The Marvels of Intellect and Creativity

Several ideas and images sprang to our mind when the name da Vinci da Vinci is mentioned. virtually people associate it with famous ar tworks such as Mona Lisa and The Last Supper piece of music some equate the name to the scholastic concept of the conversion musical composition. numerous accounts demonstrated da Vincis contribution in the field of liberal arts and sciences, thus his name become an archetype of a genius. He spell-bound the world with his advanced ideas and creative imaginations moreoer, he provided his successors with knowledge and guidelines through and through his discoveries and achievements. with his sympathy and creativity, Leonardo da Vinci portrayed a significant image in the evolution of modern civilizations.Leonardo da Vinci was born at the dawn of the metempsychosis period. The 14th to 16th century was an interesting minimal of the Dark Ages and the En depressenment Period that inspired Leonardos specialness and observation. The Italian society in his youth was characterized by people with avid interest in education and valet de chambreism. The concept of hu domainism during the Renaissance was depict by Alfred Burns as the growing self-awareness expressed in new-sprung(prenominal) styles in art and architecture and in the search for the vanishing mind treasures of an see classical age (197).The promotion of humanism and self-awareness brought questions and disagreement in conglomerate aspects of society. On the an opposite(prenominal) hand, the pursuance for art and architecture was supported and financed by art patrons, thus ingenious artists were recognise during the Italian Renaissance. One of the recognized advocates of art during the Italian Renaissance was Lorenzo de Medici, who became famous for making Florence a friendship of pleasure (Taylor 25).Leonardos interest in the arts was promote by his time for he was given the opportunity to work with the great artists of his era. He worked as an apprentice for Verrocchio and later on he was admitted to be a infract of the Guild of Painters (Brown and Rankin 212). His early artworks were commissioned by patrons belong to ghostly groups therefore, it basically consisted of religious icons and commemorative art pieces.The early part of Leonardos professional life was spent in Milan, where he worked in the court of Ludovico, duke of Milan. There, he gained extensive experiences and technical skills in calculating for the courts lavish events and occasions. Rachel Taylor used to describe that when the wave of Renaissance was crescent in Italy, the powers were five Florence, Naples, Venice, Rome and Milan all jealous and smart as a whip (99). Therefore the citys excellence also marked Leonardos preeminence.During his dumbfound in the court of the duke, he documented his learning and experiences in the field of architecture and engineering by compiling books and detailed drawings of his designs and ideas. The so-called compilations, which are also referred to as the billetbooks and manuscripts, reflected his inquisitive stance towards the governing principles of matter and knowledge. Aside from Leonardos court duties, two of his significant art pieces, the Horse and the Last Supper, were also completed during his stay in the court of Milan.At the fall of the Dukes power over Milan, Leonardo found his way back to Florence. Not long after(prenominal) this, he worked for Cesare Borgia, a political figure in Italy, as a military architect and engineer (Brown and Rankin 212). Taylor suggested in her book that Cesares policies implicated death and violence (350), thus Leonardo considered his return to Florence to work for other patrons. Upon his arrival, he was commissioned to paint the Battle of Anghiari and later on he started working on the famous Mona Lisa.Subsequently, he again visited Milan to work for the French king and according to Brown and Rankin, it was a period when he influenced Milanese painting e ven more than during his early residence there (212). He moved to Rome and stayed in the Vatican to work for the Pope and later on, he spent his time traveling to mixed places in Italy. He settled in France, where he spent his last days attended by loving friends and at peace, in his chateau of Cloux, near Amboise (Brown and Rankin 212).The grandeur of Leonardos time witnessed the complex transition of the Western civilization. The notion of enlightenment lucky and nurtured the contouration of Leonardos genius, and in return, he endorsed the acknowledgement for mans potential and power of reason. Various fields of knowledge that benefited from his achievements would intromit the realms of art, engineering, architecture, mathematics, physics, optics, human anatomy, ornithology and aerodynamics.The Renaissance and its distinguished figures changed and influenced the culture that was formed and influenced by the antediluvian patriarch Greeks and Romans. The societys classic approa ch of simply approving or rejecting developing doctrines and customs evolved into a modernistic method that involved epitome and lively thinking.The Enlightenment Period, together with the fame of Humanism, paved the way to scientific revolution. The intellectual reformation is considered as one of the significant events in our history for it influenced and fire the general mind to be more and more preoccupied with the large problems beyond, which the new knowledge has brought fully into view (Kidd 1). The transformation was a imperfect step to a higher form of learning that encompassed the political, social, economic and religious principles of Western civilization.The propagation of self awareness and modern thinking brought compulsory and negative changes in the economic and social aspects of the Western civilization. The recognition of artists and guiding light scholars, as depicted by the fame of Leonardo da Vinci, influenced the flow of business deal and commerce. In Eu ropean countries like Italy, cities such as Florence, Milan and Naples flourished. On the other hand, the method of tax collection was implemented to supervise the increase in trade goods.Movements that aimed for learning and education produced interesting theories and assumptions that motivated mans quest for truth and expansion of his horizons. The Age of Enlightenment recognized critical thinkers who became famous for contemplating and debating about venturous ideas (Hudson 21). Scholars and critical thinkers guided and initiated modern discoveries, inventions and innovations that meliorate the economy of the Western world.Moreover, political and religious controversies also emerged at the climax of scientific and critical thinking. In Europe, several ranks of power emerged in the form of monarchs, spiritual leaders, merchants and tradesmen, scholars and artisans. The period of enlightenment and the succeeding years depicted a sweeping portrayal of political and religious refo rmation.The concept of religion was scattered from politics because of the humanist principle, which differentiate the distinct boundary between human and divine control. Humanist beliefs and principles intensified but were not universally received therefore it was attacked by counter-arguments that justify the role of idealistic and religious attitudes towards politics. These severalize views and beliefs about politics and its religious connections were highlighted in the works and theories of several Renaissance philosophers.The Age of Enlightenment introduced several Renaissance Men, who individually imparted significant marvels of intellect and creativity. And as stated by William Hudson, it was as if their lives opened itself out to them in all its vast and varied possibilities and they were eager to enter into their great hereditary pattern (7).There are several names from the Renaissance Age that surfaced in the course of evolution and transition of the Western civilizati on, but the fame of Leonardo da Vinci soared higher than the other for he exhibited exceptional qualities and eccentric fancies. The interesting and eccentric fusion of excellence in two exclusive areas of knowledge the arts and sciences, was depicted by his accomplishments as a rational scientist and mystical artist.Leonardos paintings and art contributions were highly popular but it is interesting to note that there only remain six of his authentic paintings, and two of them were raw(prenominal) (qtd. in Brown and Rankin 211). His report of perspective, examination of proportion and analysis of light and shade were fundamentals of innovative and modern arts. Sketches and details of his fascinating interests were accounted in several of his notebooks entrusted at various European libraries and museums. Some of his notes reflected the complex and arguable topic of dissection, which enlightened basic issues concerning human anatomy.He declared various assertions in human proport ion, one of these was his citation that the span of a mans outstretched arms is also equal to his height (qtd in MacCurdy 217). He delved into unacceptable domains of his time by analyze human cadavers in order to understand the unknown moreover, his philosophy and skepticism reflected the rise of scientific thinking from the unexplained. Scientific observations of his surroundings were recorded together with his theoretical assertions and it anchored the essentials for the study of Botany and Geology. His technical experiences in the field of engineering and physics, together with the performance of scientific principles contributed to the development of Western technology.Some of these contributions included his experiences in structure war engines, works specializing with hydraulics, and discoveries of possible energy sources. He also provided avant-garde theories in mathematics that foretell the discoveries of modern researchers (Brown and Rankin 211). Leonardo portrayed in h is manuscripts an intense fervor for aviation, which was primarily influenced by apparent observation of birds.He documented several notes containing his interest with flight and he called it the Treatise on Birds (qtd. in MacCurdy 211), which he divided into four parts. He continued on studying birds consequently influencing the birth of Ornithology and at the same time, he persisted on propagating ideas about the flying machine thus providing rough beginnings for Aerodynamics.The quest for knowledge in a creative approach delineates Leonardo da Vinci in a civilization situated between the borderline of savagery and enlightenment. His accomplishments in dread and in attempting to understand the unknown through scientific approach heighten the basic political and cultural principles influencing a society. His triumph was earned through the synthesis of intellect and creativity, which encompassed the multiplicity of human civilization.Works CitedBrown, Alice V., and William Rankin. A brief History of Italian Painting. capital of the United Kingdom J.M. Dent & Sons, 1914.Burns, Alfred. The Power of the written Word The Role of Literacy in the History of Western Civilization. sensitive York beam of light Lang, 1989.Hudson, William H. The Story of Renaissance. London Casell, 1912.Kidd, Benjamin. The Principles of Western Civilization. New York Macmillan Company, 1902.MacCurdy, Edward. The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (Volume 1). New York Reynal & Hitchcock, 1938.Taylor, Rachel A. Leonardo the Florentine A Study in Personality. London Richards Press, 1927.