Leonardo da Vinci

Birth

Apr 15, 1452

Leonardo da VInci was born on April Fifteenth in 1452, in the small town of Anchiano, Italy out of wedlock to father Piero Fruosina di Antonio da Vinci and mother Caterina. His father was a Florentine notary while his mother was a mere peseant, thought to be a former slave from the Middle East. The illegitimate child was raised by his father and stepmother, and at the age of five he moved to Vinci, Italy with his father, grandparents, and uncle. (Biography.com)

Battle of Northampton

Jul 10, 1460

The battle of Northampton on July 10, 1460 was a major victory for the Yorkists that changed the tide of the War of Roses. This battle resulted with the imprisonment of Henry VI as well as the annihilation of many important Lancastrian leaders. Forces under the leadership of Lord Grey of Ruthin easily put down their weapons and let the Yorkists infiltrate the camp after a mere thirty minutes of attempting defense. (Ellen Castelow)

Apprenticeship with Verrocchio

1466

When he was about fourteen years old, Leonardo began an apprenticeship with Florentine artist Andrea de Verrocchio. Verrocchio taught him a large assortment of skills, such as metalworking, leather arts, carpentry, drawing, painting, and sculpting. Without Verrochio's guidance, da Vinci may not have become the important historical figure that he did. (Biography.com)

Adoration of the Magi

1481

Commissioned by Augustinian monks of San Donato a Scopeto in Florence. This was one of Leonardo's paintings that he never completed. Da Vinci fled Milan the year after the artwork was commissioned, leaving it unfinished. Adoration of the Magi remains resting in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, where it has been since 1670, symbolizing one of Leonardo's working failures (Byers and Bourgoin)

Virgin of the Rocks

1483

Commissioned in 1483, Leonardo's Virgin of the Rocks is a unique for one major outstanding reason. There are two almost identical paintings, located 297 miles away from each other. The first (thought t br the original) is located in Louvre, France. The second of the two is found in London, England. Both of these pieces of art are perfect examples of his sfumato and chiaroscuro painting techniques, which he is very well- known for. (Turner)

Lady with an Ermine

1490

Da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine portrays a female who identifies as Cecilia Gallerani. This painting is unique because there are a few speculations as to whether the painting is truly Leonardo's. Some believe it to be the work of Boltraffio or de Predis, however most historians can agree that it is Leonardo's work. (Byers)

Vitruvian Man

1490

Da Vinci's sketch "Vitruvian Man" depicts a superimposed man with his legs and arms spread apart, surrounded in both a circle and a square. The sketch is a perfect representation of Leonardo's vast study of proportion and also his want to show the relation between the human race and nature. (Biography.com)

The Last Supper

1490

Da Vinci's The Last Supper was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza for the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, and it has severely struggled to stay intact over the centuries.Leonardo used an oil/ tempera mix to paint the masterpiece on a dry wall, and this has caused it to wear off significantly throughout time. Leonardo has gained much of his popularity and significance from this piece of artwork. (khanacademy.org)

Columbus Began his Voyages

Aug 3, 1492

Explorer Christopher Columbus set out on his voyages on August 3, 1492. His mission was to locate a direct sea route from Europe to Asia sailing westward. He did not achieve this, however he did come across the Americas. Columbus was not the first to find the New World, as there were already millions of inhabitants living there. His voyages and discoveries marked the beginning of the Age of Discovery. (History.com)

Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope

1497

Portugese nobleman and explorer Vasco da Gama set out in 1497 from Lisbon, Portugal on his goal to open a water route from Europe to India sailing East. He finally passed the Cape of Good Hope after sailing down Africa's west coast, reaching Calicut, India in May of 1498. When he returned to Portugal, da Gama recieved a hero's welcome. Vasco was the first European to reach India sailing east. (Biography.com)

Amerigo Vespucci reached the Atlantic's Western Shores

1502

Italian merchant Amerigo Vespucci partook in voyages to the New World with Spain's support. Vespucci was the first to suggest that the lands Columbus discovered were not a part of Asia, but instead a "New World". Eventually, the theory caught on and the continents are now known as North America and South America. (Isaacson)

Mona Lisa

1503

Da Vinci's oil painting Mona Lisa has an ongoing investigation as to who the woman in the portrait is. The piece was painted in Florence, and now resides in Louvre, France. The Mona Lisa has influenced many artistic and cultural aspects of life, such as the young painter Raphael, who adopted techniques from the Mona Lisa and used them in his own portraits. This painting even influenced the way that artists dressed their subjects. (Britannica.com)

Battle of Anghiari

1503

The Battle of Anghiari is one of da Vinci's lost painting. Some believe the artwork to be buried beneath frescoes in the Hall of Five Hundred in the Palazzo Vecchio. Leonardo experimented with many new techniques, which all turned out to be irreparable and disastrous. due to this, da Vinci's painting disappeared within fourteen years of it's creation, proof of another one of da Vinci's artistic failures. (History.com)

Francis, Duke of Angouleme succeeds King Louis XII as Francis I of France

Jan 1, 1515

Humanist and Renaissance King Francis' reign was dominated by many afflictions. He was a firm believer in absolutism and increased the intensity of the previous kings' policies. Francis later established royal courts, and ultimately helped France to be a stronger and more respected country. (britannica.com)

Magellan Sets Out to Circumnavigate the Globe

1519

Looking for money and publicity, Portugese explorer Ferdinand Magellan left from Spain on an expedition to find a water route that lead directly to the Spice Islands. On his journey, he discovered what is now known as the Strait of Magellan. Ferdinand was also the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean. Magellan was killed on his return voyage home, however his trek exhibited that the world could be travelled in a circle by sea, and was larger than erstwhile noted. (biography.com)

Death

May 2, 1519

On May 2, 1519 Leonardo da Vinci died at the age of 67. Up until his death, he had continued his scientific and artistic studies. He left his land to his assistant, Melzi, and the Mona Lisa was bestowed to Salai. Since his death, thousands of notes from his studies have arisen and allowed historians to better grasp da Vinci's true aspect of being a "Renaissance Man". (Biography.com)