1. Leonardo da Vinci

2. Background Information Was born in Anchiano, Tuscany Da Vinci was born out of wedlock Beginning around age 5, he lived on the estate in Vinci and was raised by his father and uncle. Received no formal education beyond basic reading, writing and math. Leonardo da Vinci started his first apprenticeship at age 14+ Over about a decade he perfected his techniques When he was 20, in 1472, the painters’ guild of Florence offered da Vinci membership.

3. The Last Supper Leonardo da Vinci effected a breakthrough with his Last Supper (approx. 1495-98).

4. Medusa She was said to be a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, a mortal woman whom Athena changed into a Gorgon as punishment for desecrating her temple by sleeping with Poseidon there. By the sixteenth century Medusa was said to symbolize the triumph of reason over the senses.

5. Lady with an Ermine 1489–1490 In 1491, The Duke Ludovico divcored his wife Isabella d’Este Few months after his divorce Cecilia and him had a son The portrait is an allegory of their love Since antiquity the ermine had been a symbol of purity because of its snow-white winter coat. During WW1 the painting was secured and is still kept in safe keeping

6. Vitruvian Man This image provides the perfect example of Leonardo's keen interest in proportion completed in 1490 The circle and square image overlaid on top of each other to form one image.

7. Mona Lisa The Mona Lisa is the earliest Italian portrait to focus so closely on the sitter in a half- length portrait The Mona Lisa's famous smile represents the sitter in the same way that the juniper branches represent Ginevra Benci and the ermine represents Cecilia Gallerani in their portraits, in Washington and Krakow respectively

8. Bibliography http://www.biography.com/people/leonardo-da-vinci-40396 http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/mona-lisa-%E2%80%93-portrait-lisa-gherardini-wife- francesco-del-giocondo http://leonardodavinci.stanford.edu/submissions/clabaugh/history/leonardo.html http://www.wawel.krakow.pl/en/index.php?op=13 http://idlespeculations-terryprest.blogspot.com/2007/05/on-medusa-of-leonardo-da-vinci-in.html