The following are some of the most memorable and insightful Leonardo da Vinci quotes about life, art, learning and creativity.
Leonardo da Vinci quotes are some of the most memorable and inspiring words ever spoken. His brilliant mind was always coming up with new ideas and ways to see the world. Even 500 years after his death, we are still quoting Leonardo da Vinci and his words continue to resonate with us.
Short biography of Leonardo da Vinci
A true renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci was a master of both the written word and the paintbrush. Born in 1452 in the small town of Vinci in Italy, he was orphaned at a young age and apprenticed to the artist Andrea del Verrocchio. It wasn’t long before his talent began to shine through, and he soon eclipsed his teacher.
Leonardo’s skills weren’t limited to art. He was also an accomplished musician, scientist, inventor and engineer. He designed war machines and created plans for some of the world’s first flying machines. But perhaps his most lasting legacy is the Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings in history.
Despite all his achievements, Leonardo remains something of a mystery. He was a private man who left behind few personal records. We only know about him through his art and writings. And he left behind a legacy of not only beautiful paintings and incredible inventions, but also wise words. Here are some of the most memorable Leonardo da Vinci quotes:
Leonardo da Vinci quotes about life
There are few people in history who have been as influential as Leonardo da Vinci. His work in a broad range of fields has left a lasting legacy. He was also a man of great wisdom, and his quotes about life offer a unique perspective on the human experience. Here are some Leonardo da Vinci quotes about life:
“Average human looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, moves without physical awareness, inhales without awareness of odour or fragrance, and talks without thinking.”
“To be a winner you must want to win but must know of the chance of losing and must not fear of it.”
“Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works.”
“As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.”
“Experience is a truer guide than the words of others.”
What does this quote mean? Da Vinci is saying that we should trust our own experiences more than the opinions of others. This is because our experiences are our own, and we know them to be true. The opinions of others may be based on incomplete information or their own biases. This quote is especially relevant in today’s world, where we are bombarded with conflicting information from various sources.
“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”
“People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life.”
“Life without love, is no life at all.”
“Be a mirror, absorb everything around you and still remain the same.”
“The most beautiful words of love are told in silence for a look.”
Leonardo da Vinci quotes about learning
Leonardo was a man of endless curiosity, and his thirst for knowledge was unquenchable. Here are some of the most memorable Leonardo da Vinci quotes about learning:
“Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, and never regrets.”
“Whatever you do in life, if you want to be creative and intelligent, and develop your brain, you must do everything with the awareness that everything, in some way, connects to everything else.”
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
In a world that is constantly changing and evolving, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest trends and fads. But sometimes, the simplest things are the most elegant and sophisticated. This is especially true when it comes to learning. When we strip away all the unnecessary distractions and complications, we can focus on what’s truly important. We can learn more easily and effectively when we keep things simple.
“There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see.”
“It’s not enough that you believe what you see. You must also understand what you see.”
“Your brain is much better than you think; just use it!”
Our brains are powerful tools. We should never stop learning and expanding our horizons. With hard work and dedication, we can achieve anything we set our minds to!
“Practice should always be based upon a sound knowledge of theory.”
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
“Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.”
“You should prefer a good scientist without literary abilities than a literate one without scientific skills.”
Inspirational Leonardo da Vinci quotes
Creativity is a quality that we all possess, but some of us express it more than others. Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most creative minds of his time. He was an artist, inventor, and scientist who had a passion for learning. Here are some of best Leonardo da Vinci quotes about creativity:
“Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake?”
“A clever man without wisdom is like a beautiful flower without fragrance.”
This quote speaks to the importance of balance in life. Without wisdom, our intelligence can lead us astray and cause us to make poor decisions. However, if we have wisdom and use our intelligence wisely, we can achieve great things.
“If you find from your own experience that something is a fact and it contradicts what some authority has written down, then you must abandon the authority and base your reasoning on your own findings.”
“The greatest geniuses sometimes accomplish more when they work less.”
“Experience never misleads; what you are misled by is only your judgment, and this misleads you by anticipating results from experience of a kind that is not produced by your experiments.”
“Virtue is our true wealth and the true reward of its possessor; it cannot be lost, it never deserts us until life leaves us.”
“Men of lofty genius when they are doing the least work are most active.”
“Man’s external form, marvellously constructed, is not much as compared with the divine soul that dwells inside that structure.”
“All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.”
“Principles for the development of a complete mind: Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses – especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”
Leonardo da Vinci quotes about art
Da Vinci’s wide range of interests and talents has inspired generations of artists and thinkers, and his quotes on art continue to resonate with people today. Here are some of the most memorable Leonardo da Vinci quotes on art:
“It should not be hard for you to stop sometimes and look into the stains of walls, or ashes of a fire, or clouds, or mud or like places, in which…you may find really marvellous ideas.”
“The painter’s mind is a copy of the divine mind, since it operates freely in creating the many kinds of animals, plants, fruits, landscapes, countrysides, ruins, and awe-inspiring places.”
“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”
“Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail.”
What does it mean to be “perfect”? For da Vinci, it was about achieving a level of excellence that could be appreciated by all. He believed that art should be beautiful and accessible to everyone, not just those with an educated eye.
“The young man should first learn perspective, then the proportions of objects. Next, copy work after the hand of a good master, to gain the habit of drawing parts of the body well; and then to work from nature, to confirm the lessons learned.”
“Painting is concerned with all the attributes of sight; which are: darkness, light, solidity and colour, form and position, distance and propinquity, motion and rest.”
“The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.”
“Beauty perishes in life, but is immortal in art.”
“An arch consists of two weaknesses which, leaning one against the other, make a strength.”
“Make your work to be in keeping with your purpose.”
Leonardo da Vinci quotes about nature
In his lifetime, Leonardo da Vinci was celebrated as a great artist and scientist. He made significant contributions in a number of fields, including engineering, biology and botany. In addition to his many accomplishments, he was also known for his wise and insightful words about nature. Here are some of the most memorable Leonardo da Vinci quotes about nature:
“Nature is the source of all true knowledge. She has her own logic, her own laws, she has no effect without cause nor invention without necessity.”
“In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time.”
“Those who are inspired by a model other than Nature, labor in vain.”
“Nature never breaks her own laws.”
This quote is a reminder that we must always be respectful of nature and work to protect it. Da Vinci understood that humans are just a small part of a much larger ecosystem and that we must work together with nature, not against it.
“In her (nature’s) inventions nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous.”
“Once you have tasted the taste of sky, you will forever look up.”
“Look at light and admire its beauty. Close your eyes, and then look again: what you saw is no longer there; and what you will see later is not yet.”
“We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.”
This quote speaks to da Vinci’s fascination with the stars and cosmos. He believed that studying the natural world was crucial to understanding the greater universe.
“Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation… even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.”
“Nature never violates the laws of mathematics.”
Leonardo da Vinci quotes flight
“The human bird shall take his first flight, filling the world with amazement, all writings with his fame, and bringing eternal glory to the nest whence he sprang.”
In 1492, Leonardo da Vinci completed the first known drawing of a human-powered airplane. The feat was so astounding that it filled the world with amazement, marking the start of all written works by this renowned genius and bringing eternal glory to his nest. This invention would continue to amaze people for centuries to come as da Vinci’s drawings and sketches revealed how a human being could power an aircraft with their own two feet.
“Men wrongly lament the flight of time, blaming it for being too swift; they do not perceive that its passage is sufficiently long, but a good memory, which nature has given to us, causes things long past to seem present.”
Time flies when you’re having fun and making memories with loved ones. For some people, life goes by too quickly. Getting older doesn’t mean your life is over- just that there are more important things to focus on now.
“For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.”
When you have flown, you will never want to walk on the ground again. Leonardo da Vinci said this in a quote that is now widely known and often used. The artist, scientist, and inventor was right – once you’ve experienced the joys of flight, you’ll never want to be confined to the ground again. You’ll crave adventure and new experiences, and all you can think about will be soaring through the sky.
Famous Leonardo da Vinci quotes
“Learning is the only thing that never disappoints us.”
“The supreme misfortune is when theory outstrips performance.”
“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.”
“Darkness is absence of light. Shadow is diminution of light.”
“The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.”
“Truth was always but the daughter of time.”
“I’m not contented to capture the world. I want to change it.”
“Not to punish evil is equivalent to authorizing it.”
“We know well that mistakes are more easily detected in the works of others than in one’s own.”
“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold.”
“A diamond is just a lump of coal that stuck to its job.”
“Obstacles cannot bend me. Every obstacle yields to effort.”
“The length of a man’s outspread arms is equal to his height.”
“Advertisers constantly invent cures to which there is no disease.”
“The wisest and noblest teacher is nature itself.”
“You must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.”
“Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind.”
Final thought
Leonardo da Vinci quotes are a testament to his genius, and provide us with valuable insights into the world around us. We can all learn something from his words of wisdom, and use them to improve our lives. So, take some time to read through his quotes and ponder their meaning – you may just find some inspiration for your own life!
Did you enjoy our lates collection of Leonardo da Vinci quotes? There are many to choose from and you are bound to find one (or more) that resonate with you. Who knows, maybe you will even be inspired to create your own masterpiece after reading some of his words of wisdom.
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