Artist essay

Leonardo da Vinci

I know this is not the Mona Lisa ~ I like this one more.

Are you warm, are you real, Monalisa? Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art? Do you smile to tempt a lover, Monalisa? Or is this your way to hide a broken heart? The popular song made famous by the crooning of Nat King Cole is only one of the many things inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, the Mona Lisa. It is one of the most famous paintings of all time. It has inspired poetry, books, and a hit movie. People can buy everything from coffee cups to action figures that bear the likeness of the Mona Lisa. I have known about Leonardo da Vinci since I was a child, primarily because of the popularity of his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa.

Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452, the illegitimate son of a landowner and a peasant girl. He started studying art with Verrocchio when he was only 16 years old and became a master artist.  The Mona Lisa is what most people remember him for, but Leonardo did much more than paint one mysterious woman. He was a true Renaissance man, accomplished in all of the following areas: painting, sculpting, architecture, music, science, math, engineering, inventing, and writing. In addition to the Mona Lisa, da Vinci’s painting ‘The Last Supper’ is one of the most reproduced works of art and the most recognizable depiction of Jesus and the disciples.

I became more interested in Leonardo when I was shown a video in my Accounting class last year. The video was about Luca Pacioli, the father of accounting. Leonardo’s contributions to Pacioli’s book, ‘The Divine Proportion’ are representative of his use of art in science and math. This is how da Vinci’s work differed from that of most scientists of his time, he saw no divide between science and art. Being able to think of accounting as art actually helped me appreciate the class that I otherwise did not enjoy.  

The more I have read about Leonardo, the more I admire him and his work. Although he detested war, he was in an inventor ahead of his time. While his paintings are what he is most remembered for, he was actually a much better draftsman than painter. He drew many inventions, among them; a flying machine, armored car, machine gun, parachute, helicopter, and a robotic knight. It is said that Leonardo epitomizes the term ‘polymath,’ which is a person of superhuman intellect, intelligence and talent.  All that Leonardo da Vinci accomplished in one lifetime is amazing and makes me reflect on how much more I can do with the time that I have. I found in Leonardo, an inspiration. While the lyrics to the popular song, Monalisa, are catchy, they are not meaningful compared to the quotes of the master himself. His insight gives me something to ponder.

“Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind.”