leonardo da vinci paintings inventions

Among his numerous scientific interests, Leonardo harboured a particular obsession with flight. By studying the anatomy of birds, he hoped to build a machine that would one day allow humans to join them in the skies. Towards the end of his life, the polymath gathered his thoughts on the topic in a text known as the Codice sul volo degli … See moreAnother notable flying machine design (pictured below) can be found in a collection of Leonardo’s papers known today as Manuscript B. Sketched during the 1480s, the device – sometimes dubbed the ‘helical air screw’ – bears more than a passing resemblance to a … See moreAs well as building machines that would enable humans to soar up into the clouds, Leonardo was also interested in creating devices that would allow … See moreA more famous military invention, sketched c1490, is also found in the Codex Atlanticus. Commonly dubbed the ‘giant crossbow’, the ludicrously large contraption (as demonstrated by the size of the man in the drawing, below) was designed to launch projectiles such as … See moreLeonardo was employed by a number of powerful patrons throughout his life, including Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, and Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander VI. Of the numerous contraptions … See more

Dec 2, 2009 · Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, engineer, architect, inventor, and student of all things scientific. His natural genius crossed so many disciplines that he epitomized the term “ Renaissance...