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Part 1 continued…

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Da Vinci believed that one should know how to see. In a time were time-lapse and slow motion cameras did not exist he still managed to determine that birds do not just flap their wings up and down. He used this to fuel his invention of the flying machine.

In addition to science, art and the human body Leonardo Da Vinci also dabbled in the science of plants, physics, animal structures and of course geology.

Da Vinci would draw and write on loose pieces of paper and later add them to the various notebooks he had. Some speculate that Da Vinci did not want anyone else to be able to use his ideas so he wrote backwards (Almost like writing by looking at a mirror) and he changed some aspects (intentionally) of his inventions so they would not work. Da Vinci painted “The Last Supper” in 1495 after Ludovico requested him to do so. Known for losing interest in painting, the masterpiece took roughly 3 years to complete.

Da Vinci proved himself a worthy mastermind with the range of expressions and techniques used to paint this Iconic work of art.

The Duke of Milan assigned the task of building a statue to Leonardo. Da Vinci-being a mastermind and perfectionist- worked on the task for over a dozen years with only clay models to show for his work. Da Vinci could not complete the bronze statue as the metal (which was to be used to cast the statue)instead went to the casting of cannons for war.

French forces used Da Vinci’s clay model as target practice until the model fell apart. In 1499, Da Vinci and the duke as well as other families fled from Milan.

Returning to Florence, it is here where Leonardo started painting the Mona Lisa.Aside from painting his masterpiece, Leonardo also worked as a military engineer and did some Mural painting but yet again abandoning the project after a certain time.

Some books speculate that it took Da Vinci ten years to complete the mouth of Mona Lisa.

After some time, Leonardo returned to Milan where he was invited to stay in the Vatican. Sometime before Da Vinci’s death, he had a stroke rendering his hands and arms unable to paint. This did not stop him from doing scientific research and coming up with new and even crazier (to the people of that time) ideas and inventions.

Leonardo Da Vinci died on May 2, 1519. The only known portrait( believed to be) of Da Vinci was painted by himself while looking in a mirror.

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Read the first part of the history of Leonardo Da Vinci

https://steemit.com/life/@rihchie.ebb/how-leonardo-da-vinci-help-shaped-the-world-part-1

Stay tuned for Part 2 and if you liked my post please follow and upvote.

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