Da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452, and studied the laws of science. He is famous for his sketches and drawing depicting the human form and fantastical devices such as flying machines that were revolutionary at the time. He was also a master painter, and his work spanned from portraits to religious works. As an apprentice for another artist, he learned a wide range of skills that would later be applied to his different works (Biography, 2015). As a polymath, da Vinci was able to execute a wide range of subjects and his art took many different forms. This paper will look at three of his most famous works, The Mona Lisa, Ultima Cena and Lady with an Ermine, outlining how each of these works came about and what their significance is.

Probably his most famous work is the Mona Lisa. This painting is on display at the Louvre in Paris, and it is a portrait of Lisa Gheradini, who was the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Artists during this period often made their living painting portraits for the wealthy and powerful on a commission basis, and this is how the Mona Lisa came about as well. On the surface, the...

The structure of the painting was original at the time, and in that respect was appreciated by artists in terms of things like its realistic scale. The smile is considered to be one of the most important components of the work, as the notion of happiness is viewed as being important. Also of note is the way that the background space blends into wilderness in the background. All of these elements were considered to be different at the time, and revolutionary (Scaillierez, 2015).
Another of Da Vinci's famous works is the Last Supper, which is a depiction of the last supper. If artists were not painting portraits for money, they were working on commission from the church, and da Vinci was no exception. The Last Supper is a common theme in Christian art and so it was not unusual that he would be commissioned to paint this scene for a church in Milan, the Santa Maria della Grazie. The work was commissioned by da Vinci's patron at the time. The painting is rich with symbolism, as this is a strong motif…