Why Does Da Vinci Need To Know Human Anatomy

Words: 564
Pages: 3

Leonardo Da Vinci is a well known artist that was very good at painting. He was well known for being able to catch detail in people's’ bodies and being able to paint really good paintings. Leonardo Da Vinci was a really great painter because he knew human anatomy. In the writing, Art of Painting, he explains that painters need to know human anatomy in order to paint human bodies correctly. They need to know human anatomy in order to show age in their paintings and to show details throughout nature correctly. Leonardo Da Vinci explains that artists need to know the human anatomy in order to show age in paintings. For example, Da Vinci states that, “limbs of youths should have few muscles and veins, and have a soft surface and be rounded and pleasing in color; in men they should be sinewy and …show more content…
An artists needs to know that everyone has the same structure of the body even though on the outside everyone is different. For example, Da Vinci states that,” when you have to draw a face from memory, carry with you a small note-book in which you have noted down such features, and then when you have cast a glance at the face of the person whom you wish to draw you can look privately and see which nose or mouth has a resemblance to it, and make a tiny mark against it in order to recognise it again at home”. This quote supports Da Vinci idea that in order to catch every detail of all people you must keep a journal of all the sketches of different people with you. Da Vinci also explains that an artists must capture every detail in everything, not just human bodies. If an artist is painting a child, they must have captured the details to the child’s surroundings in order to make the painting realistic. Da Vinci explains in, Art of Painting, that an artist's need to know human anatomy to be able to paint all people