{"id":77367,"date":"2022-08-31T14:07:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-31T18:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=77367"},"modified":"2022-09-06T12:52:43","modified_gmt":"2022-09-06T16:52:43","slug":"leonardo-da-vinci-polymath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/leonardo-da-vinci-polymath\/","title":{"rendered":"Leonardo da Vinci: The Polymath Who Knew Everything"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What subjects was Leonardo da Vinci proficient in? Was Leonardo da Vinci a polymath?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A polymath is an individual who has extensive knowledge in many subjects. Leonardo da Vinci is a great example of one, having knowledge in mathematics, art, hydrology, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take a look at the subjects Leonardo was advanced in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Leonardo\u2019s Genius: Universal Curiosity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As Walter Isaacson makes clear in his biography of the polymath Leonardo da Vinci, the starting point for Leonardo\u2019s genius was his universal curiosity.<\/strong> He studied a range of subjects and applied everything he studied to his works of art, while also bringing his artistic insights into his scientific explorations. The key output of his universal curiosity was the self-directed education that turned him into the ultimate Renaissance man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Leonardo was only one example of the cultural revolution taking place. Many other artists brought together science, engineering, painting, sculpture, and more thanks to the commercial and intellectual exchange taking place<\/a> in cities like Florence and Milan.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mathematics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Leonardo nurtured a passion for mathematics, especially geometry<\/strong>, throughout his life. Isaacson argues that, to Leonardo, painting was both an art and science because artists need a deep understanding<\/a> of mathematics to convey their imagination through their art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Abacus School<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

During his first stay in Florence, Leonardo\u2019s father paid for his education at an abacus school. Isaacson argues that Leonardo\u2019s takeaway from this education was using analogies<\/a> and patterns<\/strong>. For example, he took what he knew about water eddies and hypothesized that the aortic valve used a similar process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Optics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Isaacson claims that Leonardo’s work made dimensionality the greatest artistic achievement of the Renaissance, possibly thanks to the following two gains from his study of optics: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Optics enhanced his understanding of light, shades, and edges. <\/strong>Isaacson reports that, through experimentation and dissection of eyeballs, Leonardo learned that the eye perceives images through the entire retina. This means that the brain perceives scenes as a whole, not as individual objects separated by sharp edges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Optics refined his use of perspective. <\/strong>He went beyond linear perspective (how to make a flat surface seem deep) and studied acuity perspective (how objects become less distinct when they are farther away). Isaacson explains that Leonardo understood that he needed to paint objects in the background more diffusely than those in the foreground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Architecture and Engineering<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Architecture and engineering are areas where Leonardo didn\u2019t leave concrete marks. None of his designs came to fruition, <\/strong>and Isaacson argues that this was because they were too ambitious for his time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of architecture, he developed plans for new cities, royal palaces and villas, and churches. Isaacson says Leonardo was the first architect to systematically analyze the causes of wall fissures, and he developed plans to make cities more hygienic and prevent plague outbreaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaacson reports that Leonardo’s interests in engineering spanned aeromechanics, hydraulics, and military engineering. <\/strong>He designed flying machines and complex water management systems, including a plan to change the course of the Arno river. In military engineering, he designed several weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Leonardo didn\u2019t manage to construct working prototypes for his designs, Isaacson claims he made significant engineering and scientific advancements<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n