Leonardo da Vinci is considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time. He is also one of the most famous artists of the Renaissance period. He is known for his masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. He was also an architect, scientist, and inventor. He is considered to be the archetype of the “Renaissance man”.
Leonardo was born in 1452 in the town of Vinci in the Republic of Florence. His father was a notary and his mother was a peasant woman. He had very little formal education. His only real training came from his father’s workshop where he learned basic math, science, and engineering skills.
In 1468 at age 16 Leonardo moved to Florence where he trained under several painters including Verrocchio who taught him how to paint portraits and landscapes using perspective techniques that would later become famous in his own work. In 1476 he moved again this time to Milan where he worked at various courts as an artist and engineer until 1499 when he returned home after being accused of sodomy by one of his male models who was possibly jealous over another model who had been hired by Leonardo.
