appendix bGlossary of Terms
Alberti, Leone Batista (1404–1472)
One of the earliest Italian artists to include perspective and architectural design elements in his painting
Ambidextrous
The ability to use both hands equally well
Anchiano, Italy
3 km from Vinci, may be the town where Leonardo was actually born
Archimedean screw
An ancient device, invented by the Greek mathematician Archimedes, that used a turning handle to pump water out of a well or uphill
Arno Valley
Subject of an early landscape sketch by Leonardo in 1473
Bacon, Francis (1561–1626)
Major philosopher of the English Renaissance, defender of the scientific revolution
Ballista
A mammoth seventy-six foot crossbow designed by Leonardo, which required six wheels to maneuver it
Baroque
A style of painting which dominated most seventeenth century artwork; its masters included Caravaggio, Velasquez, and Rembrandt, among many others
Bastion
An architectural fortification that projects out from a building, and creates a secure defense area for battling soldiers
Bellini, Giovanni (1426–1516)
Renaissance Venetian painter who was a mentor to Titian
Bipolar disorder
A condition where a person experiences alternating bouts of mania and depression; formerly called manic depression
Block printing
An early form of printing in which wooden blocks were carved by hand and stamped onto sheets of paper
Borgia, Cesare (1476–1507)
Duke of Valencia, patron of Leonardo, rumored to have murdered his brother, Giovanni, in 1497.
Botticelli, Sandro (1445–1515)
An Early Renaissance artist most famous for his paintings, including The Birth of Venus and the Adoration of the Magi
Bramante, Donato (1444–1514)
A primary Renaissance architect; official architect for Pope Julius II
Brunelleschi, Fillipo (1377–1446)
One of Florence's primary architects and sculptors in the 100 or so years before Leonardo da Vinci's rise to fame
Buonarroti, Michelangelo (1475–1564)
A High Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and author; best known for the Sistine Chapel ceiling (1508–1512) and a statue of David (1501–1504)
Byzantine
A style of art and architecture from the eastern Roman Empire; created between about 330 and 1540 A.D.
Calvin, John (1509–1564)
A major player in the Protestant Reformation who supported the views of Martin Luther
Chiaroscuro
Translated from Italian, means “clear/light and dark.” Painting technique developed by Leonardo to contrast lights and darks to help create a truly three-dimensional image
City-state
A type of political organization used by cities that govern themselves and the territory around them; similar to a Greek polis
Classical
Pertaining to the ancient Greek and Roman empires
Codes, Barthelemy
First published the theory of physiognomy which stated that it was possible to determine a person's personality and character by his facial features
Codex
Collection of (Leonardo's) manuscripts, arranged into a particular volume
Colloid
A particular sort of emulsion containing solids (pigment) suspended in a liquid (oil plus binders)
Columbus, Christopher (1451–1506)
Discoverer of the New World and one of history's most famous explorers
Company of Painters
Florence's painting guild during the early Renaissance
Condottierei
Mercenary soldiers who fought in wars for the highest bidder
Copernicus, Nicolas (1473–1543)
Contemporary of Leonardo, put forth a heliocentric view of the solar system
Ctesibus
Engineer and inventor in ancient Greece, developed a mechanical water-clock design around 220 B.C.
D'Amboise, Charles (1473–1511)
King Louis’ governor in Milan, requested Leonardo for court painter
Dante Alighieri (1265–1321)
Major author who studied ancient Greek and Roman writings, wrote the Inferno
Di Antonio, Ser Piero
Leonardo's father
de Medici, Giovanni
Son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, rose to be a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church in the early sixteenth century, became Pope Leo X
de Medici, Lorenzo (1449–1492)
Son of Cosimo de Medici, ruler of Florence, patron of the arts and of Leonardo
da Vinci, Caterina
Leonardo's mother
Dent, Charles
American airplane pilot, sponsored modern recreation of Leonardo's giant Sforza horse sculpture
Desprez, Josquin (1440–1521)
One of Western music's leading musicians, became famous throughout Europe
Dufay, Guillaume (1397–1474)
Well-respected Renaissance composer
Dyslexia
A learning disability that affects one's ability to read and write; people with dyslexia often reverse numbers and letters
Einstein, Albert (1879–1955)
One of history's greatest geniuses, perhaps the greatest scientific mind of the twentieth century; best known for his theories that revolutionized the study of space and time
Embrasures
Openings for cannons at the top of a castle wall
Emulsion
A liquid suspension where oil and water are mixed together, suspending the oil in the water
Ermine
A small mammal also known as a short-tailed weasel or a stoat
Etruscans
Ancient Romans
Feudalism
Multi-tiered economic relationship between nobility (lords, kings, queens) and the commoners; a type of servitude for those in the lower classes
Florence, Italy
Italian city where much of the important art of the Renaissance was created
François I (1494–1547)
King of France, patron of arts and Leonardo
Fresco
A painting technique where a layer of wet plaster is laid onto the work surface, and paint is applied on top of the plaster before it dries
Freud, Sigmund (1856–1939)
Austrian psychiatrist who formulated several revolutionary ideas about the human psyche
Galileo (1564–1642)
An astronomer who, among other things, discovered moons of Jupiter, and proposed a heliocentric view of the solar system which he later recanted
Garzone
A type of servant; Leonardo was a garzone in Verrocchio's studio
Geocentric
A view of the solar system with the earth at the center and the sun and planets orbiting around it
Gian Giacomo Caprotti da Oreno
Also known as Salai, an Italian man who shared Leonardo's company for twenty-five years
Giotto (Ambrogio Bondone, 1267–1337)
Best-known painter of the thirteenth century, in the Byzantine tradition
Greek orders
Architectural styles that provided a clean way to organize form and structure; the three orders, Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, are best known for the columns with those names
Guild
A club, or professional organization, with employment benefits for its members
Gutenberg, Johannes (1334–1468)
Creator of the first printing press, printed the Gutenberg Bible
Heliocentric
A view of the solar system with the sun at the center and the earth and planets orbiting around it
High Renaissance
The period between 1490 and 1527, ending when German and Spanish imperial troops sacked Rome; represents a culmination of all the ideas that had been floating around Florence in the previous years; this is the period when Leonardo did most of his work
Holy Roman Empire
Political entity, dominated by highly powerful emperors, in existence from 843 until 1806
Holy Roman League
Formed in 1511 by Pope Julius II; a political entity; one of its main purposes was to eradicate French leadership in Italy
Horizon line
Line in a perspective drawing which represented eye-level
Humanism
One of the Renaissance's most important conceptual innovations; helped spur the growth of philosophy literature, and creative intellectual thought
Humanitarian
A person who devotes themselves to improving the quality of life of others; a person who reduces the suffering of others
Igneous rocks
Rocks formed by the heat of volcanic eruptions
Kite
A hawk-like bird
Leoni, Pompeo
A sculptor at the royal court of Spain in the seventeenth century who collected many of Leonardo's writings and organized them into the first codices
Linear perspective
The idea that it is possible to represent a three-dimensional shape (such as an apple or building) on a two-dimensional piece of paper or canvas
League of Venice
Created in 1495 by King Ferdinand of Spain, a political alliance between Spain and other Italian city-states
Louis XII (1462–1515)
King of France, affectionately dubbed “Father of the People,” popular king who had a major influence during the Renaissance
Luther, Martin (1483–1546)
Started protestant reformation by nailing the Ninety-five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany
Lyre
Musical instrument which looks a bit like a rounded harp and consists of a hollow body with two semicircular arms connected by a crossbar
Machiavelli, Niccolo (1469–1527)
Renaissance writer and philosopher, author of The Prince, friend of Leonardo
Mannerism
The period after the Renaissance, main inspiration from Michelangelo and Raphael; mannerist art is characterized by an overdoing, or a hyperstylization, of Renaissance art
Marco Polo
Thirteenth century Venetian explorer, famous for trip to China to trade for spices and silk
Medusa
The mythological serpent-headed creature painted onto a shield by the young Leonardo
Melzi, Francesco (1491-1570)
Milanese painter and one of Leonardo da Vinci's favorite students and probable lover
Metamorphic rocks
Formed when either igneous or sedimentary rocks are buried deeply beneath the surface; the high temperatures and pressures found there cause changes in the physical and chemical nature of the rocks
Middle Ages
Historical period between 500 and 1450 A.D.; fills the gap between Greco-Roman events and modern European history
Ming Dynasty
Ruled China in the fourteenth century, closed trade with outsiders
Mollusk
A type of sea creature with a shell; a snail is a kind of mollusk
Ockeghem, Johannes (1420–1495)
One of the most influential Renaissance composers
Oil paint
A type of paint which uses oil as the binding agent; fundamentally different from water-based paint or acrylic-based paint
Ornithopter
An aircraft designed by Leonardo that was almost completely powered by flapping wings
Ottoman Empire
The geographical and political region controlled by the Ottoman Turks; had their heyday with the conquest of Constantinople in 1453
Pacioli, Luca (1445–1517)
Mathematician, at Sforza's court with Leonardo, wrote Divina Proportione, a book on geometry which Leonardo illustrated
Palladio, Andrea (1508–1580)
Influential Renaissance architect, author of The Four Books of Architecture
Papal states
Renaissance regions run by the pope, who served as the bishop of Rome
Perspectograph
A device similar to a mechanic's workbench, but for drawing; involved a table with a stand that had a cutout through which the artist could trace perspective lines of objects beyond the stand
Petrarch (1304–74)
Author who studied ancient Greek and Roman writings
Pier Francesco da Vinci (1531–1554)
Called Pierino, nephew of Leonardo (son of his half-brother Bartolomeo); talented sculptor, child prodigy
Pigment
Materials that provide the color to paints
Praetorius, Leonardo (1571–1621)
German composer, wrote a Treatise of Music in 1618
Protestant Reformation
Started in 1517 by Martin Luther when he nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany; attempted to transform the Church by calling for a return to the Bible's teachings
Raphael (1483–1520)
Primary artist of the Italian High Renaissance; best known for his painting The School of Athens
Renaissance
A period in European history between the early fourteenth and early eighteenth centuries; characterized by a complete cultural rebirth in areas of art, science, music, and other humanities
Romanesque
A style of art and architecture between the ninth and twelfth centuries, characterized by heavy stone arches and elaborate interiors; the period preceding the Renaissance
Rustici, Giovanni Francesco (1474–1554)
Commissioned to create bronze statues for the church of San Giovanni, worked with Leonardo on them
Savonarola, Girolamo (1452–1498)
Philosopher who was responsible for the 1497 Bonfire of the Vanities
Sedimentary rocks
Rocks formed by the deposition of layers of material in water
Sforza, Ludovico
Duke of Milan, patron of Leonardo, warrior
Sfumato
Italian word meaning “vanished,” used to describe a technique Leonardo developed to graduate colorvalues between parts of an object to make it accurately reflect the object's full roundness
Shakespeare, William (1564–1616)
Dominant literary figure of the English Renaissance
Siege warfare
A method of fighting that involves extensive military blockades and attacks onto a city
Single-point perspective
A style of perspective drawing that contains only one vanishing point, sometimes also called one-point perspective
Subduction zones
Places where the crust of the earth is destroyed when one plate slides under another
Tempera paint
A type of water-based paint that uses egg as a binding agent
Tintoretto, Marietta (1560–1590)
Daughter of the famous Venetian painter Jacopo Tintoretto; solicited to be the court painter for Spain under Phillip II
Titian (1490–1576)
A major Venetian artist of the Renaissance
Trivulzio, Gian Giacomo (1441–1518)
From Milan, a military leader during the tumultuous Italian Wars, subject of a sculpture by Leonardo
Tuscany, Italy
Region of Italy, of which Florence is the capital; famous for beautiful rolling countryside
Two-point perspective
A method of perspective drawing, uses two vanishing points along the horizon line
Uffiziali de Notte
An Italian “vice squad” that patrolled Italy in the 1430s; they wandered the streets rooting out homosexuality
van Eyck, Jan (1390–1441)
Flemish painter often credited with improving the art of oil painting by developing a solid varnish based on linseed oil
van Hemessen, Caterina (1527
Flemish painter, daughter of a well-known Renaissance artist, Jan Sanders van Hemessen; learned and studied in her father's art studio, and earned her own patronage from Hungary's Queen Mary
Vanishing points
Points in a perspective drawing that serve as connection points for all lines of sight
Vasari, Giorgio
First biographer of Leonardo
Venus of Willendorf
One of the earliest examples of a human statue; dates to 30,000–25,000 B.C.
Verne, Jules
Author of many books including 20,000 Leagues under the Sea
Verrocchio, Andrea (1435–1488)
Master painter and sculptor in Florence, to whom Leonardo was apprenticed
Vinci, Italy
The nominal hometown of Leonardo da Vinci; currently home to the Museo di Vinci
Viola da gamba
An early predecessor to the violin
Visual rays
Lines drawn in a perspective drawing from vanishing points; through these rays, artists could create objects composed of right angles
Zimmerman, Mary
Put on a production of The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci while at the Berkeley Repertory Theater
