much focused on him. Da Vinci uses color, line, space, and light to draw attention to Jesus in the center. Jesus is wearing a bright shade of red, which causes him to stand out apart from the other people. Implied line is used in the form of line of sight. Several of the people in the painting are looking at Jesus, which leads the viewer to do the same. The space of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous depiction of The Last Supper is completely convincing, because of contrast. Leonardo uses a fully frontal one-point perspective system. This system focuses our attention on Christ since the perspective lines look almost like rays of light radiating from Christ’s head. Christ’s head is the vanishing point in this one-point linear perspective work. The majority of light in the work is in the center. The further from Jesus, the darker it is. This was another way da Vinci pulled the viewers’ attention to Jesus, showing us that he was the main focus of this work.
Leonardo used an oil/tempera mix and applied it to a drywall. The subject matter of The Last Supper is the final supper that Jesus Christ had with his disciples before being arrested and crucified. Most of the people in the painting appear to be focused and listening to Jesus, but there are a couple side conversations. The side conversations, the viewer can assume, are the disciples reacting and discussing what Jesus has told them. The most recognizable image in this work is Jesus in the center.
The complete composition is very clearly organized with Jesus the center of attention. The other people in the composition are arranged in four groups of three, with Jesus being the only one singled out. Jesus is the only person that is not touching or being touched by another person. This fact makes him feel more important and shows his leadership in the group. The implied movements of the people are another way that Leonardo is drawing the attention to the center, Jesus. Several of the people have their arms and hands up pointing or reaching in the direction of Jesus, which leads viewers to follow the lines of their movements.
There is almost a perfect symmetry to the painting. One either side of Jesus there are six people, divided into two groups of three. The walls, table, and ceiling all look the same on both sides. There is an implied line of symmetry going straight through Jesus. The relationship between the characters in the work appears to be a very close one. They are all touching each other or have their arms around each other. The only person not touching or being touched is Jesus, but he does not seem to be secluded or left out. It appears to be the exact opposite. Almost like he is too important or too superior to be touched in the casual ways that the others are touching each other. The bright colors give the effect of this meal being an important one. The background colors are all dark in comparison to the colors the people are wearing, which shows the emphasis on the people, not the location or background.
The overall mood of the artwork is an intense and serious one. They all seem comfortable around each other, but there seems to be tension in the air. It appears that something important is being discussed, something that demands all of their attention. The work makes me feel a deep connection to the artist and the people displayed in the work. I feel like I can understand how important the last supper was to the artist. I also feel like I can understand how the people in the work felt. I can sense the love and respect they have for Jesus just from seeing their facial expressions and body language toward him. The expressive language I would use to describe the work would be intense, powerful, serious, and beautiful. Nothing about this painting appears laid back or relaxed. Everything about this meal seems serious and very important to not only the people in the work, but also to the viewer. I would consider it beautiful because I can sense the close connection between the people in the work. This work reminds me of personal experiences and feelings, because of the religious importance.
I think that da Vinci was trying to convey the importance of this last supper and the events that would follow. I think he wanted his viewers to understand the importance of the person in the center by making him stand out from the others and making him the focal point. I think that Leonardo made all the artistic decisions he did to, one, show his individuality and unique artistic identity, but also to capture an important historical and religious event.
I would consider this work a success. Da Vinci accomplished his goal of making Jesus the main point of interest. Da Vinci also accomplished his purpose of showcasing this important event for the world to see. This work definitely has a benefit for others. It has a major religious importance to many people of the Christian or Catholic faiths. Even without the religious aspect, this work helps viewers understand da Vinci and what kind of artist he was. This work communicates an important message that many viewers would consider valuable. We learn from the relationships of the people displayed in the work, and we also learn about the artist from the artistic decisions he made while creating this artwork. This work is completely original. Leonardo da Vinci depicts this last supper in a way that has never been done before. He makes many artistic decisions and does many things in a unique way that would later influence and inspire many artists.
Another very influential piece of Leonardo’s works is the portrait, Mona Lisa. This is an oil painting on wood of a woman, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The first thing that you notice in the artwork is the woman’s face. Mona Lisa is still considered one of the most famous paintings of all time. In the background there is some sort of body of water, rocks, and mountains. The colors used on the woman are all dark in comparison to the reds and blues of the background. Mona Lisa is made up of a variety of lines. Some are thick and short, while others are long and thin. There is more light on the woman than the background of the work. This makes the woman stand out and appear brighter.
The subject matter of the work is the woman is the center. Her face, especially her eyes and smile, seem to be the main point of the painting. The woman takes up the majority of the space and appears larger and closer than anything else in the painting. The work is arranged so that the woman stays the main point of attention for viewers. Even though there are no movements in this work, all of the lines still draw all of the attention to the woman, in particular, her face. Viewers can see the repetition of lines and shapes in the background of this painting. The structure of the rocks and the water all appear similar. The work has fairly dark colors which keep the work from being too exciting and taking any attention away from the subject matter.
The work communicates many feelings in viewers, but overall I think that it just makes them happy. Nothing too exciting is happening, but the woman has an interesting expression and she appears to be happy. Her happiness leads viewers to feel happy when they see the painting. Looking at Mona Lisa makes me smile, mostly because of her facial expression. I think that Mona Lisa has this effect on many viewers. The work makes me question why da Vinci chose to give Mona Lisa such an interesting expression. Her smile is very unique and makes the work stand out from other portraits. The unique expression of Mona Lisa gives the work a sort of humorous mood. I think that the uniqueness of da Vinci’s portrait reflects his unique perspective on not just art, but all fields he chose to engage in. I think that da Vinci chose to create Mona Lisa in a way that was different from traditional portraits because that was just his personality. Da Vinci doesn’t strike me as the type of person who likes to do things the traditional ways. In every field he studied or worked in, da Vinci chose to put his own unique spin on things.
Mona Lisa, in my opinion, was a success. Mona Lisa is still considered by many to be the most famous painting of all time. Mona Lisa, in my opinion, was a success. Mona Lisa is still considered by many to be the most famous painting of all time. It has left viewers interested for years. Mona Lisa has given inspiration to many artists and influences the Renaissance art movement in an astronomical way. Mona Lisa is without a doubt an original work. The technique da Vinci chose and all the decisions he made in the process of constructing it made for a unique composition.
Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most influential artists of all time. His works are still inspiring artists today. Da Vinci is one of the few artists who has been able to stay so popular long after his works were created. Leonardo worked in a unique way and cared very deeply about his works.
