Introduction
Creativity is the act of being inventive, and it entails the creation of artworks or ideas that are unique. These ideas can be natural or imaginative, but they should create something captivating for both the eyes and mind. Many artists and inventors worldwide can pride themselves on being creative and inventive at the same time. However, most creative people have a philosophy that guides them in basing their work. Most art pieces are reflective of their philosophy, either influenced by an event or another person.
Biography of da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci is one name that is familiar to every art enthusiast. Da Vinci is one of the most famous artists whose works are referred to for centuries, and he was born in Italy in the year 1452 and died in 1519 (West 392). West further explains that, da Vinci was a son of Florentine Piero and a peasant woman born illegitimately and was raised by his father and stepmother (392). Later, he moved to a town named Vinci, which is the place in which his surname is based. Vinci was known as a genius because of his works of art which continue to evoke emotions among art lovers and enthusiasts. As stated by Swanson, “da Vinci was one of the most dynamic and well-rounded geniuses in human history” (1). Vinci practiced painting, drawing, sculpturing, engineering, architecture, and most notably, a theorist. His love of science and the study of nature was why he advocated for humanism and a space that allowed the coexistence of humans and nature. One of his most famous works includes the Monalisa painting, which has been considered the best work of art by scholars and art enthusiasts.
Description of Philosophies and Work
Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance humanism as he fought for the dignity of humankind and rooting for a natural space where humans and nature coexist, which symbolized his philosophy. People continue to refer to him as a renaissance man since Vinci engaged deeply with humans of all races and was known as a compassionate man. The renaissance humanism ideal was notably the stand-out ideals that inspired most of his work and philosophy. He has painted many pieces of art that depict nature and its coexistence with humankind. Moreover, his works are always considered a breath of consciousness on how they evoke emotions and are said to be living works of art. According to Swanson, Vinci was a natural philosopher, and his works were inspired by the observance of nature, learning and contemplating it (1). Thus, his philosophy always advocated for a natural space where both animals, humans, and the environment lived harmoniously. Da Vinci’s main inspiration that he built his philosophy upon was the Aristotelean philosophy of metaphysics and earthily observations (Swanson 5). Thus, the birth of renaissance humanism philosophy continued to be prevalent in all his works.
One of the most famous paintings, The Last Supper, was due to its religious background that many continue to associate with it today. The work was inspired by the drama of the Passover meal when Jesus announced betrayal by one of the disciples. By capturing one of the most historical events of Christianity history. The painting is attributed to its effectiveness in showcasing the emotional facial expressions by disciples and their body languages, precisely described in the Bible (Rokni 27). This portrays Leonardo’s keenness to details as entailed in his observance, learning, and contemplation philosophy. Vinci deeply rooted in nature and its coexistence with humans, as captured in all his artwork.
Leonardo da Vinci Influence and Inspirations
The works of Leonardo da Vinci continues to evoke different emotions, and to a great extent, they have influenced many artists and art enthusiast in myriad ways. Most of da Vinci’s paintings, scientific works, and theories were influenced by nature. As many scholars base his creativity on rare imagination, there is always an element of nature and learning in all his paintings. Studying the Last Supper highlights the aspect of inspiration that da Vinci drew from the Bible on how the four books of the New Testament describe the event in detail. As Rokni states, “some art historians believe that Mathew’s narrative was da Vinci’s source of inspiration” (27). This shows clearly how events and an aspect of self-imagination inspired da Vinci in his work. Many of da Vinci’s artworks continued to draw inspiration from different events and people. Moreover, his desire to create and influence through art was influenced by Aristotelean concepts of nature and man’s perception (Swanson 10). Therefore, his philosophy was influenced by the period of renaissance in which civilization was taking cause.
Conclusion
Therefore, many artists are inspired by different events or circumstances in life. They might be either event that has affected their lives directly or events that are prevalent in society. Leonardo da Vinci is one of the greatest artists whose works are still of great inspiration in today’s modern world. Da Vinci was a renaissance humanism which was solely inspired by nature, its events, and how human ought to coexist with it. His philosophy was motivated exclusively by Aristotle’s principles of metaphysics surrounding man and nature and how their coexistence was perceived.
Works Cited
Rokni, Seyyed. “Investigation of da Vinci’s The Last Supper Inspiration Origin on Canonical Gospels.” The Scientific Journal of Nazar, vol. 14, no. 46, 2017, pp. 27-36.
Swanson, Julia. “The Creative Philosophies of Leonardo Da Vinci: Nature as the Perfect Creator.” Young Historians Conference, vol. 16, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-12.
West, John B. “Leonardo Da Vinci: Engineer, Bioengineer, Anatomist, And Artist”. American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, vol 312, no. 3, 2017, pp. L392-L397.
