Leonardo da Vinci is arguably one of the most amazing artists that ever lived…he also had a thing for horses. An anatomy and engineering buff, Leonardo undertook a massive project with his grand horse statue.
An Incomplete Masterpiece
With all of his talent, Leonardo was easily bored and had trouble completing projects. Interestingly enough, he worked on the horse for 17 years but was only able to create a 24 foot clay model that was to be cast in bronze. A project of this size was a huge undertaking, especially in the 15th century and seemed to capture his attention from both an artistic & an engineering perspective.
The Story of Leonardo’s Horse from Da Vinci Science Ctr on Vimeo.
A Sad End
It’s quite sad to think that the statue that one man spent 17 years of his life wound up used for target practice by the French army. Thankfully Leonardo’s work has been immortalized in several reconstructions.