Painter, sculptor, botanist, geologist, engineer, musician, architect, inventor, scientist, astronomer, chemist, metallurgist, astrologer, writer, carpenter, computer technicien, astronaut, rocket scientist, masterchef, dance champion.....okay okay so the last few might have been taking it a bit far but for the most part Leo DaV was THE man of the Renaissance and he truly DID excel at so many fields in his day that he became known as the ultimate "Renaissance Man"! Basically the idea was to become the "all-rounder" of the art world - a bit like Hugh Jackman of the entertainment scene today - multi-talented! Responsible not only for almost single-handedly revolutionising painting but for also coming up with amazing inventions of the time (even if he didn't have the ability to get some of them working they were often the precursors of the modern equivalents that did work!) - flying machines,scuba equipment, a tank, a parachute, gears and levers, a self propelled "car", swivel bridges, optics, etc etc and this was the early 1500's!
So ,VERY briefly, the Renaissance - the "rebirth" of the classical ideas of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. And to break that down even further - basically appreciating statues and paintings of butt-naked people to put it in a nut-shell (no pun intended!) It hadn't been since the times of the Roman Empire, over a thousand years earlier that artists had been allowed to portray nudes in their art-form. "Thanks" to the hell-fire and brimstone attitude of the most powerful body around at the time - yes,the church,all that came to an end around about the 400's! So Leonardo became the star performer amongst his peers, Michelangelo, Donatello, Rafaello - hmmm why does the word "kowabunga" cross my mind now?
 |
| Chateau d'Amboise |
Anyway, this Florentine lived for the most part in and around the region of his birth place as well as in Milan, Rome and Venice. So why the whole connection with France and the Loire Valley then? Clever Leo had built up such a reputation amongst the powers-that-be that the mighty French King Francois I (remember - "Frans-wah Prem-wah!) invited him to his court situated in Amboise in the Loire Valley to simply spend time on his own inventions, drawings and ideas and simply "entertain" the king with his amazing mind and thoughts.
 |
| Close Luce |
 |
| Leonardo's bedroom - kind of Neo-Minimalist! |
He was put on a yearly salary and was free to work on projects as pleased him! Leo was looked after pretty well and even allowed to live in the nearby manor Close Luce. Located about 500m up the road from Amboise chateau, Clos Luce even had a secret underground passage that connected it to the chateau whereby the king could secretly visit Leonardo (and one would suspect vice-versa!)
It was for the three final years of his life from 1516 until 1519 that he spent his time in the service of the king in the Loire Valley.
 |
| The chapel that houses Leonardo's tomb |
So it is for this reason that we find Leonardo is buried here at Amboise in a gorgeous little chapel in the grounds of the chateau.
 |
| le Louvre |
 |
| Rooftop of Chambord |
Also in the area he is connected to architectural gems such as the rooftop of Chateau chambord and its helix staircase. It is why we see many recreations of his interesting inventions at Close Luce and finally why so many important works of his particularly his MOST famous,The Mona Lisa are located in France at the Louvre.
 |
THE man himself!(the one on the left!)
|
Painter, sculptor, botanist, geologist, engineer, musician, architect, inventor, scientist, astronomer, chemist, metallurgist, astrologer, writer, carpenter, computer technicien, astronaut, rocket scientist, masterchef, dance champion.....okay okay so the last few might have been taking it a bit far but for the most part Leo DaV was THE man of the Renaissance and he truly DID excel at so many fields in his day that he became known as the ultimate "Renaissance Man"! Basically the idea was to become the "all-rounder" of the art world - a bit like Hugh Jackman of the entertainment scene today - multi-talented! Responsible not only for almost single-handedly revolutionising painting but for also coming up with amazing inventions of the time (even if he didn't have the ability to get some of them working they were often the precursors of the modern equivalents that did work!) - flying machines,scuba equipment, a tank, a parachute, gears and levers, a self propelled "car", swivel bridges, optics, etc etc and this was the early 1500's!
Also in the area he is connected to architectural gems such as the rooftop of Chateau chambord and its helix staircase. It is why we see many recreations of his interesting inventions at Close Luce and finally why so many important works of his particularly his MOST famous,The Mona Lisa are located in France at the Louvre.
No comments:
Post a Comment