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Apr 15, 1452
Born:
Born on April 15,1452 in Italy. Leonardo da Vinci was the epitome of a “Renaissance man.”Which was best known for his art work. His earliest known dated work—a pen-and-ink drawing of a landscape in the Arno valley was sketched in 1473. -
Nov 1, 1503
He's work:
Adding to the allure of the “Mona Lisa” is the mystery surrounding the identity of the subject. Princess Isabella of Naples, an unnamed courtesan and da Vinci’s own mother have been put forth as potential sitters for the masterpiece. It has even been speculated that the subject wasn’t a female at all but da Vinci’s longtime apprentice Salai dressed in women’s clothing -
work:
Followed in his foe’s footsteps and commissioned da Vinci to sculpt a grand equestrian statue, one that could be mounted on his tomb.
After being present at a 1515 meeting between France’s King Francis I and Pope Leo X in Bologna, the new French monarch offered da Vinci the title “Premier Painter and Engineer and Architect to the King.” -
Death:
He continued work on his scientific studies until his death at the age of 67 on May 2 1519. Da Vinci's assistant, Melzi, became the principal heir and executor of his estate. The “Mona Lisa” was bequeathed to Salai. -
Work:
If the Giocondo family did indeed commission the painting, they never received it. For da Vinci, the "Mona Lisa" was forever a work in progress, as it was his attempt at perfection
Leonardo returned to Milan in 1506 to work for the very French rulers who had overtaken the city seven years earlier and forced him to flee.