Leonardo Da Vinci Images

Leonardo da Vinci’s interest in the natural world not only made him a man of art but of science. As da Vinci enjoyed studying astronomy and optics, “the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light” this complicated da Vinci’s understanding of light eventually causing him to reject many theories that he initially supported. da Vinci’s obsession with light is illustrated in his artwork and demonstrated in his mastery of shadows and reflection. Leonardo da Vinci revolutionized how color was used in paintings through the use of oil paints which was a new discovery in Italy at the time. Oil paints do not dry as quickly as others, this allowed artist to blend paints for different effects. Oil paints enabled da Vinci’s fascination
with light, allowing him to achieve more depth in his artwork. This new method of painting also allowed him to dabble with intensity of coloring and effects of shades and light. Overall, da Vinci’s fascination with light caused him to make observations which ultimately made him reject popular theories. This fueled da Vinci’s exploration through the concept of light. His curiosity for answers caused him make many light-based discoveries such as earthshine and visual effects of light on foliage. Without other theories on light, da Vinci would have never had a basis to create his own theories.