Leonardo da Vinci

Early Works of Leonardo da Vinci

As a young artist, Leonardo da Vinci helped advance the art of single-point linear perspective, which brought the illusion of depth to a two-dimensional work. Two of his first independent works as a professional artist were the Annunciation followed by a commission to paint a portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci. This portrait highlights his early mastery of painting techniques like sfumato and spolvero.

Early Works of Leonardo da Vinci

8m 40s

  • Part Two: Painter-God: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Part Two: Painter-God

    S1 E2 - 1h 46m

    Leonardo works as a military engineer, designs fanciful flying machines, studies light and shadow, investigates gravity, dissects cadavers, and pens treatises on a vast array of subjects, all while seeking the perfect patron. In Florence, Milan, Rome and finally France, he pours the sum of his scientific and artistic knowledge into a portrait that would become the most famous painting on earth.

  • Part One: The Disciple of Experience: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Part One: The Disciple of Experience

    S1 E1 - 1h 56m

    Leonardo da Vinci grows up in a Tuscan village surrounded by nature, then moves to Florence, where the Renaissance is in full bloom, to apprentice as an artist and craftsman. He shows extraordinary talent but at times struggles to finish commissions. Later, in Milan, he joins Duke Sforza’s court, begins writing treatises, and paints a monumental fresco depicting the Last Supper.

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