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Leonardo da Vinci is one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance time period, especially in sculpturing, architecture, engineering, and science and painting. His new styles and techniques in painting have influenced many Italian and other artists around the world. Leonardo’s did also scientific studies and experiments in anatomy, optics and hydraulics. Many of these studies have anticipated modern scientific developments.

Leonardo was born in Vinci, near Florence, where his family settled in the mid-1460. He was given the best education in Florence, a major intellectual and artistic center of Italy. About in 1466 he was apprenticed as an assistant to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading Florentine painter and sculptor of his day.

In 1478 Leonardo became an independent master. His first large painting, The Adoration of the Magi was left unfinished. Although the painting was left unfinished the Monastery of San Donato in Scopeto bought it in 1481. The painting introduced a new approach to composition, in which the main figures are grouped in the foreground, while the background consists of distant views of battle scenes.

About in 1482 Leonardo entered the service of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, as principal engineer in military enterprises and as an architect. The most important of his paintings during this period was The Virgin of the Rocks.

From 1495 to 1497 Leonardo worked on his masterpiece, The Last Supper, a wall painting in the refectory of the Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. He also did other paintings and drawings like theatre designs, architectural drawings, and models for the dome of Milan Cathedral. Most of these paintings and drawings have been lost.

In the 1500 he returned to Florence, where two years later he entered the service of Cesare Borgia, the Duke of Romagna. As the Duke’s chief architect and engineer, Leonardo supervised work on the fortresses of the papal territories in central Italy.

At the same time, Leonardo painted several portraits, but the only one that survived is the Mona Lisa. The portrait full of mystery has been painted on a 77 x 53 cm large poplar wood. Originally the painting was larger than today. Two columns, on the right and the other one on the left side of Mona Lisa, have been cut. That is why it is not easy to recognize that Mona Lisa is sitting on a terrace. Also many other details are not visible today, because they are partially damaged and some parts of Mona Lisa are painted over.

It is thought, that Francesco di Bartolommeo di Zanobi del Giocondo, one of the noblest citizens of Florence ordered the portrait of his wife from Leonardo. The woman in the painting is thought to be Lisa di Antonio Maria di Noldo Ghererdini. Leonardo started the work in 1503; at this time Mona Lisa was 24 years old.

He worked at the portrait for the next four years. When Leonardo left Florence in 1507 he did not sell the painting to Francesco di Bartolommeo di Zanobi del Giocondo who had ordered the painting, but he kept it for himself. Several believe, that Leonardo did not hand over the painting, because he did not finish the work, others believe that Leonardo loved the painting too much. It is also speculated that Mona Lisa is a self-portrait of Leonardo himself. You can find many similarities from the eyes and the symmetry of the face.

In 1506 Leonardo returned to Milan, where he was later named court painter to King Louis XII of France, who was then residing in Milan. From 1514 to 1516 Leonardo lived in Rome under the support of Pope Leo X. There, he was occupied principally with scientific experimentation. His theories are found in numerous notebooks.

In 1516 Leonardo traveled to France to enter the service of King Francis I. In the same year he also sold the Mona Lisa to King Francis I and he placed it in the castle of Amboise.

Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years in Château de Cloux, near Amboise where he died in 1519.

The story of the Mona Lisa still continues. Today it can be found in the Louvre museum in Paris. It is behind bullet proof glass and international terms prohibit any journey of the painting because of the many sabotage and robbery attempts. Mona Lisa is to be said the best work of Leonardo da Vinci.