Leonardo da Vinci

 Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci

 

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci

 

Leonardo da Vinci was another individual that reflected what it meant to be a “Renaissance Man”. Among the many skills and talents, da Vinci excelled and was an inventor, mathematician, painter, drawer, sculptor, engineer, architect, musician, scientist, writer, historian, cartographer, as well as many others. Leonardo da Vinci was similar to Michelangelo in the level of detail that he ascribed to his paintings.

 

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

 

Among the many works of da Vinci, the Mona Lisa as well as the Last Supper stand out as his most famous works. The Mona Lisa depicts a woman in a serene demeanor that has an ambiguous smile or emotion. The Last Supper depicts Jesus with the twelve apostles the night before the crucifixion was to occur. The amount of detail and realism is astounding and leads the viewer the ask themselves how such art is possible.

 

“The natural desire of good men is knowledge.” – Leonardo da Vinci

 

Leonardo da Vinci perfected his art and continued learning. Among the most amazing facts concerning this individual is that he had a notebook containing notes of flying vehicles, tanks, and similar mechanisms of action that could be said to have been inspiration for the planes and tanks we have now. The amount of ingenuity that this man possessed was astounding. This is all during the 15th century. There is something that happens when a person decides to focus on the beauty and innovation of life and maximizes their time.

 

“Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!” – Leonardo da Vinci

 After finding the ability to master multiple topics and lead to beautiful works of art and masterful innovations, da Vinci seems to be a perfect example of the universal genius. He serves as an example of what the human mind is capable of achieving if only it has its sights placed on its goals. He wrote much about the need to act and not only think. He was as much pragmatic as philosophical. The perfect balance existed that led to his abstract ideas becoming visible to everyone around him.

Michelangelo di Lodovico

 Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni

 

“The true work of art is but the shadow of divine perfection.” – Michelangelo

 

Michelangelo is considered the quintessential “Renaissance Man”. A  person that was a polymath, or individual capable at excelling at multiple subjects through dedication and persistent determination. He had a voracious curiosity that so few channeled into creativity. Michelangelo learned multiple languages, sculpted, painted, served as an architect, and wrote multiple poems among other activities. This example alone shows us what the human potential is capable of achieving if only it is perfected through careful observation and dedication to worthwhile activities.

 

“There is no greater harm than that of wasted time.” – Michelangelo

 

Among the many amazing works of art include the David and the Pieta. Among the fascination that these works inspire are the human-like form that Michelangelo was able to create from sight. The Pieta demonstrated a saddened Mary holding on to Jesus’ body after suffering the crucifixion. Both the David and the Pieta show the amount of realism that can exist in art. We can see the divinity of GOD’S creation in the artist’s work.

 

“Many believe- and I believe that I have been designated for this work by GOD. In spite of my old age, I do not want to give it up; I work out of love for GOD and I put all my hope in Him.” – Michelangelo

 

Michelangelo was a man of faith who devoted himself to his work. He perfected his craft through countless hours of attempting the same strokes over and over until he painted exactly as his mind imagined his art to be. His level of detail and perfection is rarely seen even in today’s post-modern art which boasts the most amount of materials to produce masterpieces.  Michelangelo had a strong calling to do his best at everything that he attempted.

 

“Genius is eternal patience.” – Michelangelo

Michelangelo took hours upon hours of his days making sure his artwork was in accordance with his mind’s plans. He had to have some form of patience in order to reach what he reached. Painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel must have been no easy feat, yet he was able to accomplish one of art’s best pieces. Michelangelo could be said to have had sheer brilliance in everything he partook, but patience must have been among his greatest virtues along with his humility and faith in GOD.