Why da Vinci?
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Leonardo da Vinci, whose self portrait is shown here, is well known as a master Florentine painter of the Renaissance. He was born and raised in Vinci, a Tuscan mountain town, in 1452. The son of a wealthy notary, he was given the best education that Florence could provide. He had a profound and insatiable love of knowledge and research which proved to be the controlling factor in his life. He began his career as a painter, and by 1478 had established himself as an independent master. In 1482, he entered the service of the Duke of Milan as principal engineer in the duke's military enterprise, constructed the Martesena Canal, and was active as an architect. In the latter role he participated in the design of the Cathedral of Milan and other public buildings. At this same time, he taught painting to a large group of students, and completed two of his masterpieces, the "Virgin of the Grotto" and "The Last Supper", as well as a major sculpture - a colossal bronze monument to Franceso Sforza, the duke's father. Da Vinci continued his career as a military engineer in Florence beginning in 1502, then from 1506 he divided his time between Florence and Milan. From 1513, he practiced in Rome going to France in 1516 where he died in 1519. Da Vinci was the most extraordinarily versatile genius of the Renaissance. As a man of science and engineering, he towered above all contemporaries. If his views had been published and well known, they would have revolutionized the science of his day. Unfortunately, he was secretive, and the majority of his contemporaries were, in any event, incapable of understanding the importance of his ideas. He made discoveries in meteorology and geology, understood tides, surmised the nature of fossil shells, divined the circulation of the blood, was a master of anatomy, an originator of the science of hydraulics, probably devised the hydrometer and a scheme for canalization of rivers that is still of practical value. He invented many ingenious machines, both military and industrial. He foreshadowed automation through inventions such as an automatic file cutter. His many designs for flying machines including a helicopter, though impractical, embodied sound aerodynamic principles. A creator in all branches of art, a discoverer in most branches of science, an inventor in many branches of technology ... a fine model for an engineer.