In European history The Italian Renaissance began in the 14th century and lasted until the 17th century. Renaissance means “rebirth,” because it was known as a cultural renaissance and constituted a huge change in European history from the medieval period to modernity. Before the Renaissance there was a period known as the Middle Ages, but it is mostly known as the Middle Ages. It was a period between the decline of the Roman Empire in 476 AD and the Renaissance, in which there were no results. After the decline of the Roman Empire, no state or government united the people living in Rome. Furthermore, the Catholic Church became powerful and leaders derived their power from alliances with the Church's protection. People across Europe had to donate 10% of their earnings to the church every year, which helped a great deal of money and power. Therefore, the economy in Europe was lifted. However, the Renaissance was a cultural and religious movement and when people began to find interest in new things. One of these people was Leonardo da Vinci. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Leonardo was an Italian polymath who had interests in inventions, painting, sculpture, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography. He was known as the greatest painter of all time. His most famous paintings were The Virgin of the Rocks, The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. All of his paintings were unique in their own way, led to cultural religious understandings, inspired others in artistic and intellectual ways, and were notable in the history of art. However, Leonardo's inventions and scientific ideas were never published to the public. There were two identical pieces for The Virgin of the Rocks, or sometimes known as The Madonna of the Rocks. Some believe that the first painting “Madonna of the Rocks, Louvre” was aided by the de Predis brothers and was given to Louis XII. The second painting which is now in London has been accused of not having been painted by Leonardo, however not long ago, according to the National Gallery, it was entirely painted by Leonardo himself. Geologist Ann C. Pizzorusso studied the two paintings, the one in the “Louvre” shows rock formations, and the one in the London version does not. Leonardo was an artist who mastered realism and went all out when it came to paintings with very exacting details and very accurate and precise definitions that only some could understand. However, there is a possibility that the National Gallery's claim may be incorrect due to the style and commitment to painting natural elements. Another outstanding painting is the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is an oil painting that is the best known painting and one of the most valuable paintings in the world. Although experts say that this painting was definitely painted between 1503 and 1506, the exact dates have not yet been found. This painting also provides characteristics of Leonardo's style in the last years of his life. Renaissance men and women claimed that there is similarity between the Mona Lisa and the Virgin Mary of the Renaissance period. Frank Zollner, a German professor, stated that the way the Mona Lisa is painted follows the footsteps of Flemish models and paintings. Specifically, it is peculiarly noted that the vertical layers of columns on both sides of the panel had precedents representing Flemish portraiture. Furthermore, Leonardo da Vinci was one of the very few artists to master the vanishing point. The vanishing point includes creating dramatic depth and drawing intersecting diagonal linesagainst the background of a painting to create three-dimensionality in a two-dimensional frame. This technique can be found in the Last Supper, on which Leonardo spent three years. The Last Supper is a religious painting in which he identified Christ in the center of the painting and was separated from the others, but at the same time they were all united with each other, including Christ. Around Christ lie twelve disciples; which includes a traitor. Leonardo managed to express the emotions and thoughts of the twelve disciples through facial expressions and by demonstrating their personal reactions and the movements they made. Not only was he known as the greatest painter of all time, he was also known as the greatest inventor in history, even though he had little impact on technology. Sketches and diagrams were drawn in his notebooks, but they were never published to the public. Either he lost interest in them or it was because he was unable to convince wealthy patrons to finance the materials and supplies needed to build his models. Therefore, all of his inventions were never made while he was alive. His ideas and inventions went to waste. “Madonna of the Rocks, Louvre” inspired people across Europe, including Leonardo's students. Therefore, the National Gallery claimed that the London version was painted by Leonardo Boltraffio and d'Oggiono's own students to show devotion to their teacher, illustrating natural forms and elements in their own unique ways. In the Louvre painting he shows Leonardo's fugato technique and it is perceptible. Leonardo's fugato technique is a fine shading that shows delicacy and is indiscernible between colors and tones. It also illustrated his talent for 3D effects applied to the landscape background. Knowing the differences between these two paintings, both paintings were successful whether Leonardo painted one or both of them. Another painting in which the ombre technique was used was in the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa sets the goal for all future portrait oil paintings, because Leonardo illustrated the magnificent blend of landscape and portrait. The ombre technique was also used in particular for her hair, which reflects the rivers and valleys of the landscape behind her. Raphael, a young artist, adopted the Mona Lisa format for his portraits, because it sketched Leonardo's work in progress. There are more than a dozen outstanding Mona Lisa replicas; most of them were replicated by Leonardo's students. Furthermore, her painting, Mona Lisa, inspired American lyricist Ray Evans and singer-songwriter Jay Harold Livingston to compose the beautiful melodies and lyrics of a classic song “Mona Lisa. ”His works were so influential that even Michelangelo and Raphael chose to adopt the same distinctive techniques as Leonardo to create equally active and lifelike figures with naturalistic structures. The artistic standards of his day would guide generations of artists who followed. The Last Supper has been recreated, referenced, and imitated in Western culture, primarily in creations such as paintings, mosaics, and photographs. In 1955, an artist named Salvador Dali recreated The Last Supper as “The Sacrament of the Last Supper. The Sacrament of the Last Supper was the opposite of the original painting; Christ was drawn as blond, highlighting the shaded torso, and the disciples were drawn stooped so they could not be identified. Only long after his death were his notebooks found. Leonardo da Vinci was the man ahead of his time; if his inventions had actually been realized, it would have changed history. It could have transformed the history of technology, even if it would not have been possible with the materials of the 15th and 16th centuries. It is a tragedy that his diagrams and sketches do not.