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Across industries worldwide, AWS AI is how industry leaders stay ahead. Painter, sculptor, scientist, inventor. Leonardo da Vinci was all this and more. The Mona Lisa is just one highlight from an extraordinary career. Tonight we'll discover the story behind Leonardo's genius. Our child born out of wedlock and from a humble background became one of the most renowned figures in Renaissance Europe. Along the way, we'll uncover some surprising details. From the mysteries of his personal life to the secrecy surrounding some of his inventions. So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history of Leonardo da Vinci. On the 15th of April, 1452, a child was born in a hill town in Tuscany. His full name was Leonardo da Vinci. D. Serpiero was a reference to Leonardo's father, Serpiero. The surname da Vinci meant from Vinci, the town where he was born. Leonardo's origins were fairly humble. His father was a notary in his 20s. While his mother, Catarina, was a 15-year-old orphan. Some scholars think Catarina may have been enslaved and possibly of Middle Eastern origin. Studies of Leonardo's fingerprints suggest that he might have had Middle Eastern ancestry. However, we can't know for sure. What is certain is that Leonardo's parents were unmarried at the time of his birth, which classified him at the time as illegitimate. In 15th century Italy, being born out of wedlock was usually a disadvantage. It often limited the child's access to education, certain careers, and inheritance. But in Leonardo's case, his illegitimate status doesn't seem to have held him back. After spending the first years of his life with his mother's family, he was brought up in his father's household in Vinci and treated just like a legitimate child. Leonardo's father went on to marry four times, and Leonardo is thought to have had as many as 22 half siblings. He seems to have received a standard education, reading, writing, and arithmetic. Given his later brilliance, we might assume that he was recognized as a child prodigy, but this doesn't seem to have been the case. However, when it came to art, Leonardo's father has certainly recognized his talent. When Leonardo was about 14 or 15 years old, his father arranged for him to work as an apprentice for Andrea del Barraquillo, one of the most famous artists and florins at the time. Had it not been for this opportunity, it's interesting to consider how differently Leonardo's life might have turned out. Of course, with his natural talent, perhaps he would have been successful no matter what. But Leonardo's father certainly helped him get off to a good start. As is often the way, one opportunity led to another. During his apprenticeship at Barraquillo's workshop, Leonardo honed his skills in drawing, painting, and sculpture. What's interesting is that early on, there's already evidence of his technical genius. Leonardo made detailed sketches of weapons, bumps, and mechanical objects, a sign of things to come. In the mid-15th century, Florence was the place to be. The city was the center of the early Renaissance, and many of the greatest artists and intellectuals lived and worked there. So, while Leonardo was innately talented, he was also lucky to grow up in such an environment. It was very much a case of right place, right time. He was trained in the workshop of one of the leading artists of the day, and his peers included other Renaissance masters like Ottecelli. Leonardo spent his 20s in Florence. Even once he was an established artist in his own right, he continued to work with his mentor, Barraquillo. He also knew the Medici family, a Florentine banking dynasty with immense wealth, power, and influence. This acquaintance helped Leonardo's burgeoning artistic career and put him among the cultural elite of Florence. When Leonardo was 24 years old, he was involved in a scandal. Along with a few other men in Florence, he was accused of sotamy, a crime that was technically punishable by death at the time. But as the accusation was made anonymously, the charges were dropped. Over the centuries, there has been a lot of speculation about Leonardo's sexuality. In 15th century Florence, accusations of sotamy were common and often motivated by politics or grudges. So this alone doesn't really prove anything. More significant perhaps is the fact that Leonardo never married and that there's no evidence of romantic relationships with women. But Leonardo did have close relationships with a few of his male assistants. Taking all this into consideration, along with the homo erotic elements in some of his art, it's certainly possible that he was gay. However, there's also another possibility that regardless of his sexuality, Leonardo was mostly celibate. In a notebook, he once wrote, the act of procreation and anything that has any relation to it is so disgusting that human beings would soon die out if there were no pretty faces and sensuous dispositions. Ultimately, whether or not Leonardo had intimate relationships, they seemed to have been less important to him than his work. In 1482, when Leonardo was 30 years old, his connections with the Medici family led to a work opportunity. Lorenzo de Medici recommended Leonardo to the Duke of Milan, Ludo Vico Sforza. Leonardo's decision to leave Florence for Milan was somewhat surprising. He had just received a couple of important commissions, which he left unfinished. But perhaps this new opportunity was too good to turn down. Working for the court of Ludo Vico Sforza, Leonardo remained in Milan for almost two decades. During this time, he was commissioned to paint two of his most famous works, Virgin of the Rocks and the Last Supper. We'll look at Leonardo's artistic achievements and more depth later. For now, as we focus on his life and career, it's worth acknowledging just how important this era was. Although he completed just six paintings, works like the Last Supper are among his greatest masterpieces. And while he was in Milan, Leonardo also got involved in many other projects. He had a prominent position in court, where his official title was Painter and Engineer of the Duke. When Leonardo wasn't busy with his workshops, he was giving advice on everything from architecture to military matters. This productive era in Milan came to an end in 1500 due to circumstances outside of Leonardo's control. The Duke of Milan, Ludo Vico Sforza, who was also Leonardo's employer, was overthrown by French forces. As a result, Leonardo was forced to flee the city. After a period in Venice, working as a military architect and engineer, he returned to Florence, where he received a warm welcome. The eight years that followed were similarly productive, but although Leonardo continued to work on his art, he appears to have been more focused on other projects, such as his scientific studies. He was particularly interested in human anatomy and the flight of birds, something that had long been a source of fascination. Apparently, one of Leonardo's earliest childhood memories was of a kite, which is a type of bird, coming to his cradle and putting its tail in his mouth. Throughout his life, Leonardo had a deep interest in birds and other animals. Also, unusually for the time, it seems that he may have been vegetarian. Statements in his notebooks suggest that at the very least he had reservations about the morality of eating animals. There are also stories that when Leonardo saw caged birds for sale, he would buy them so he could set them free. During these years in Florence, Leonardo was also involved in a couple of hydraulic engineering projects. For one of them, he developed a plan for A. Canal, which would connect Florence to the sea, a distance of about 60 miles. Although this ambitious waterway was never built, a highway constructed in the 20th century follows a similar route. So, Leonardo was on the right track and, as in so many things, ahead of his time. While there were plenty of projects to keep him busy in Florence, it seems that Leonardo had an appetite for adventure and new experiences. For about a year, he traveled the country while working for a chesaree orja. At the time, the ruthless military leader was one of the most powerful men in the land. Leonardo's job title was Senior Military Architect and Engineer. He accompanied forja on his travels across his territories, surveying the lands and making maps. And yet, with all this going on, Leonardo still found time to paint. At some point, while living in Florence, he began to work on a portrait, which is believed to be of a noble woman named Lisa Del Chocondo. The painting would one day become known to the world as the Mona Lisa. From 1508 to 1513, Leonardo was based in Milan once again. As usual, he divided his time between multiple projects. These included architectural work for patrons, such as King Louis XII, designing an equestrian monument and most likely supervising work in his studio. One of Leonardo's students was a young nobleman named Francesco Melzzi. The two became close friends and lived together for the rest of Leonardo's life. While some have speculated that their relationship may have been romantic, the evidence isn't clear-cut. There was also a considerable age gap between the two. When they first met, Melzzi was around 15 years old, while Leonardo was in his 50s. The relationship may have been a close, platonic bond, more like father and son. Still, there is no doubting how important the relationship was for both of them. And years later, after Leonardo's death, Melzzi would help to preserve his legacy. During these years in Milan, Leonardo was more focused on science than painting. He was particularly interested in anatomy, filling his notebooks with detailed studies. At the same time, he was working on a diverse range of subjects from mathematics to botany. It's hard to comprehend how Leonardo kept up with so many different projects in fields that it first appeared to be unrelated. But as a Renaissance polymath, Leonardo saw connections between different fields of knowledge. He had a much broader, more fluid approach to study than the average person. On top of that, of course, he was gifted with innate talent and intelligence and a remarkable work ethic. However, there's something else that needs to be acknowledged. Leonardo wasn't doing everything on his own. For his art, he had a dedicated workshop bustling with students and apprentices. While Leonardo was undoubtedly the visionary, other artists also made important contributions. This would have given Leonardo more time to work on his many other projects. In 1513, political instability in Milan caused Leonardo to leave once again. This time, he headed to Rome. Leonardo was accompanied by Francesco Meltsi and a man named Salai, another student turned companion. Salai, who was now in his 30s, had lived with Leonardo since he was just 10 years old. As with Meltsi, there's been some speculation about the exact nature of Salai and Leonardo's relationship. Some modern scholars have even suggested that Salai was the real model for the Mona Lisa. An intriguing theory, but not one that is widely accepted. However, Salai most likely modeled for some of Leonardo's other work, such as St. John the Baptist and the Bagus. Leonardo set up a new household in Rome with Meltsi, Salai, and a couple of assistants. He hoped to find work through his patron, Juliano de Medici, who happened to be the brother of the new pope, Leo X. For the next few years, Leonardo lived in the Palazzo del Belvedere in the Vatican. It was an exciting time to be in Rome, and the Vatican in particular. Nearby, the young artist Raphael was decorating the rooms of a papal apartment, while the architect, Romante, was building St. Peter's Basilica. Michelangelo was in Rome, too, working on the tomb of Pope Julius II. Leonardo, now in his 60s, may have felt like his glory days were over. Although he kept working in his studio, he didn't receive any significant commissions. And by this point, his health was starting to deteriorate. Then, in 1516, Leonardo received an invitation from the French king, Francis I. Ready for a change of scene, Leonardo left Italy, never to return. Together with Francesco Melzzi, Leonardo moved into Clos Luset, a manor house in central France. It was located close to the king's residence, Chateau d'Amboise. Leonardo's role in the French court was a prestigious one. His official title was First Painter, Architect, and Engineer to the King. But although Leonardo continued to work, as always, on a diverse range of projects, the last years of his life seemed to have been difficult. One of his architectural projects was interrupted by a malaria outbreak, and he also appears to have struggled with his paintings. By the time of his death, many of his works, including the Mona Lisa, remained unfinished. One modern theory is that Leonardo may have had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. A known procrastinator, Leonardo was easily distracted, jumping from one project to the next. The ADHD theory is speculative, but intriguing nonetheless. It's also believed that Leonardo's final years may have been spent in a somewhat pessimistic state of mind. He's thought to have experienced multiple strokes, which at some point resulted in him losing the use of his right hand. Although Leonardo was left-handed, it still would have been a devastating blow. Some of his last works, from around 1517, are a series of sketches known as the Dal Huge Drawings. They depict traumatic apocalyptic scenes, floods, thunder clouds, and cities being overwhelmed by natural disasters. Now, as we come to the end of Leonardo's life, let's take the time to look back and explore some of his work in more depth. After all, his life was defined by his work, achievements in art, science, and engineering that would leave an enduring legacy. Leonardo was a polymath, a person with encyclopedic knowledge. From hydraulic engineering to weaponry, he seems to have known something about everything. But while he was proficient in many areas, we tend to think of Leonardo first and foremost as an artist. Over the course of his life, he produced countless sketches and paintings. And although many works remained unfinished, even these are considered masterpieces. Viewed as a genius, or even divine in his own time, Leonardo is still regarded as one of the greatest artists to have ever lived. So, what made him so special? In terms of subject matter, Leonardo's paintings are similar to many others at the time. They tend to be religious in nature, often featuring the Virgin Mary, saints, or biblical scenes. Others are fairly traditional portraits. Still, there's something that sets them apart. Leonardo's technical skill was on another level. Renaissance artists generally aimed to convey their subjects in a realistic manner, but Leonardo's paintings somehow seem even more human. This is likely a result of his scientific and anatomical interests. He spent countless hours studying the human body, observing the subtleties of facial expressions, and even dissecting cadavers. Leonardo knew the body inside and out, and this comes across in his art. You can see it in his famous sketch, The Vitruvian Man, and in the enigmatic smile of St. John the Baptist. There's a very human quality to his work, and also an element of mystery. In part, this might explain the phenomenal popularity of the Mona Lisa. Although the portrait is generally agreed to be a depiction of Lisa del Jocando, the debate about the woman's identity continues to this day. And of course, her ambiguous expression also adds to the fascination. It's thought that Leonardo was still working on the Mona Lisa while living in France towards the end of his life. While we don't know for sure why he left it unfinished, the paralysis of his right hand was likely a relevant factor. Still, despite being incomplete, the Mona Lisa went on to become one of the most celebrated and instantly recognizable artworks of all time. But interestingly, this wasn't the way it was. While it was appreciated by art officianados, the painting didn't really enter the public consciousness, until it was stolen from the Louvre in 1911. The culprit was an Italian employee at the gallery who believed the artwork should be returned to Italy. Going missing for a couple of years turned out to be good publicity. By the time the Mona Lisa was eventually returned to the Louvre in 1914, the painting had received massive media coverage. And since then, of course, the Mona Lisa has become perhaps the most famous work of art in the world. Despite Leonardo's success in his own lifetime, he could never have imagined what was to come. While Leonardo has always been admired as an artist, it was only from the 19th century that people began to appreciate the extent of his scientific achievements. As we've seen, he studied science throughout his life, filling notebooks with his observations. He's believed to have written up to 13,000 pages, making notes on everything from hydraulics to anatomy. However, Leonardo didn't publish his work. These were private notes, sometimes written backwards and mirror script, so they weren't exactly accessible. That's one of the reasons why Leonardo's scientific work, unlike his art, had no influence at the time. In addition, he lacked a formal education. Even if contemporary scientists had been aware of Leonardo's work, they might have seen him as an outsider and not taken him seriously. But this is unfortunate, considering just how remarkable and ahead of their time, many of Leonardo's observations were. It might be said that Leonardo took a scientific approach to art and an artistic approach to science. He was a great observer, studying bodies, plants and landscapes, and making detailed sketches. As a result, he gained an impressive understanding of subjects such as human anatomy and hydrodynamics. He was also very perceptive when it came to light, something that stands out in his paintings. Indeed, the impact of Leonardo's scientific studies can be seen most clearly in his art, a realistic approach that would influence generations of artists. But some of Leonardo's other findings, that they've been made public at the time, could have had an impact on contemporary science too. For example, his studies of the brain demonstrate his unique understanding of neuroanatomy and early ideas about brain function. From looking at his drawings and other studies, we can see that Leonardo was one of the first people to accurately depict the frontal sinus and the menangial vessels. He also had an advanced understanding of the brain's ventricular system. Thanks to an ingenious experiment, he once carried out with a dead ox. Leonardo injected hot wax into the ventricles or cavities of the ox's brain. One set, the wax created an accurate cast. As far as we know, Leonardo was the first person to use such a technique to measure an internal structure. His studies were motivated by an insatiable curiosity. He wanted to know exactly how things worked, where thoughts came from, or how birds were able to fly. One of Leonardo's sketches from around 1488 depicts a futuristic flying machine. In another drawing, a machine with a spiral rotor bears a resemblance to the modern-day helicopter. Leonardo's knowledge of science, mathematics, and engineering combined with his creativity made him an ideal inventor. He dreamt up various aerial machines, including a hang glider, an early parachute, and an owner-thoctor, an aircraft with flapping wings. Although large-scale models don't appear to have been built, in theory, some of these machines were flight-worthy. Leonardo seems to have had an intuitive grasp of aerodynamics. For instance, let's consider Isaac Newton's third law of motion. It states that for every action or force in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In part, this principle explains how flight is possible. Newton's finding was published in 1687. The first time he saw a plane flying in the sky, he was surprised by the fact that he was flying in the sky. Newton's idea of how flight was possible. Newton's finding was published in 1687, but it was something that Leonardo, designing flying machines 200 years earlier, already had an inkling of. Flight was a particular obsession for Leonardo, but these machines were far from his only innovations. His understanding of mechanics enabled him to come up with numerous inventions, some practical, and others fantastical. Around the time that he was living in Milan and working on his paintings of the last supper, Leonardo was also designing a robot. This humanoid automation, now known as Leonardo's robot, was a complex creation. Inside a suit of medieval armor were a series of mechanisms, including pulleys and a mechanical controller. The robot was probably designed as a gimmick, a source of entertainment, similar to a mechanical lion that he had created previously for the King of France. The lion must have been a surreal sight. Apparently, it was capable of walking a few steps before its chest opened up, revealing a bouquet of lilies inside. Leonardo's more practical inventions included a diving suit, a revolving bridge, and an armored car, a precursor to the tank. He also designed a self-propelled cart that it doesn't appear to have been built in his lifetime. It's considered an ancestor of the automobile. Despite all this evidence of ambition and innovation, there was something unusual about Leonardo's approach as an inventor. He seems to have been a little secretive. For instance, take the fact that his notes were mostly written backwards. It's possible that he did this to avoid smudging the ink as he wrote with his left hand. But another theory is that he was intentionally making it hard to read. In some cases, he may not have wanted people to have access to his ideas. In one of Leonardo's notebooks, there's a fascinating section where he discusses underwater travel, and the possibility of some kind of breathing machine. He writes, how and why I do not describe my method of remaining underwater. And I do not publish nor divulge these by reason of the evil nature of men, who would use them as means of destruction at the bottom of the sea, by sending ships to the bottom and syncing them together with the men in them. Essentially, Leonardo didn't want to give details of how this hypothetical machine would work in case people used it to harm others. It seems that Leonardo sometimes had quite a gloomy view of humanity, and this may have influenced his inventions. Although he accepted military commissions, many of his designs for weapons or war machines seemed to be more theoretical than practical. Intriguingly, one design for a war vehicle was discovered to have an obvious flaw. It's possible that this was intentional, a deliberate sabotage. Maybe Leonardo was worried about powerful technology ending up in the wrong hands. We tend to think of the Renaissance as a time of art and culture. But in Italy, it was also a period of great instability with warring city-states and foreign invasions. Let's not forget that Leonardo was forced to leave Milan on at least a couple of occasions due to the turbulent political situation. He had seen for himself what humanity was capable of. In a way, it's unfortunate that Leonardo didn't live to see the realization of his inventions and that it would take centuries for the world to recognize the full extent of his genius. However, as we've seen, Leonardo did gain plenty of recognition in his lifetime. He was essentially a celebrity of the day, an artist and intellectual who was widely admired and who spent much of his career working for royalty. As for Leonardo's hidden achievements, the pages in his private notebooks, perhaps the work was its own reward. For someone with a mind like his, the thrill of studying the brain or dreaming up machines may have been enough in itself. Maybe he was content to be known as an artist while keeping everything else to himself. That being said, there are signs that Leonardo wanted his work to be published eventually. He made some attempts to organize his writings. And before he died, he decided to leave his notebooks to friend Jesco Meltsy. Perhaps Leonardo hoped that his young disciple would one day share his work with the world. Now, let's return to Leonardo in France as his extraordinary life comes to an end. He seems to have continued working until his health prevented it. Leonardo became increasingly frail and eventually bedridden. And at last, on the 2nd of May, 1519, he died at the age of 67, a good age. It said that Leonardo's patron, King Francis I, was cradling him as he passed away. But given that the source for this story is the somewhat fanciful Georgia of a sorry, writing decades later, perhaps it should be taken with the pinch of song. Leonardo was buried in a nearby church. Unfortunately, the church was destroyed during the French Revolution and his grave was lost. Some bones were later found and identified as Leonardo's. And to this day, a grave at the Chateau d'Ambois is marked as his. However, some historians have their doubts. Today, researchers are currently trying to identify Leonardo's DNA. The plan is to compare the DNA profiles of his known relatives with the remains in the tomb. While the results are still pending, hopefully technology will one day give us some answers. Not just about the remains, but also about Leonardo himself. For instance, in theory, a sample of Leonardo's DNA could provide insights into his ancestry, his health, and maybe some elements of his remarkable mind. Knowing what we do of Leonardo, it's a quest he would surely approve of.
