Leonardo 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 …

Born in 1452 in Vinci, Italy, Leonardo da Vinci focused on the laws of sciences and nature early in his life. This respect and knowledge allowed him to depict these things in his artwork. They not only helped inform him as a painter, but also as a sculptor, draftsmen, and an inventor.

Design for a Giant Crossbow - by Leonardo da Vinci A certain ambivalence is apparent in Leonardo da Vinci's military engineering. Leonardo was irresistibly attracted by the possibility of perfecting weapons, not only as a technical challenge but also more profoundly in terms of the physical principles involved.

The Virgin of the Rocks (sometimes The Madonna of the Rocks) is the name used for two Leonardo da Vinci's paintings, of the same subject, and of a composition which is identical except for two significant details. One painting usually hangs in the Louvre, Paris, and the other in the National Gallery, London.

Saint Jerome in the Wilderness - by Leonardo da Vinci It was during a difficult period in his life, just prior to departing for Milan in 1482, that Leonardo worked on his most tragic painting and yet another destined to remain unfinished.

If Leonardo da Vinci's self-propelled cart was the first working design for a robotic vehicle, then the robotic knight would have been the first humanoid robot, a real 15th century C-3PO. Da Vinci was fascinated by human anatomy and spent long hours dissecting corpses in order to figure out how the human body worked.

Madonna of the Carnation - by Leonardo da Vinci In Madonna of the Carnation Jesus reaches out awkwardly for the flower held delicately in Mary's fingers. Like all infants he looks yet unable to control his movements as he attempts to grasp the symbol of the Passion.

Some historians believe Mona Lisa is a Self-Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519, and he is buried at a French castle . Italy's National Committee for Cultural Heritage is undertaking an investigation, and plans to dig up his skull.

In 1495, Leonardo da Vinci began what would become one of history's most influential works of art - The Last Supper The Last Supper is Leonardo's visual interpretation of an event chronicled in all four of the Gospels (books in the Christian New Testament).

Benois Madonna - by Leonardo da Vinci During the very early years of his output Leonardo favoured the subject of the Madonna and Child. He produced several paintings on this theme along with a number of sketches and a large number of drawings.