Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath whose curiosity spanned painting, anatomy, engineering, and invention, producing some of the most celebrated art and scientific sketches in history.
Born in the Tuscan town of Vinci, Leonardo trained under the painter Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence before developing a career that blurred the line between artist and scientist. His paintings, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, remain among the most studied works of art ever created.
Leonardo filled thousands of notebook pages with studies on anatomy, flight, hydraulics, and mechanical engineering, centuries ahead of the technology needed to build many of his designs. His anatomical drawings, based on dissections he conducted himself, were remarkably accurate for his time.
He spent his final years in France under the patronage of King Francis I, and died at Clos Lucé in 1519. Leonardo is widely regarded as the quintessential example of the 'Renaissance man.'