Leonardo da Vinci Timeline

Leonardo da Vinci 42

1452 Leonardo born in Vinci Born April 15, 1452 — illegitimate son of a notary Leonardo was born out of wedlock to Piero da Vinci, a Florentine notary, and Caterina di Meo Lippi, a peasant woman, in or near the Tuscan hill town of Vinci, 20 miles from Florence.
1466 – 1472 Apprenticed to Verrocchio Studies in Florence under Andrea del Verrocchio Around 1466, aged 14, Leonardo entered the renowned Florentine workshop of sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio. He trained in painting, sculpture, metallurgy and theatrical engineering, quickly surpassing his master.
1472 – 1475 Baptism of Christ Verrocchio and Leonardo collaborate The Baptism of Christ (c.1472-1475) was begun by Verrocchio but the left angel and parts of the landscape were painted by Leonardo. Vasari records that Verrocchio, seeing Leonardo's angel far surpassed his own, vowed never to paint again.
1472 Joins Florence painters guild Admitted to the guild aged 20 Leonardo was admitted to the Guild of Saint Luke, the Florence painters guild, in 1472 — the formal mark of a professional artist. He continued working in Verrocchio's workshop until around 1477.
1472 – 1475 The Annunciation Early masterpiece painted for San Bartolomeo a Monteoliveto Leonardo painted The Annunciation around 1472-1475, depicting the Angel Gabriel announcing the Incarnation to the Virgin Mary. The painting displays his extraordinary early mastery of light, perspective and botanical detail.
1474 – 1478 Portrait of Ginevra de Benci First great Leonardo portrait Painted around 1474-1478, this portrait of the Florentine noblewoman Ginevra de Benci is the only Leonardo painting in the Americas, held at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. The juniper bush behind her is a visual pun on her name.
1476 Leonardo charged with sodomy Acquitted — charges dropped In April 1476, Leonardo and three other men were anonymously accused of sodomy with a 17-year-old model. The case was dismissed twice for lack of evidence. The episode caused Leonardo to become more guarded about his private life.
1478 – 1480 Ginevra de Benci One of the first great psychological portraits Leonardo painted Ginevra de Benci around 1474-1478, one of the earliest known Western portraits where the sitter is depicted in a three-quarter view rather than in profile. It is the only Leonardo painting in the Americas, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
1481 – 1482 Adoration of the Magi Revolutionary unfinished altarpiece The Adoration of the Magi, commissioned in 1481 but left unfinished when Leonardo departed for Milan in 1482, revolutionised the genre with its dynamic composition and psychological intensity.
1482 – 1485 Armoured vehicle design Precursor to the tank Around 1482-1485, Leonardo designed a human-powered armoured vehicle — a cone-shaped shell with cannons pointing in all directions, capable of moving in any direction. It is considered a precursor to the modern tank, designed over 400 years before its time.
1482 – 1499 First Milan period In service of Ludovico Sforza In 1482 Leonardo moved to Milan offering his services to Duke Ludovico Sforza as military engineer, architect, and painter. He spent 17 years in Milan, his most productive period, creating the Last Supper and filling notebooks with inventions.
1483 – 1490 Portrait of a Musician Only male portrait by Leonardo The Portrait of a Musician (c.1483-1487), held at the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan, is the only known portrait of a male subject by Leonardo. It may depict Franchino Gaffurio, the director of music at Milan Cathedral.
1483 – 1486 Virgin of the Rocks Masterpiece of sfumato and composition The Virgin of the Rocks (1483-1486, Louvre) depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus, Saint John the Baptist and an angel in a rocky grotto. Two versions exist — the Louvre version and a later version in the National Gallery, London.
1485 – 1490 Self-propelled cart Precursor to the automobile Around 1478-1490, Leonardo designed a self-propelled cart powered by coiled springs, with programmable steering via a tiller connected to the front wheels. Reconstructed in 2004, it worked as he designed — a precursor to the automobile by four centuries.
1487 – 1490 Flying machine designs Ornithopter and aerial screw concepts Between 1487-1490 Leonardo designed numerous flying machines in his notebooks, including the ornithopter (a wing-flapping aircraft inspired by birds and bats) and a helical aerial screw — a precursor to the helicopter. None were ever built in his lifetime.
1488 – 1489 Robot knight designed Mechanical automaton in armour Around 1495, Leonardo designed a robotic knight — a mechanical automaton in armour that could sit up, wave its arms, move its head and jaw. Designed to entertain Sforza court guests, it was reconstructed by NASA roboticist Mark Rosheim in 2002 and found fully functional.
1490 – 1495 Ideal city design Two-level city planned after plague After the plague of 1484-85 killed a third of Milan's population, Leonardo proposed a revolutionary two-level city to Ludovico Sforza: the upper level for pedestrians and nobility, the lower level for goods, sewage and services. The concept anticipated modern urban planning by 500 years.
1490 – 1495 La Belle Ferronnière Portrait of a Milanese court lady La Belle Ferronnière (c.1490-1495) is a portrait of a lady at the court of Ludovico Sforza, possibly his mistress Lucrezia Crivelli. It is notable for the direct gaze of the sitter and Leonardo's mastery of light and shade.
1490 Lady with an Ermine Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani Lady with an Ermine (c.1489-1490) is a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, mistress of Ludovico Sforza. One of four surviving female portraits by Leonardo, it is celebrated for its psychological depth and the subtle modelling of light on the sitter's face.
1490 Vitruvian Man The perfect study of human proportions Leonardo drew the Vitruvian Man around 1490, a study of the ideal human proportions as described by the Roman architect Vitruvius. The drawing, showing a man inscribed in both a circle and square, became an iconic symbol of the Renaissance synthesis of art and science.
1494 Caterina visits Leonardo in Milan Mother reunited with son Leonardo's mother Caterina, from whom he had been separated since childhood, came to live with him in Milan around 1493-1494. She died there in 1494. Leonardo recorded her funeral expenses in meticulous detail in his notebook.
1494 – 1499 Sforza horse monument Largest equestrian statue ever planned Leonardo spent years designing a colossal bronze equestrian statue of Francesco Sforza for Ludovico. At 7 metres tall it would have been the largest bronze statue ever cast. The 70-tonne clay model was completed in 1493 but destroyed by French soldiers using it for target practice in 1499.
1495 – 1498 The Last Supper The most famous mural in the world Leonardo painted The Last Supper on the wall of the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan between 1495 and 1498. Depicting the moment Christ announces his betrayal, it is one of the most reproduced and influential paintings in Western art.
1496 – 1498 Collaboration with Luca Pacioli Art meets mathematics Leonardo collaborated with the mathematician Luca Pacioli in Milan from 1496-1498, creating the geometric illustrations for Pacioli's masterwork De Divina Proportione. The two men lived and worked together, exchanging ideas about mathematics, proportion and perspective.
1499 – 1500 French invade Milan Leonardo flees after fall of Sforza When French forces under Louis XII invaded Milan and captured Ludovico Sforza in 1499, Leonardo left the city. He visited Mantua and Venice before returning to Florence in 1500 after 17 years away.
1500 – 1508 Second Florence period Returns to Florence after 17 years Back in Florence from 1500, Leonardo worked for Cesare Borgia as a military engineer (1502-03), designed canals and fortifications, and began the Mona Lisa and other major works. He also conducted extensive anatomical studies.
1500 – 1501 Virgin and Child with Saint Anne Cartoon exhibited in Florence Leonardo exhibited a full-scale cartoon of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne in Florence in 1501, causing a sensation. The finished painting (c.1503-1519, Louvre) is one of his greatest compositions, with three generations shown in an intimate pyramidal group.
1502 – 1503 Military engineer for Cesare Borgia Maps, fortifications and canals In 1502-03 Leonardo worked for Cesare Borgia as chief military architect and engineer, surveying central Italy and creating maps of extraordinary precision — including the famous bird's-eye map of Imola, the first accurate town plan of the Renaissance.
1503 – 1506 Florence canal project Plan to divert the Arno river In 1503-06 Leonardo developed a plan to divert the Arno river away from Pisa and create a navigable canal from Florence to the sea, employed by Machiavelli as a weapon against Pisa. The project was abandoned after early engineering failures.
1503 – 1519 Mona Lisa The most famous painting in the world Leonardo began the Mona Lisa around 1503, a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo. He worked on it for years and never delivered it, keeping it with him until his death. The sfumato technique, mysterious smile and landscape have fascinated the world ever since.
1504 Death of Leonardo's father Ser Piero da Vinci dies Leonardo's father Ser Piero da Vinci died on July 9, 1504, aged 77. Despite being his father's illegitimate son, Leonardo was excluded from the inheritance by his half-brothers. He recorded the death briefly in his notebook: "On the 9th of July 1504, Wednesday at seven o'clock, died Ser Piero da Vinci."
1505 – 1506 On the Flight of Birds Notebook on aerodynamics In his manuscript Codex on the Flight of Birds (1505-06), Leonardo analysed the flight mechanics of birds with extraordinary precision, describing how birds use air currents, control their balance and land. His observations anticipated modern aerodynamics.
1505 – 1510 Salvator Mundi Christ as Saviour of the World Salvator Mundi (c.1499-1510) depicts Christ as Saviour of the World, holding an orb and making a blessing gesture. Long considered lost, it was rediscovered in 2005 and sold at Christie's in 2017 for $450 million — the highest price ever paid for a painting.
1508 – 1510 Heart and vascular studies First accurate description of arteriosclerosis Leonardo's anatomical studies around 1508-1510 included the first accurate descriptions of coronary arteries, heart valves and arteriosclerosis. He described how arteries harden with age, a discovery not confirmed by modern medicine until centuries later.
1508 – 1513 Second Milan period Returns to Milan under French patronage Leonardo returned to Milan in 1508, now under French rule, working on architectural projects, scientific studies and the Saint Anne composition. He lived comfortably in his own house and assembled a large workshop.
1510 – 1511 Anatomical studies completed Over 200 drawings of the human body Around 1510-11, working with the anatomist Marcantonio della Torre, Leonardo completed his most detailed anatomical drawings — over 200 sheets depicting the skeleton, muscles, heart, brain and foetus with unprecedented accuracy, centuries ahead of published anatomy.
1513 – 1516 Rome under Pope Leo X Patronage of Giuliano de Medici Leonardo moved to Rome in 1513 under the patronage of Giuliano de Medici, brother of Pope Leo X. He was housed in the Belvedere of the Vatican but found himself sidelined by younger artists Michelangelo and Raphael.
1513 – 1516 Saint John the Baptist His final and most mysterious painting Saint John the Baptist (c.1513-1516, Louvre) is generally considered Leonardo's last painting. The androgynous figure emerges from darkness pointing upward, combining his mastery of sfumato with a spiritually enigmatic expression.
1516 – 1519 France — final years Guest of King Francis I at Clos Lucé In 1516 King Francis I invited Leonardo to France as premier painter, engineer and architect. He was given the Château du Clos Lucé near Amboise, connected by an underground tunnel to the royal palace. He spent his final years there, working on projects and filling notebooks.
1516 – 1517 Invited to France by Francis I King offers home and pension King Francis I of France invited Leonardo to his court in 1516, offering him the Château du Clos Lucé in Amboise, an annual pension of 1,000 écus, and the title "First Painter, Engineer and Architect to the King." Leonardo accepted and moved to France with his paintings and notebooks.
1517 Cardinal Luigi d'Aragona visits Last recorded account of Leonardo at work Cardinal Luigi d'Aragona visited Leonardo at Clos Lucé on October 10, 1517. His secretary Antonio de Beatis recorded that Leonardo showed them three paintings including the Mona Lisa, and noted that Leonardo's right hand was paralysed — but he was still teaching and directing his pupil Melzi.
1519 Leonardo dies at Clos Lucé Age 67 — May 2, 1519 Leonardo da Vinci died peacefully at Clos Lucé, Amboise, France, on May 2, 1519, aged 67, reportedly in the arms of King Francis I. He left his paintings, notebooks and scientific studies to his pupil Francesco Melzi. His notebooks were not published for centuries.