Leonardo da Vincis Contributions to Fine Arts

Question: Discuss about the Leonardo da Vincis Contributions to Fine Arts? Answer: Introduction Leonardo da Vinci was one the worlds greatest polymaths who also excelled in various fields like sculpture, architecture, music, literature, medical science, astronomy, history and many others, although he specifically excelled in the field of painting. He was also the most prominent figure in the High Renaissance period (1475-1525) of Italy. Leonardos Works: Early Age, 1480s, 1490s and 1500s, the Mona Lisa The Renaissance period in Europe saw a boom in the fields of literature, sculpture and painting. Many notable personalities enriched each of the fields with their immortal works. The most notable of them all was Leonardo da Vinci, who is also called as usniversal genius by modern historians. He excelled in many fields of study like science, botany, history, architecture, anatomy, etc. and he is recognized one of the greatest painters the world ever had (Freud). At an early age, Leonardo worked under the guidance of the then celebrated artist and sculptor Andrea Verocchio but soon, Leonardos brilliance of works far surpassed Verocchios. Leonardos first notable work was the Baptism of Christ, which was actually a work of Verocchio, assisted by Leonardo. Leonardos part of the work was so brilliant that it easily eclipsed Verocchios work in the painting. After this, he left Verocchios studio and started working on his own. Although, he changed subjects of the fields of his studies from time to time, he never left painting, and he created many masterpieces during various stages of his life. His early independent works mainly include several annunciations, depicting interaction between an angel and Virgin Mary (Lipton et al.). In the 1480s, Leonardo worked on three paintings, two of which were incomplete. Leonardo depicted a difficult phase of his life through St. Jerome in the Wilderness. This painting also contains evidence of Leonardos interest for anatomy. Another incomplete yet one of the best works of Leonardo was the Adoration of the Magi. It was a daring work with respect to the figure and the landscape, but Leonardo could not complete the work. His most important work of this period was the Virgin of the Rocks. This painting depicts infant Jesus with Virgin Mary and two other figures, one being an infant John the Baptist and the other his guardian angel, in a rocky landscape having whirling waters. One of the two versions of the painting is currently at Paris Louvre Museum and the other at London National Gallery (McCurdy). In 1498, Leonardo completed another masterpiece, The Last Supper that depicts the last supper of Jesus before his crucifixion. This painting is a very complex work and finds several interpretations by various researchers (Keele). In the early 16th century, Leonardo created the Mona Lisa, which is arguably the most famous and one of the best paintings of all time. One of the finest pieces of art, the Mona Lisa depicts a mysterious woman flaunting an elusive smile. Exact meaning of the smile is still unknown and explained differently by different researchers. As for the artwork, it was subtly drawn using oil on tempera like surface and with smooth painting technique without any sign of overpainting. Currently it resides at Louvre Museum in Paris. Other notable works of Leonardo include Virgin and Child with St. Anneamong others, which also influenced works of later notable artists like Raphael and Michelangelo (Lipton et al.). Conclusion Although, Leonardo da Vinci was a genius in multiple subjects, he specially excelled in fine arts, and his artworks influenced many other famous artists in the later period. He is arguably one of the greatest painters of all time. He was truly the greatest figure of the Renaissance in Europe. References Freud, Sigmund.Leonardo da Vinci-A Psychosexual Study of an Infantile Reminiscence. Read Books Ltd, 2015. Keele, Kenneth D.Leonardo da Vinci's Elements of the Science of Man. Academic Press, 2014. Lipton, Richard J., and Kenneth W. Regan. "Leonardo da Vinci: Proofs as Art."People, Problems, and Proofs. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2013. 29-34. McCurdy, Edward.The mind of Leonardo da Vinci. Courier Corporation, 2013.