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Leonardo Da Vinci, the Epitome of the Italian Renaissance Essay

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Florence, the shelter for artists in need of wealthy patrons to give them an opportunity to rise to fame, was the center of innovation and creativity in the Italian Renaissance. This renowned city was famous for supplying some of the best artists in the world and for creating the some of the world’s most treasured art. Leonardo da Vinci, possibly one of the greatest painters in the world, was born in Florence and lived his adulthood in Florence, the essence and heart of the Italian Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci virtually changed the world and the Italian Renaissance by greatly influencing it with his fresh and unique ideas. Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most famous and acclaimed painters of all times was more than a painter. He was a …show more content…

Leonardo also used the arts and science hand in hand as was the humanist philosophy. Humanism also led to Leonardo’s study of the human anatomy in order to have a greater understanding of the human body and to portray them more accurately in his work. Leonardo went as far as defying the Roman Catholic Church to dissect corpses for his work. He studied nature and anatomy for hours on end to produce graphic paintings that were used as manuals. Which leads to a second point, Leonardo da Vinci was a secular person. He was a lefty that at the time was seen as the devil’s work and he continued to use his left hand, even though he became ambidextrous. His peculiar and distinguished portraits also demonstrate Leonardo’s perceptive endeavor towards aesthetics . Though Leonardo’s work is primarily Christian themed or related, he boldly created masterpieces that were pagan or non-religious in nature. This also shows the gradual change of mind of people from the Renaissance from extremely religious and conservative to slightly more liberal. Leonardo broke free from what was the standard ‘norm’ and religious asceticism as was the case with many other artists. He believed in discovery and that life was worth living now. Leonardo revolutionized styles of painting. He rebelled against the customary oils and used vibrant colors of tempera to create his masterpieces. He was renowned for his famous backgrounds and detailed

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