LeonardodaVinciLeonardodaVinciwasanamazingguy.Butlet'sgetonethingstraight:hedidn'thaveafuckingcode.That'snoslamondaVinci,ofcourse.Hepaintedsomeofthemostmemorableimagesinhistory,including"TheLastSupper"andthe"MonaLisa."Andhissciencewasasimpressiveashisart.Anengineerandarchitect,daVinciinventedthehelicopter400yearsbeforetherewassuchathingasacombustionengine.Manyofhisinventionsarestillusedtodayinoneformoranother,suchasthehygrometer,thetransmissiondrive,theball-bearingaxleandthemachinegun.ButtherewasnodaVincicode.Sorry.Getoverit.Leonardowasbornin1452,nearTuscanyinItaly,thebastardsonofalocalnobleman.Hewasreportedlyanartisticprodigy,whowasallowedtoporethroughhisfather'slibrary(althoughhewasneverrecognizedasalegitimateoffspring).Asachild,hewasfascinatedbyart,anatomyandnature.用心爱心专心Atthetenderageof14,daVincitraveledtothebigcity,Florence,wherehebecameanapprenticetoaverysuccessfulartistofthedaynamedAndreadelVerrocchio,whoisbestrememberedforsuchclassicworksas...well,OK,he'sbestrememberedforhavingLeonardoasanapprentice.Thejudgmentsofhistoryarecoldandheartless.delVerrocchiohadanumberoftalentedstudentswho"assisted"himinpaintinghismostsuccessfulworks,inthecustomoftheday.LeonardospenthisdaysandnightshangingoutwithVerricchio,hisfellowapprenticesandotherluminariesoftheFlorenceartscene.Now,youmaybethinkingthat"teenageboyinthebigcityliveswithgrown-upartists"soundsabitfishy,butitwasaperfectlyacceptablesituationwithinthehistoricalcontext.Theperfectlyacceptablesocialcontextdidn'tstopdaVincifromturningoutcompletelyqueer,ofcourse.FlorencewasverymuchtheSanFranciscoofitsday;atthetime,theGermanwordforhomosexualliterallytranslatedas"Florentine."Atage24,daVinciwasformallychargedwithsodomy,althoughnothingevercameofit.Thecharge,thatis.用心爱心专心In1477,Verrochiomadeapaintingtitled"TheBaptismofChrist,"aprojectwhichLeonardoassistedbypaintinganangelonthefarleftofthepicture.Althoughit'snotimmediatelyapparenttotheuntrainedeye(oreventothetrainedeye),theangelillustrationwassodazzlinglygreatthatitmadetherestofthepaintinglooklikeapieceoftotalcrap.Accordingtolegend,Verrocchiosworehewouldneverpaintagain,sohumiliatedwashebyhisstudent'ssuperiortalent.Apparentlyunawareofthelegend,Verrocchioappearstohavecontinuedpaintingafter1477(or,moreaccurately,hecontinuedtosignhisnameonthepaintingsmadebyhisstudents),buthedidrefocushisworkonsculptureastheyearswenton.Ontheheelsofthisfabulous(ifslightlyapocryphal)triumph,daVincisetouttomakehisownwayintheworld.Hisfirstmajorcommissionwasapaintingforanearbymonastery."TheAdorationoftheMagi"wasasepia-tonedpanelthatwasneverquitefinishedbutisstillconsideredgreat.Withmomentumonhissideandthepublichumiliationoftheaforementionedsodomychargenippingathisheels,daVincidecideditwastimetomoveonuptoMilan,wherethelocaldukeofferedhimapatronage.用心爱心专心Duringhis17yearsinMilan,daVincimadenumeroussketchesandafewreallyamazingpaintings,includinghismostfamouswork,"TheLastSupper.""TheLastSupper"isoneofthosethings.Orrather,it'soneofthosethings,thosestrangeartifactsofculture(likeShakespeare'sHamlet)thatswellbeyondtheirphysicalboundstobecomeaswirlingobjectofobsessivedeconstructionthroughtheages.用心爱心专心
