Leonardo da Vinci is arguably one of the most influential figures not only of the Renaissance but of art history itself. He provided unparalleled insight into a huge range of fields, from art to mathematics, engineering to astronomy. Remembered primarily as a painter, his most famous artworks, such as the Mona Lisa, top the list of most recognizable and reproduced paintings in the world. Da Vinci’s ability to produce such engaging and appealing images sprung from his understanding of technique. His study of perspective and proportion, epitomized in his Vitruvian Man, allowed him to reproduce reality with a remarkable degree of accuracy.
 His private journals are filled with notes (most of them written backward) and diagrams covering many subjects. His scientific studies of mechanical inventions have attracted the most attention. They exhibit such an unprecedented technical understanding that the career of Leonardo da Vinci is considered by many the start of a new, modern era.