Leonardo Da Vinci Bust

Leonardo da Vinci, a marble portrait bust, on a decorative socle.

Da Vinci was a true genius who graced this world with his presence from April 15, 1452 to May 2, 1519. He is among the most influential artists in history, having left a significant legacy not only in the realm of art but in science as well, each discipline informing his mastery of the other. Da Vinci lived in a golden age of creativity among such contemporaries as Raphael and Michelangelo, and contributed his unique genius to virtually everything he touched. Like Athens in the age of Pericles, Renaissance Italy is a summit in human history. Today, no name better seems to symbolise Renaissance age than Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo da Vinci was born in a Tuscan hamlet near Vinci. He began a nine-year apprenticeship at the age of 14 to Andrea del Verrocchio, a popular sculptor, painter and goldsmith who was an important figure in the art world of the day. At Verrocchio's busy Florence studio, the young Leonardo likely met such masters as Botticelli, while working beside fellow apprentices Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino and Lorenzo di Credi. Within the artworks created by his own circle of peers, the influence of Leonardo da Vinci's works is readily evident. Raphael and even sometime rival Michelangelo adopted same of da Vinci's signature techniques to produce similarly active, anatomically realistic figures.

Throughout his life, Leonardo da Vinci avoided the intrigues of worldly ambitions and vanity. He was a reserved and withdrawn man, not concerned with glory, and yet absolutely sure of the value of his abilities. Along with a small band of contemporary Renaissance figures, Leonardo da Vinci becomes the centre of a movement of artists that has permanently enriched western culture.

Size.

23 cm tall x 15 cm wide x 4 cm deep.