HUM 2210
March 25, 2011
Who was the more ideal Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo
Buonarroti?
What is a Renaissance man? What makes an ideal Renaissance man? Was
Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo Buonarroti a Renaissance man? These are questions I
will try to answer. To begin, the phrase “Renaissance man” is known as an idiom. An
idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meaning of its separate words
but has a separate meaning of its own (“Idiom”). For example Renaissance or rebirth is a
situation or period of time when there is a new interest in something that has not been
popular in a long time (“Renaissance”). Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti
lived during a period of time known as the Renaissance a period between the 14th and 17th
Century (“Renaissance”). There were two periods leading to the Renaissance. There were
the Dark ages and the middle ages. Dark ages were a time following the decline of the
Western Roman Empire, which resulted in cultural and economic deterioration and
disruption (“Dark Ages”). The middle ages continued a trend in depopulation,
deurbanization and increased barbarian invasion (“Middle Ages”). Meanwhile science,
art, philosophy and literature where in decline. The Renaissance marked a time of return
to the pursuits of art, science, literature and philosophy. These newly embraced
disciplines were again important and were used by wealthy and influential man of the
time as a way to determine status and position.
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Enter the Renaissance, a rebirth of the importance science, art, philosophy and
literature. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti where contemporary of each
other and even commissioned by some of the same patrons to create some of the most
influential master pieces of our time. Both men lived similar lives and followed similar
paths. In order to determine which one was the most influential of his time we must study
their entire life and complete body of work. This is no easy task for both men were
complicated and quite accomplished. Let us begin with Leonardo da Vinci.
Leonardo da Vinci born 1452 in Florence, Italy was the illegitimate son of a
notary public (“Two great Artist”). Leonardo showed great promise from a very young
age. He studied the world around him and constantly sketch and documented everything.
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