$16.95 ages 8 & up leonardo da vinci for kids vinci for da leonardo eonardo da Vinci was a great inventor, military Lengineer, scientist, botanist, and mathematician, as well as a consummate painter and sculptor. Leonardo Children will love learning about the man who painted the Mona Lisa and invented the bicycle among countless other machines—the armored tank, diving suit, and airplane—centuries before they were built. History, aV ci science, and art come alive in this book as children learn d in about the Renaissance and the Plague, simple machines and the mystery of flight, and the use of perspective and vanishing point in painting. Da Vinci’s interests and accomplishments are explored in engaging and fun for kids activities where children can: # Sketch birds and other animals as Da Vinci did as a child Janis herbert # Test perceptions of height and distance and then His Life measure the actual height of a tree # Determine the launch angle of a catapult, like a and Ideas military engineer, and hit a target on the first shot # Make a map from a bird’s-eye view # # Try mirror writing as Da Vinci did in his notebooks 21 Activities # Make a lute like his gift to Ludovico, the ruler of Distributed by Milan Independent Publishers Group Cover Design: Sean O’Neill Cover art by Leonardo da Vinci courtesy of Wood River Gallery JANIS HERBERT LDV pp i–6.qxd 10/12/09 4:23 PM Page iv © 1998 by Janis Herbert Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data All rights reserved Herbert, Janis, 1956– Leonardo da Vinci for kids : his life and ideas : 21 activities / Janis Herbert. — 1st ed. First edition p. cm. Published by Chicago Review Press, Incorporated Includes bibliographical references. Summary : Presents a biography of this prolific artist and 814 N. Franklin Street inventor through projects in cartography, animal art, bird obser- Chicago, Illinois 60610 vation, and mask making. 1. Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452–1519—Juvenile literature. 2. Artists—Italy—Biography—Juvenile literature. 3. Creative ISBN 978-1-55652-298-7 activities and seat work—Juvenile literature. [1. Leonardo, da 10 9 8 7 6 Vinci, 1452-1519. 2. Artists. 3. Handicraft.] I. Title. N6923.L33H47 1998 709’.2-dc21 Cover design: Sean O’Neill [b] 98-25690 CIP Cover art courtesy of Wood River Gallery AC Interior design: Joan Sommers Design Printed in Singapore by CS Graphics LDV pp i–6.qxd 10/12/09 4:23 PM Page vi CONTENTS Acknowledgments viii Note to Readers ix Timeline x ONE A Boy in Vinci 1 Setting Up Your Studio 2 Observing Nature 3 Brush Up on Birds 4 TWO The Young Apprentice 7 A Beaker for Brushes 8 Framed! 10 ALife Mask 13 Kitchen Clay 15 Perspective 16 The Renaissance 18 Animal Art 20 Well-Bannered 25 Pinpointing the Vanishing Point 27 LDV pp i–6.qxd 10/12/09 4:23 PM Page vii THREE A Genius at Work 29 A Parachute Kite 55 Leonardo’s Letter to Ludovico 30 Restoring The Last Supper 58 Leonardo’s Lute 31 Missiles and Math 60 Mirror Writing 32 ADiscovery Notebook 33 Measuring Up 35 FOUR “I Shall Continue.” 61 The Plague 38 The Nature of Sound 63 A Masque of the Planets 40 Art Detectives 64 Leonardo’s Prophecies 41 The Craft of Cartography 65 Eye Exercises 42 How Tall Is That Tree? 66 Leonardo’s Inventions 43 Simple Machines 68 Italy’s Kingdoms and Who Was Mona Lisa? 70 City-States 44 Looking at Art 72 Leonardo’s Lunch 46 A Renaissance Herb Garden 77 For the Birds 47 Salai’s Aniseed Sweets 49 Glossary 80 Mental Exercise 50 Biographies 82 Leonardo’s Lock 51 Resources 85 Left: Diagram of Learn a Little Italian 52 Bibliography 87 human proportions, Flight 54 Credits 88 Leonardo da Vinci, 1492 vii LDV ppi–6.qxd10/12/094:23PMPagex 1438 —— Gutenberg invents printing with movable type Leonardo born in Vinci —— 1452 1466 —— Leonardo apprenticed to Verrocchio Copernicus born in Poland —— 1473 1482 —— Leonardo moves to Milan The plague kills thousands in Milan —— 1485 1492 —— Columbus sails the Atlantic and discovers the New World Leonardo begins The Last Supper —— 1495 1499 —— French capture Milan Leonardo returns to Florence Michelangelo creates statue of David —— 1501 1503 —— Leonardo begins painting Mona Lisa LDV ppi–6.qxd10/12/094:23PMPagexi Leonardo returns to Milan —— 1506 1512 —— Leonardo moves to Rome Michelangelo finishes painting the Sistine Chapel Machiavelli writes The Prince —— 1513 1515 —— François I becomes King of France Leonardo moves to France —— 1516 1517 —— Luther denounces the Catholic church and the Reformation begins Magellan’s expedition begins its —— 1519 voyage around the world Leonardo dies TIMELINE 1543 —— Copernicus publishes theory stating Earth revolves around the Sun xi LDV pp07-28.qxd 10/13/09 3:22 PM Page 7 TWO The YoungTWO Apprentice he great city of Florence! High walls topped by great towers circled the town. As he approached, Leonardo could see the roofs, towers, and steeples of Florence and the great dome of a cathedral. He couldn’t wait to explore. As the guards at the city gate Tinspected his meager belongings, he fidgeted with excitement. Florence was a trading center, a big and prosperous town, and people and goods from many different lands could be found there. Vendors hawked their wares in loud voices. Their tables were piled with beautifully dyed cloth, silks, and spices from faraway lands. Donkeys pulled heavy carts down the paved streets. Peasant folk shopped at stalls full of fruits Left: Detail from Baptism of Christ, and vegetables, meats and cheeses. The crowds parted as priests Andrea del and great lords in velvet cloaks swept by. Leonardo gaped at all the Verrocchio and people, the noise, and the confusion. He stared up at the large Leonardo da Vinci, stone buildings of Florence, many topped with steep towers. He 1472–75 walked up the broad Via Larga on his way to his father’s house, Right: Detail from along with the donkeys and carts and throngs of people. The road Adoration of the took him past the famous Medici Palace and he wondered if he Magi, Leonardo da would ever see the powerful people who lived inside. The Medicis, a Vinci, 1481–82 family of bankers and wealthy merchants, had ruled Florence for over one hundred years. Leonardo’s new home was a great city, so different from his quiet village in the hills. When he reached his father’s home, he discovered he wasn’t to remain there for long. Ser Piero decided it was time for the young man to learn a trade. At that time, it was normal for a boy of twelve or thirteen years to LDV pp07-28.qxd 10/13/09 3:23 PM Page 8 A Beaker for Brushes work. Girls worked at home until they were married, but families sent their sons to work This decorative jar for holding paintbrushes will look great as apprentices to merchants or craftsmen in your bottega, or studio. for a period of years. What could Leonardo do? He had no real MATERIALS education, having been brought up in the country. His illegitimate birth prevented Newspaper him from entering his father’s profession as Clear glass jar, empty and clean well as many others. Children whose parents Acrylic paints were not married were not allowed to Paintbrush become doctors or lawyers or even to attend the university. Many guilds would not accept a young man of Leonardo’s background. Spread newspaper out on your work surface. Hold the jar with But when Ser Piero looked at the draw- one hand inside of it and paint a design on it. It’s easiest to start at the bottom of the jar and work up. Let it dry for an ings his son carried in his knapsack, he hour. Use the jar to store brushes and pencils. (To help your knew what Leonardo should do. He put the brushes last longer, always clean them right after you’ve fin- drawings in a fold of his sleeve and carried ished painting, then store them in your jar with the brush them to the “bottega” (which is the Italian ends in the air.) word for studio or workshop) of the famous artist Andrea del Verrocchio. Verrocchio was the greatest sculptor of the time and the official sculptor of the pow- erful Medici family. He had a square face, dark curly hair, and a serious expression that showed that work was his life. His eyes missed nothing, and as he looked at Leonardo’s drawings he knew that this young man would come to be an artist even greater than he was. Verrocchio’s bottega on Via de Agnolo was as busy as the streets of Florence. His workshop received orders for paintings, sculpture, household decorations, armor, jewelry, and many other items. 8 LDV pp07-28.qxd 10/13/09 3:23 PM Page 9 Leonardo’s eyes opened wide when he saw Verrocchio’s studio for the first time. The doors were open to the street and the teeming life of the city spilled inside. Playing children and their dogs ran through the rooms. Sometimes a pig or a chicken wan- dered in! Maestro Verrocchio stood in the middle of all the activity, alert to everything that was going on and directing the work of his young apprentices. Brushes and mallets and chisels hung on the walls, along with the sketches and plans of works in progress. One young man was firing up a kiln. Others hammered armor and pounded stone to powder.