What is the relationship between conflict in Renaissance Italy and artistic production?
Leonardo da Vinci was a ‘Renaissance Man.’ That is, he studied many of the diverse fields of the classical curriculum which informed his artistic development and production. Fundamental to his work were his scientific explorations and inventions, often worked out in his drawings. The patron’s need for security during these politically unstable times further promoted Leonardo’s exploration of the invention of machines for the purposes of war. Although the Renaissance use of science in art was not a new development, it was a time when the marriage of the two flourished, proving to be great importance to ruling families and powerful city-states. Today’s architect still must design structures that are stable and secure. Recall the need to reinforce the World Trade Center after an earlier attempt to destroy it when a bomb was detonated in the parking area below the tower in 1993. Whereas the relationship between the artist and political rulers may not be as directly linked as during the Ren
