(Leonardo da), an illustrious Italian painter, descended from a noble Tuscan family, was born in the castle of Vinci near Florence in 1445. He was placed under Andrea Verrocchio, a celebrated painter in that city; but soon surpassed him and all his predecessors so much, as to be reputed the master of the third or golden age of modern painting. But his studies were far from terminating here; no man's genius was more universal: he applied himself to arts, to literature, and to the accomplishments of the body; and he excelled in every thing which he attempted. Lewis Sforza duke of Milan prevailed on him to be director of the academy for architecture he had just established; where Leonardo soon banished all the Gothic fashions, and reduced every thing to the happy simplicity of the Greek and Roman style. By the duke's order he constructed the famous aqueduct that supplies the city of Milan with water; this canal goes by the name of Mortefana, being above 200 miles in length, and conducts the water of the river Adda quite to the walls of the city. In 1479, he was desired to construct some new device for the entertainment of Louis XII. of France, who was then to make his entrance into Milan. Leonardo accordingly made a very curious automaton in the form of a lion, which marched out to meet the king, reared up on its hinder-legs before him, and opening its breast, displayed an escutcheon with fleur de lys quartered on it. The disorders of Lombardy, with the misfortunes of his patrons the Sforza, obliging Leonardo to quit Milan, he retired to Florence, where he flourished under the Medici: here he raised the envy of Michael Angelo, who was his contemporary; and Raphael, from the study of his works, acquired his best manner of designing. At length, on the invitation of Francis I. he removed to France when above 70 years of age; where the journey and change of climate threw him into his last sickness: he languished for some months at Fontainbleau, where the king came frequently to see him; and one day rising up in his bed to acknowledge the honour done him, he fainted, and Francis supporting him, Leonardo died in his arms. His death happened in 1520. Some of his paintings are to be seen in England and other countries, but the greatest part of them are in Florence and France. He composed a great number of discourses on curious subjects; but none of them have... have been published but his treatise on the Art of Painting.

For his anatomical knowledge, see Anatomy (history of), p. 669.