Leonardo da Vinci vs. Michelangelo Why Leonardo da Vinci is better
Leonardo da Vinci; the most influential artist of the Italian Renaissance. The most famous painting in the world, inventions too advanced for his era, and a whole new understanding of the human body, all of these were done by one man, in the 1400s: Leonardo da Vinci, the most influential artist of the Italian Renaissance. By the time Leonardo was 20, he was already an apprentice to the master artist, Verrocchio, thus beginning his career of inspiring people for years to come. Leonardo da Vinci is the most influential artist to come out of the Italian Renaissance because he revolutionized painting, the understanding of the human body and how to draw it, and created many inventions that were ahead of his time. Leonardo da Vinci had a capacious range of talents and professions, one of them was painting.
Da Vinci was the artist of the renowned painting the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is arguably one of the most famous paintings of all time. It depicts a woman posing with a sly smile, and an intricate background complete with rivers, trees, and a mountain. The Mona Lisa set the standards for many artists to come and was an example that many artists used when they were/are learning about portraiture. The Mona Lisa used many techniques that are still being used today. A few examples are sfumato (fuzzy, subtle transitions between color areas, atmospheric hazy effect), chiaroscuro (defining shapes using contrast between light and dark shades), and the way he used the landscape in the background to set the mood.
All of these techniques were new to his era, and he influenced other artists to use them as well. The Mona Lisa was, and still is, a very famous and influential painting that continues to be debated about and used as a guide to portraiture. Leonardo’s other very famous painting is the Last Supper. This painting depicts Christ and his disciples when he is telling them that one of them will betray him. Da Vinci used facial expressions, posture, tone, composition, and positioning to make the painting how he thought it should be (with Christ in the middle, and his disciples around him with surprised/horrified expressions). Da Vinci changed the way people saw this scene from the bible.
People hadn’t previously had the perspective of Jesus being in the middle, and his apostles scattered around him in small groups, with the betrayer set apart in some way. Leonardo da Vinci influenced, and still influences, the way many people paint and understand painting, but that’s not the only thing he revolutionized. Leonardo da Vinci was not only a master painter, but also a master of sketching/drawing. He filled many notebooks with intricate sketches of the human body. Leonardo made many great leaps in the understanding of the human body and how to draw it.
Not only did his sketches help artists learn how to illustrate the human body, but they were also used to teach medical students about human anatomy. Da Vinci also strived to express his understanding of how the universe works through his anatomical drawings. For example, when he would draw an arm or leg in movement, he would try to not only show the movement of the muscle, but also how the body interacts with the natural world. Leonardo’s most famous anatomical sketch would undoubtedly be the Vitruvian Man. It is a sketch of a naked man with his arms and legs stretched out, both in a triangle.
All of this fits into a perfect circle. Layered on top of this is another man, but with his arms stretched out in a straight line and his feet together. This man fits perfectly into a square. Surrounding these overlapping men are Da Vinci’s novel ideas and discoveries. The Vitruvian Man represents what Leonardo thinks is the ideal physique and proportions of a man. This sketch was very influential; it is still being used to teach and learn about the human body.
Leonardo da Vinci didn’t just think about the human body as an aspect of nature, but also as an elaborate working machine. Another very prominent skill of Leonardo da Vinci’s was inventing. Actually, Leonardo spent more time on inventing than he did on his artwork. Even though it may not seem like it at first, inventing is an art, and requires artistic skills. One needed/s to be able to sketch out all the meticulous aspects of their inventions. Also, one would have to be able to picture how the machine would work, and this would take an artistically trained mind.
Leonardo’s inventions were so innovative for his time period, the resources he needed weren’t even available! Some of his greatest inventions were different types of aircraft (helicopters and parachutes), designs for many war machines like tanks, machine guns, and movable bridges (a bridge that can open in the middle to let boats through). All of these inventions are used today and people are still contemplating Leonardo’s many notebooks full of his inventions, and learning ways to improve/invent things. Leonardo Da Vinci used his artistic skills and abilities to invent many useful machines and become a very influential Renaissance artist. Leonardo da Vinci is the most influential artist to come out of the Italian Renaissance because he transformed the world of painting, the understanding of the human body and how to draw it, and created many inventions that were very advanced for his era. He created avant-garde techniques in many fields, that many artists and inventors continue to use today.
Leonardo da Vinci’s preeminent persona and art will continue to influence, not only the art, but the inventions, the pop culture, and many other aspects of the future.
