LEONARDO - Man of Mystery

A charmer of words, an engineer, an innovator, an artist, a nature lover, a  cipher lover...Phewww!!!! This man succeeded in every field he laid his hands on. The man whose work is an adobe of mystery till now. Guess who?

Yeah, you got it right. Regarded as the greatest all-rounder of all time LEONARDO DA VINCI was born on 15th April 1452 in the Tuscan hill town of Vinci, Florence. He was an illegitimate child of influential and rich Ser Piero da Vinci and a peasant Caterina. He got informal education in Latin, geometry, and maths.

Leonardo Da Vinci
Image Source:leonardodavinci.net

As a child, he was always a nature lover and believed that science and nature go hand in hand. At the age of 14, in 1466 he apprenticed to artist "Verrocchio"-one of the finest artists in Florence. According to Giorgio Vasari, who published the biography of Leonardo, his earliest known work is a drawing in pen and ink called "Arno Valley". After seeing his enormous skill and quality in painting, he became qualified in the guild of artists.  Leonardo was a charmer and he was a very good negotiator.  Because of these qualities, he was set to Ludovico Sforza- the Duke of Milan to secure peace.  Leonardo gifted the duke, a silver lyre in shape of horse's head. The Duke was so impressed with Leonardo that he insisted him to give in Milan. It was during this time between 1482 to 1499 that Leonardo made paintings of "Virgin of the Rocks" and  "The Last Supper ". Leonardo's works were very futuristic, he was able to think and create mechanical models of the present-day airplane, helicopter, and even a robot. All these innovations were compiled in form of drawings and illustrations in " Codex Atlanticus".He had a great interest in anatomy. Leonardo was mostly known for his paintings. Each of his paintings is believed to be a secret code through which Leonardo wants to say something. His painting techniques were also enthralling. some of his world-famous paintings include Adoration of Maggi, The Annunciation, The Baptism of Christ, Madonna of the Carnation, Madonna Litta and the most notorious and mysterious painting "Monalisa".

The Monalisa
Image Source:leonardodavinci.net

Monalisa or La Gioconda is presently the most valuable painting with the net insured value of 820 billion $ ( 5000 Crore INR) in 2018. It is displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris from 1797. It is believed that Leonardo started this painting in 1503 and wasn't able to complete it till his death in 1519. There are many theories about who is been drawn in the painting, some say it is Leonardo himself cross-dressing as a woman while some claim that the lady in the painting is Lisa Gherardini, wife of  Francesco del Giocondo who asked Leonardo to draw a portrait of his wife on their wedding anniversary. The latter claim is the most accepted fact. This painting is made by a brush of size less than 40 microns and turpentine oil. It has no outline and is made of wood. There are many mysterious related to The Monalisa. 

1. It is difficult to determine whether Monalisa is happy or sad in the portrait as the facial expression changes with different angles.

2. There are many hidden animals and numbers within the paintings. It is believed that this is some kind of code which is still not decoded. 

Leonardo was undoubted a genius and his artwork is futuristic. Maybe these mysteries are only self-belief of his followers and art enthusiasts. Or may there is something Leonardo wanted to tell us and we are still unable to decipher it ........!!!!