“Leonardo,” wrote an English critic as far back as 1721, “was a Man so happy in his genius, so consummate in his Profession, so accomplished in the Arts, so knowing in the Sciences, and withal, so much esteemed by the Age wherein he lived, his Works so highly applauded by the Ages which have succeeded, and his Name and Memory still preserved with so much Veneration by the present Age–that, if anything could equal the Merit of the Man, it must be the Success he met with. Moreover, ’tis not in Painting alone, but in Philosophy, too, that Leonardo surpassed all his Brethren of the ‘Pencil.’” This admirable summary of the great Florentine painter’s life’s work still holds good to-day.
Leonardo Da Vinci didn’t only paint for the Duke, but he also designed machinery, weapons, and a fair bit of architecture. Science and art were merged in an unending output of impressive works and studies.