Your first essay on Plato allowed you to use your own memories as subject matter for an essay related to
Plato’s allegory—this second essay will force you to venture out of your own head and grapple with
academic subject matter in an objective, expository piece of writing. Follow these instructions carefully and
you will find this good practice for most of the essay writing you will do in the remainder of your college
career, and in professional life.
LEONARDO DA VINCI: ARTIST, SCIENTIST, RENAISSANCE MAN: Write an essay of 1 1⁄2 – 2 pages (400-500
words) in which you examine both the artistic rules and scientific thinking expressed by Leonardo da
Vinci in his Treatise on Painting. In this essay you must:
1. Describe in careful detail any painting by Leonardo, and explain what makes it an expression of Italian
Renaissance style. You may use an image from the Fiero text, or find another online. Write to inform the
reader.
2. You must quote at least two passages from Leonardo’s writings (remember, those have been uploaded
to CANVAS) that, in his own words, illustrates what he was aiming at in his paintings…the point is to
clearly CONNECT his words with his art. Do not quote the Fiero textbook, and do not copy from
Wikipedia…YOU do the writing, informed by your reading of Fiero, but only quote directly from the
Leonardo packet on CANVAS. Write to explain to the reader.
3. Once you have written a solid introductory paragraph on one of his paintings, transition to his
scientific endeavors. Describe some of his more important work in the sciences (like dissecting cadavers
to better understand human anatomy, or his work in engineering). Then describe Leonardo’s
understanding of what science should be, quoting directly from him again, and again CONNECTING his
words to his studies, and to the direction that science would take during the Scientific Revolution in the
following centuries. Direct connections to figures like Galileo or Francis Bacon will make this part more
compelling.
4. Finally, conclude with a comment on whether Leonardo da Vinci was primarily an INDUCTIVE or
DEDUCTIVE thinker in his approach to art and science. Explain clearly WHY he was one or the other. In
what ways does Leonardo anticipate “modern” thinking? Write to illuminate a subtle idea for the benefit
of the reader.
NOTE: An essay in college is not like it was in high school. Do not just repeat a bunch of trivia to fill the
page, or to prove you read the material. The point of any real essay is to EXPLORE AN IDEA or ANSWER
A QUESTION. You do not need to tell me everything about Leonardo—don’t waste time and effort telling
me what year he was born or how long he lived in Florence or Rome or Amboise. Write with the
understanding that your reader already knows the basics about Leonardo—but you are writing to show
them something deeper about his thought. Essays have a theme and a thesis—make sure these are clear.
The theme is: “How did the mind of this Renaissance man operate, as revealed in his own words and
works?” The thesis should be that he was an emerging modern scientist, transitioning from the medieval
to the modern period—write an essay that convincingly argues this. Do not try to write to impress the
professor—you should always write as if the audience is your classmates whom you are helping to
understand some important idea.
Essay must be edited and polished, and read like professional English. Submit in Word format or as
a .pdf through the CANVAS portal by the due date.