Leonardo wanted to surprise his father. So he made a collection of all the lizards, snakes, bats, dragonflies, toads, and other creatures that he could find. Then he studied them carefully and finally painted a fearful dragon in which all the grotesque characteristics of these various creatures were combined. It was a terrifying thing, breathing out flame and just ready to spring from the shield. Coming suddenly upon this shield on his son’s easel, the father was indeed startled. He found it so lifelike and wonderfully painted that he declared it was far too valuable a present for the servant; so another shield had to be painted and the first was sold at a great price. No one knows what finally became of it.
Leonardo spent seven years with Verrocchio; then he opened a studio of his own in Florence, Italy.
Later Pope Leo X invited him to Rome to paint, but most of his work there was left unfinished. The story is told that one day the pope found him busily engaged in making a new kind of varnish with which to finish his picture. “Alas,” said the pope, “this man will do nothing, for he thinks of finishing his picture before he begins it.”
From Rome, Leonardo went to Milan, where, with the Duke of Milan as patron, he painted his masterpiece, “The Last Supper.” He also made a model for a great equestrian statue of the Duke’s illustrious father which won the admiration of all who saw it and was regarded as equal to anything the Greeks had ever done. The model, which was twenty-six feet high, was to have been cast in bronze, but Leonardo was called away on other important duties and the work was never completed.
Leonardo da Vinci proved to be a great addition to the duke’s court,—his fine appearance and his many talents made him very popular. He invented a beautiful harp, shaped something like a horse’s head, and charmed the people with his music and songs. He also helped the duke found and direct the Academy at Milan, giving lectures there on art and science. So his time was divided, as usual, among his many interests.
After the duke was driven out of Milan by the new French king, Leonardo spent several years in Florence, and there he painted the famous. “Mona Lisa” and other portraits.
The last years of his life were spent in France, where the king, Francis I, gave him a castle and a liberal pension. The king and his court often visited Leonardo, who was regarded with great reverence and respect, and beloved by all.
Questions about the artist. Where and when was the artist born? What did he like to do when he was a boy? In what ways was he talented? Who was his teacher? Tell about Leonardo’s painting of the angel; the shield. Why did Leonardo not finish his paintings for the pope? What did the pope say of him? In what ways was he an addition to the Duke of Milan’s court? Where was he when he painted “Mona Lisa”? How did he spend the last years of his life? How was he regarded by the people?
