Why Is Leonardo Da Vinci Considered A Renaissance Man

Leonardo Da Vinci is arguably one of the most well-known figures of the Italian Renaissance, often referred to as a classical example of a “Renaissance Man.” He was a painter, sculptor, architect, and an inventor. He often based his work on the laws of science and nature. He was known for making sketchings of machines that were ahead of his time like helicopters and airplanes. Da Vinci designed weapons of war and was aware that such weapons could have a negative impact on nature. He engineered tanks, chariots, machine guns, cross bows, and flying machines that could be used in battle. Another example where he used both art and science was in his sketch of the “Vitruvian Man.” Most people recognize this sketch of a man with two superimposed
images having arms and legs, both within a circle and a square.

Rather than relying on religious beliefs to guide people of what to do, they started to reason for themselves based on scientific facts. Scholars like Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton were all interested in how the universe worked. Each were able to prove scientifically that the earth was not the center of the universe, contrary to religious beliefs.

became known as the heliocentric theory and he was able to publish his theory in a book, “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies.” Note that printing was invented during the Renaissance Period, enabling many such scholarly books to be printed for general use by the public.
theory that the sun and not the earth is the center of the universe created a lot of controversy with the Roman Catholic Church. Church believed since the time of the Ancient Greeks that the sun and planets orbited around the earth. Some religious leaders argued that this later model was even supported by passages in the Bible. A number of other scientists during the Renaissance supported the theory of Copernicus. Copernicus and Galileo are examples of great men that brought about a revolution during the Renaissance. They stood for scientific principles even when religion or authority told them differently.
Galileo was also a famous astronomer during the Renaissance and he built on the heliocentric theory of Copernicus. Galileo created the first telescope that could be used in astronomy and he made many discoveries with it. Galileo is credited with discovering the rings of Saturn and four of Jupiter’s moons with his telescope. He even discovered stars that are invisible to the naked human eye. Using his telescope, he could help to create a new way of thinking by making observations that were not known or accepted previously. For example, he could prove that the planets were moving around the
Sun.
Galileo was not only an astronomer but he was also an Italian scientist, philosopher, physicist, and mathematician. Like Da Vinci, Galileo is considered a Renaissance Man because of his achievements in different areas. Galileo was born near Pisa, the location of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. At the time, everyone believed the theory of Aristotle where a heavier object will fall faster than a lighter object from the same height. Galileo was able to prove Aristotle wrong and showed that two heavy objects will fall at the same speed regardless of their difference in weight. This is another example where thinking was changing during the Renaissance and people were shifting away from a blind trust in what they were told by religious leaders or what they learned from historical figures like Aristotle. ironic twist of fate, when the Black Death came to England, Newton returned home from school for a year and ended-up making some of his most important discoveries during this time. One was that light was made of many colors where he used a glass prism to show that ordinary day-light is a mixture of all the colors of the rainbow. Another was his invention of calculus, one of the greatest contributions to mathematics and still in use today in science, engineering and economics.
Like Copernicus and Galileo, he was also an astronomer and he added to the heliocentric theory by helping to determine that orbits around the sun were elliptical rather than circular. became known as Newton’s Theory of Motion where a force emanating from the sun was responsible for keeping the planets in orbit. Newton is credited with discovering gravity and his influence on modern science continues to this day. His achievements had a great impact during the Renaissance Period where measurement, observation and experiment were being used to explain how the universe worked.
Another significant figure of the Renaissance Period is Michelangelo Buonarroti.
He is considered one of the most important artists of the Period and he studied sculpture in Italy. Unlike Da Vinci, Michelangelo did not turn away from the teachings of the Roman Church. He kept his ties to religious leaders, something that would create opportunity for him during his artistic career. A cardinal in Rome commissioned Michelangelo to create a sculpture of Mary holding the dead Jesus across her lap. Michelangelo was 25 years old at the time and finished the sculpture in less than one year. It became known as “Pieta” and was carved from a single piece of marble. Michelangelo then sculpted “David,” one of the most recognizable statues in the art world. The statue shows the moment David was to battle Goliath and is known for great detail in the expression of humanity. This work established Michelangelo as a widely recognized sculptor before the age of
30.
Michelangelo turned from sculpting to painting when he was requested by Pope Julius II to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. He worked on his most famous project from 1508 to 1512, and it is now regarded as the world’s greatest fresco. The most iconic image is known as the “Creation of Adam” that shows God touching the finger of man. The masterpiece is symbolic of the Renaissance Period since it incorporates humanist principles like man’s physical, intellectual and artistic achievement.