There are many artists that have become well known over the years such as Vincent van Gogh and Michelangelo, but no artist has accomplished as much as Leonardo da Vinci did in many different fields of artwork and science. Not only is the Mona Lisa the most world renown painting, Leonardo came up with the ideas and drawings of a machine gun, tank, helicopter, and other objects we use today back in the 1400's. He was a man ahead of his time. I never paid much attention to his artwork, but as of late I realized the more you try to understand his artwork, the harder it is to figure out. After looking at the Mona Lisa for a while, I cannot depict what type of feeling or emotion is being displayed. It is almost impossible to tell whether she is happy or sad. I find his artwork truly amazing.

When people hear the name Leonardo da Vinci, they most commonly think of him as a painter. Painting was only a small part of his life; he was also a sculptor, architect, designer, theorist, engineer, scientist, and inventor. Leonard

o spent many of his years in Florence and Milan. While in Milan, he became actively involved in military tactics and devices for the city and took up many engineering projects such as canalization and the decoration in the town of Vigevano, a small suburb of Milan.

The Mona Lisa is considered the most remarkable painting of all time. By painting the picture, Leonardo came up with new ways to paint and incorporated the use of mathematics in his portrait. Until recently I could not understand why this particular painting is so much better then other similar paintings. Then I discovered it is a combination of the painting itself, the way it looks, and the way it was constructed, the design and the perspective are truly extraordinary. In this picture, all the lines end in a single vanishing point behind her head. Also, Leonardo painted her in a relaxed, natural, three-quarter pose. This technique is known as triangular composition and was the beginning of the use of geometric formations in artwork. Another use of Leonardo's intellect can be seen in the shape of her hands and face. The direction and posture are so flawless that it is quite evident Leonardo had rigorously studied in the anatomy of the human body. While living at a hospital, Leonardo had dissected over 30 cadavers to get a better understanding of the shape of the human body.

In this portrait, Christ is located at the center, with all diagonal lines converging at his head. This allows him to be the apex of all the pyramidal composition. It looks like the entire room, all the walls and the ceiling are somehow centered perfectly around him. The fact that he is at the center of everything brings out the quality of an ultimate being.

“Leonardo da Vinci was a man far ahead of his time, it was as though he was awake in the dark while everyone else was still asleep (Sigmund Freud).” Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most intelligent and gifted person to ever live. Not only was he a pioneer in the art world, but also in the field of science. It was this combination of things that allowed him to create some of the most famous artwork of all time.

I truly believe that painting was not something Leonardo cared about his much as his other practices. Painting for him was merely combining his knowledge of anatomy, dynamics of light, and mathematics into a colleague of colors that capture the imagination of the viewer. His genius was at a level so far beyond his time

Some topics in this essay:
Mona Lisa, Virgin Rocks, Milan Milan, Santa Maria, Jesus Christ, Conception Mary, MacDonald Leonardo, War II, , Freud” Leonardo, da vinci, mona lisa, leonardo da vinci, leonardo da, virgin rocks, light shadow, particular painting, painting painting, human body, painting looks, painting feel,