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Photo: Attributed to Francesco Melzi, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.Test your knowledge on the life, legendary masterpieces, and visionary inventions of Leonardo da Vinci.
Apprentice of the Workshop 0–4 · Curious Observer 5–8 · Master of Inventions 9–10
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Leonardo spent years planning a colossal bronze equestrian monument, completing a 24-foot clay model. However, before it could be cast in bronze, French troops invaded Milan in 1499 and used the clay horse for target practice, destroying it completely.
Photo: Leonardo da Vinci, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Sfumato, derived from the Italian word for smoke, involves applying dozens of thin, translucent glaze layers to create soft transitions between light and shadow. This technique gives the Mona Lisa her famously mysterious and lifelike expression.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Salvator Mundi sold for a record 450 million dollars at Christie's in 2017. It shows Christ holding a crystal orb, and curiously the orb does not distort the robe behind it the way a real glass ball would: a puzzle for a painter who studied light so closely.
Photo: Leonardo da Vinci, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Bill Gates bought the Codex Leicester for over 30 million dollars, making it one of the most expensive books ever sold. He digitized the pages so they could be shared with the public and even used some of the images as screensavers for Windows 95.
Photo: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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While popular myths claim he was hiding secrets, Leonardo was left-handed and writing from right to left with a quill prevented his hand from smearing the fresh ink. He only used standard writing when addressing others in formal correspondence.
Photo: Leonardo da Vinci, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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King Francis I of France invited Leonardo to spend his retirement at the Château du Clos Lucé near Amboise. Leonardo lived there for three years until his death in 1519. French legend holds that the king cradled Leonardo in his arms as he died.
Photo: Nadègevillain, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Leonardo was obsessed with the mechanics of flight and spent years studying the wings of birds and bats. His 'ornithopter' designs featured flapping wings powered by human muscle, though humans lack the raw strength needed to lift off this way.
Photo: Chronister at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Leonardo trained in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio, where he learned painting, sculpting, and metalworking. Legend says Verrocchio was so humbled by Leonardo's superior contribution to 'The Baptism of Christ' that he vowed never to paint again.
Photo: Crijam, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Leonardo wanted to work slowly and make revisions, which is impossible with traditional wet fresco technique. Instead, he experimented with dry plaster using tempera and oil. This experimental method backfired, causing the paint to flake off the wall almost immediately.
Photo: Leonardo da Vinci, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Leonardo was born in Anchiano, a hamlet near the town of Vinci in Tuscany. He spent his early years there before moving to Florence to work as an apprentice. His birthplace is now a museum dedicated to his early life and artistic roots.
Photo: Attributed to Francesco Melzi, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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