THE FIRST RENAISSANCE MAN
The term Renaissance man was coined to describe the genius of Leonardo da
Vinci. He was a man of so many accomplishments in so many areas of human
endeavour that his like has rarely been seen in human history. Casual patrons of the
arts know him as the painter of "La Gioconda" - more commonly called the "Mona
Lisa" - and of the exquisite "Last Supper", which is painted on the wall of the dining
hall in a monastery in Milan. These paintings alone would have assured him
enduring fame as an artist, but they should not obscure the fact that he was also a
sculptor, an architect, and a man of science who did serious investigations into the
natural and physical sciences, mathematics, mechanics, and engineering. More than
300 years before flying machines were perfected, Leonardo had devised plans for
prototypes of an airplane and a helicopter. His extensive studies of human anatomy
were portrayed in anatomical drawings, which were among the most significant
achievements of Renaissance science. His remarkable illustrations of the human
body elevated drawing into a means of scientific investigation and exposition, and
provided the basic principles for modern scientific illustration.
E X E R C I S E 1: Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A COLUMN B
a) a man with many abilities in diverse fields
(phrase)
b) achievement
c) things people try to do
(phrase)
d) an equal
e) informal; non-professional; untrained
f) one who supports artistic activity
(phrase)
g) extremely beautiful, delicate, or sensitive
h) guarantee [verb]
i) make unclear; hide
j) an artist who makes statues
k) an early model, usually experimental, of
something
I) (be) demonstrated; (be) depicted
m) a drawing or picture for giving an example or
explanation of something
n) increase someone or something in status or
importance
o) a detailed explanation of something
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