Leonardo

One of the most fully achieved human beings who has ever lived, Leonardo remains the quintessential Renaissance genius. Creator of the world’s most famous painting, scientist, philosopher, builder, he is credited with defining the accomplishments of the great flowering in human consciousness.

Leonardo's extraordinary curiosity is recorded in his thousands of notes and sketches where he not only demonstrates his remarkable graphic precision but also anticipates some of the greatest discoveries and inventions that would follow him, from key points in anatomy - such as the principles behind blood circulation - through to planes, helicopters and submarines. Leonardo also advanced numerous artistic techniques, achieving a particular psychological depth in paintings such as the Last Supper and the enigmatic La Gioconda or Mona Lisa.