Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was a prolific artist, draughtsman, engineer, physicist, thinker, sculptor, and architect who lived from 15 April 1452 to 2 May 1519. Although he first became famous for his paintings, he also became well-known for the notebooks in which he recorded his observations and thoughts on a wide range of topics, from anatomy and astronomy to botany and cartography to art and paleontology.
The sum of Leonardo’s works is a legacy for future painters that is second only to that of his younger contemporary Michelangelo in terms of its impact on the history of art.
Leonardo Da Vinci Early Life
On April 15, 1452, around 25 miles west of Florence, Leonardo da Vinci was born close to the village of Vinci. Ser Piero da Vinci, a prominent Florentine notary (a public official who validates legal documents), and a local woman, Caterina, had an illegitimate son named Leonardo.
In terms of his early life, we only know that when he was fifteen, Leonardo’s father apprenticed him to Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488), the preeminent artist of Florence and the early Renaissance. Verrocchio was an exceptional artist, sculptor, and jeweler.
He was quite picky about how things were done so that they conveyed the human figure’s life. Leonardo’s artistic style owes a great deal to these influences. It’s worth noting that rather than rebelling against tradition, Leonardo found inspiration in it for much of his artistic approach.
Leonardo da Vinci Career
Young Leonardo da Vinci already had a successful career as an artist. His dad saw that he had talent, therefore he pushed him to pursue it. In the early 1500s, artists in Florence, Italy began moving away from the more abstract styles of the Middle Ages and toward more representational styles such as those used to create biblical scenes and portraits.
The development of sculpture and other art mediums allowed artists greater freedom to explore new visual possibilities.
Why Did Leonardo Continue To Be Single?
Any and all accounts of Leonardo’s life emphasize his stunning good looks and refined manners. The people that interacted with him also found him to be quite engaging and personable. That he never tied the knot is a big mystery.
That he was gay is merely one possibility. It was also possible that he was asexual. There’s also the possibility that he secretly had affairs with his ladies-in-waiting, which would be inappropriate given his position.
Is Leonardo’s Homos*xual Affairs Recorded?
There is no evidence of Leonardo’s homosexuality in current historical sources. There is proof of a sodomy court case from 1476. (homosexuality). An anonymous complaint served as the catalyst. Leonardo and the other defendants were exonerated. Given the circumstances, Leonardo was presumably the target of a smear intended to hurt the Medici family, who were in power.
What Was Leonardo’s Relationship Like With Salai?
Salai, a little Milanese child of around 10 years old, became Leonardo’s student. Leonardo typically trained children aged 10 to 15, and he also took in others like Francesco Melzi. Together, they stayed at the great artist’s side till the end. No primary historical documents from the time period indicate any sort of connection between Leonardo and Salai. However, there is proof that Salai married Blanca de Anon.
Why Is Leonardo Gay?
Leonardo da Vinci was born and raised in Florence. During the Middle Ages, Florence functioned as a republic and was not ruled by any particular noble house. Additionally, during the 15th century, the financial houses of Florence were among the largest in all of Europe (e.g. the Medici bank).
Since the banks had a large number of debtors, they also had a large number of adversaries. Because of these circumstances, enmity and perhaps a state of war developed. In Italy, it is common practice to offend someone sexually (for example, by calling them ‘Cazzo’).
As a result of this, making accusations of homosexuality against Florentines, in general, became extremely popular. The term “Lorenzen,” which literally translates to “having sex like in Florence,” became widely used. After then, the poet Lomazzo played a significant role in the propagation of the rumor of a gay Leonardo.
He did not publish the play until many years after Leonardo’s death, but in it, Leonardo is quoted as saying that he did it with Salai. The piece achieved widespread acclaim, which contributed to the perpetuation of the myth. In spite of the fact that the play is a work of fiction, it is frequently used as a historical source.
Along with Lomazzo, the well-known psychologist Sigmund Freud suggested in his article “A Childhood Memory of Leonardo da Vinci” (1910) that Leonardo must have been homosexual in a latent or covert capacity.
His work is an example of popular science, and he acknowledges on multiple occasions that it is devoid of any historical foundation. As a result, its purpose was not to demonstrate that Leonardo was homosexual; rather, it sought to explain his psychoanalytical process. However, Freud’s essay is also regularly cited as additional proof in several publications.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Personal Relationships
Catherine Fletcher, a historian, mulls over what is known about Leonardo da Vinci’s personal, romantic, and sexual life in light of a new drama starring Aidan Turner depicting the Renaissance polymath’s work and relationships, including allegations of sodomy and a profound attachment with an apprentice.
It was reported to the Florentine authorities that Leonardo da Vinci committed sodomy on April 9, 1476. A report claims that Leonardo, at 23 years old, was one of four males who had intercourse with Jacopo Saltarelli, then a minor.
The accuser stated that Saltarelli “consents to gratify those folks who exact certain wicked pleasures from him” and “has been a participant to many sad situations.” It was reported that Saltarelli “served several dozen persons,” but only four were identified: Leonardo da Vinci, who was then working out of Andrea del Verrocchio’s workshop, Bartolomeo di Pasquino, a jeweler, Baccino, a tailor, and Leonardo Tornabuoni, a painter.
This last man was descended from a powerful Florentine family that had mingled with the Medici family throughout history. However, because it was submitted under cover of anonymity, the report was rejected; less than two months later, the accused organization was cleared, provided they did not report themselves again.
