Leonardo da Vinci

 Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, scientist, engineer and theorist, sculptor and architect.While his fame began based on his accomplishments as painter, he later was known for his notebooks where he sketched sketches and notes on a variety of subjects, including the sciences of anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting and paleontology. Leonardo is generally believed as a genius who epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. His entire works are a legacy to the subsequent generations of artists matched only by the work of his younger counterpart, Michelangelo.Born out of wedlock to a notary who was successful and a lower-class woman in, or near, Vinci, the artist was educated in Florence by the Italian painter and sculpturer Andrea del Verrocchio. He started his career in the city, but then spent much time in the service of Ludovico Sforza in Milan. Later, he worked in Florence and Milan again, as well as briefly in Rome, all while attracting many followers of his imitators and students. At the request by Francis I, he spent the last three years of his life in France which was where he passed away in 1519. His achievements, varied topics, and his empiricism have drawn attention to the world since his death. He is a popular name and subject of culture.