Leonardo da Vinci - Part 1: The Artist - for children
Leonardo Da Vinci is considered one of the most influential artists of all time. He was not just an artist though, he was also known for his study of science, philosophy, math and his many inventions which included machines for war and flying machines.
Leonardo was talented at many things including singing and playing the Lyre which is a classical string instrument. Due to being good at many activities he was considered a ‘Renaissance man’ or ‘a man of many talents’.
He did have natural ability but also spent a great deal of time studying the things that interested him including music, nature, art, machines and the human body. It was through his natural talent and dedication to learning he became an expert in so many areas. What are your talents or what would you like to be an expert at? and how can you work to improve your skill?
Leonardo was talented at many things including singing and playing the Lyre which is a classical string instrument. Due to being good at many activities he was considered a ‘Renaissance man’ or ‘a man of many talents’.
He did have natural ability but also spent a great deal of time studying the things that interested him including music, nature, art, machines and the human body. It was through his natural talent and dedication to learning he became an expert in so many areas. What are your talents or what would you like to be an expert at? and how can you work to improve your skill?
Leonardo da Vinci does not have a last name. Translated to English his name means Leonardo ‘of ‘ Vinci… Vinci being the Italian town he grew up in. In those days people were often know by their first name with their last name referring to where they were from. If you lived in his time what would your name be? I would be Janet da Derby!
Leonardo was born on the 15th of April, 1452. His mother was a peasant maid named Caterina. She was not married to Leonardo's father Sir Piero but did marry a labour when Leonardo was 5. At this time Leonardo went to live with his father, grandparents and stepmother.
When Leonardo was roughly 14 (exact dates are not known) , his father who had noted his son’s artistic talents, sent him to Florence, where he became apprentice to the renowned master Andrea del Verrocchio who trained him in many mediums including painting, sculpting, leather work and carpentry. He spent 17 years as an apprentice.
ACTIVITY:
Artists usually had to create their own paint, they would use minerals, plants coal and soft stones for the color. Leonardo usually used home made oil paints but later in his career used ‘egg tempera’ which consisted of ground plant or mineral for color mixed with egg white. Follow the link below and make your own egg based paint like Leonardo would!
For best results use cardboard or thick card to paint on as egg tempura can crack.
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Leonardo da Vinci was considered one of the greatest painters of his time despite the fact he often did not complete his works because he lost interest.
One of his most famous unfinished works is ‘The Adoration of the Magi’ commissioned for the church at San Donato a Scopeto, started in 1481 and left incomplete. Like many of his incomplete works, this is still considered a masterpiece.
Some of his most famous completed works took him years to finish as he could often be found staring at a picture for hours without once lifting his brush. His most famous completed works of art include the Vitruvian Man, The Mona Lisa and the Last Supper.
ACTIVITIES
- Color the last supper picture below (from supercolouring.com)- Click the link under the picture to color online or print.
2) The last supper was painted on 'fresco'… or on 'fresh plaster' in 1498 using tempura paint and shows the last meal that Jesus shared with his deciples before his crucifixion.
Leonardo took so long to complete this work that the Prior who had commissioned the work to be done became frustrated with Leonardo and told him he must hurry! Leonardo responded by threatening to use the Priors face for the depiction of Judus (the traitor who turned Jesus in to the authorities).
Leonardo took so long to complete this work that the Prior who had commissioned the work to be done became frustrated with Leonardo and told him he must hurry! Leonardo responded by threatening to use the Priors face for the depiction of Judus (the traitor who turned Jesus in to the authorities).
Follow the link below to see how you can create your own painting on fresco the renaissance way! The artist in this video has a plaster covered canvass, but you can use cardboard or even fill a paper plate with plaster. Use plaster of Paris for this project following the instructions on the package.
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Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous work of art is also considered the most famous work of art in the world today… The Mona Lisa! He began this painting in 1508. It is believed to be a portrait of Lisa di Gherardini.
FACTS about the Mona Lisa:
- Despite the fact the Mona Lisa is often portrayed in movies and books as a large painting, it is actually only 30” x 21”
- Although the Mona Lisa appears to have no eyebrows or lashes and some believe this is due to the fashion of the time, scans taken in 2007 using detailed digital camera, show she did have eyebrows and eyelashes, both have faded or have been incorrectly restored over time.
- In 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre art gallery in Paris France, in which it hung. People were so devastated they left flowers. The painting was found again in 1913 when the thief Vincenzo Pergugia, a former employee at the Louvre, handed it in for examination in Florence, Italy which he believed was its true home. It did hang in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence for awhile before it was returned to the Lourve. It now sits in its own room behind bullet proof glass.
Although he had many successes, like all great people, Leonardo also had disappointments and failures.
In 1508 he was commissioned to paint a mural in the Plazzo Vicchoi (old palace). He painted a mural of the Battle of Anghiari. Murals were usually painted on fresco, using wet plaster. Artists had to work quickly before the plaster dried and could not retouch the painting once the plaster was dry. They had to get it right first time. They also had limited colors they could use as plaster dulled and faded many colors as it dried.
Leonardo didn’t want these restrictions and experimented with a new technique for mural painting. He used oil paints (which usually would not stick to the wall) and mixed them with a waxy substance. This mix went on well but did not dry quick enough to prevent all drips. He decided to combat this by bringing in charcoal stoves hoping it would dry the paint quickly. Instead though it began to melt the wax causing further damage. Leonardo was so upset he abandoned the work completely. However, it still was considered a great piece of art and many renaissance artists believed it was actually his finest work. Unfortunately in 1563 the hall it was painted in was remodeled and his painting covered over with a new battle scene. As there were no cameras or video recorders in those days all that now remains is copies made by other artists. How do you deal with disappointment? Can you list some good ways to handle situations where you are not happy with the result?
http://www.leonardodavinci.net/the-battle-of-anghiari.jsp
Despite being one of the most influential artists of his time, Da Vinci left less than 30 works of art behind. Some not complete and some which people do not agree were actually his. Leonardo da Vinci did not sign his work and often worked with other artists making his pieces sometimes hard to identify.
His disputed works of art include 'Bacchus'. Some people believe this is his work, others feel it is a copy and that the background is not typical of his style. Deterioration of the painting makes it even harder to identify.
Another work of art that is disputed is his portrait of a man in red chalk. While it is agreed this IS his drawing not everyone believes it is a self portrait. One reason is that Leonardo was thought to have completed this picture before he was 60 years of age and this picture shows a much older man. Those who do not think this is Leonardo da Vinci believe it might be his father or uncle. What do you think?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci
Da Vinci died at Cloux (now Clos-Lucé) in 1519 at age 67. He was buried in the church of Saint-Florentin. However the church was completely demolished in the early 1800s, making it impossible to identify da Vinci’s grave.
Da Vinci died at Cloux (now Clos-Lucé) in 1519 at age 67. He was buried in the church of Saint-Florentin. However the church was completely demolished in the early 1800s, making it impossible to identify da Vinci’s grave.
ACTIVITY
Watch the following animated heroes classic following the below link to engage with Leonardo’s life, talent and struggles on a visual level.
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I hope you enjoyed my complete introduction to Leonardo da Vinci - ‘The Artist’ for children
please feel free to use this material for personal home use, but do not copy or reproduce for profit or to use as anyone else work.
Please look out for module 2 - ‘The Inventor and Scientist’
References:
Goldscheider L, (1964), Leonado Da Vinci, London, Phaidon Press, p. 10 - 23
Puck K, (2015), 14 Things You Didn’t Know About The Mona Lisa, Available at: http://mentalfloss.com/article/62280/14-things-you-didnt-know-about-mona-lisa, [Accessed January 5th 2017]
Martindale, Andrew (1972). The Rise of the Artist.
(2016) The Lost Leonardo Available at http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2016/01/the-lost-leonardo/ [Accessed January 7th 2017]
Cavendish R, (2011), The Mona Lisa is Stolen From The Louvre, History Today, Available at: http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/mona-lisa-stolen-louvre [Accessed January 7th 2017]
Boddy-Evans M, (2016) 10 Facts about Leonardo da Vinci, Available at: http://painting.about.com/od/famouspainters/a/LeonardoTrivia.htm [Accessed January 8th 2017]
(2011) Bacchus by Leonardo da Vinci, Available at: http://www.leonardodavinci.net/bacchus.jsp [Accessed January 9th 2017]
(2004) Self Portrait Leonardo da Vinci, Available at: http://www.abc-people.com/data/leonardo_da_vinci/self-portrait.htm [Accessed January 9th 2017]
Boddy-Evans M, (2016) 10 Facts about Leonardo da Vinci, Available at: http://painting.about.com/od/famouspainters/a/LeonardoTrivia.htm [Accessed January 8th 2017]
(2011) Bacchus by Leonardo da Vinci, Available at: http://www.leonardodavinci.net/bacchus.jsp [Accessed January 9th 2017]
(2004) Self Portrait Leonardo da Vinci, Available at: http://www.abc-people.com/data/leonardo_da_vinci/self-portrait.htm [Accessed January 9th 2017]
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