Inventors and engineers work to shape and revolutionise the world around us, and for the next instalment in our series, we are going to explore one of the greatest creative minds in history: Leonardo Da Vinci.

Da Vinci was a hugely influential figure, well known for his art and sculptures. However, Leonardo Da Vinci was also an incredible engineer and inventor, who had unparalleled talents in the fields of science and technology.

Early Life

Da Vinci was born on 15th April 1452 near the Tuscan town of Vinci. As the illegitimate son of a lawyer, he was apprenticed to the sculptor and engineer Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence at a young age, becoming a master himself in 1478 at the age of 26.

In the early 1480s, Da Vinci moved to Milan to work for the Sforza family as a sculptor, engineer, architect and artist. It was during this time that he produced the famous ‘The Last Supper’ mural. Da Vinci remained in Milan until the invasion of the French in 1499, after which he returned to Florence and painted the ‘Mona Lisa’.

An Artist or an Inventor?

Although Da Vinci is famed for being an artist, he was also an incredible inventor and engineer. Thousands of surviving pages from Da Vinci’s notebooks reveal countless ideas and innovations, along with writing and sketching about geology, anatomy, flight, gravity and optics. Some diagrams also detailed objects similar to bicycles, airplanes, helicopters and parachutes centuries before the objects were officially invented.

Many say that the beauty of Da Vinci’s talent was that he was an ‘artist-engineer’; his creative mind and ability to draw, sketch and paint inspired him to explore how the world could work, and in turn his complex understanding of science and technology enabled him to manipulate light and colour in his most famous paintings.

Leonardo Da Vinci was indeed a renaissance man, with many talents in a variety of fields. Indeed, he is one of the most celebrated artists in history, but when observing his inventions and his contributions to the fields of science and engineering, it’s clear to see that Da Vinci was not simply an artist, but an inventor and an engineer.

We hope you enjoyed looking at yet another outstanding inventor. Here at Airedale Springs, we love to celebrate the achievements of the past just as much as we hope to contribute to those of the future. As leading spring manufacturers, we can supply you with high quality springs to suit your requirements. For more information, contact us today or call 01535 643456.