Anatomy and the Renaissance

Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci

Seventh grade students learned that Renaissance means "Rebirth" and that this period in art history started in Florence, Italy.  They also learned that •Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa during the Renaissance, and today it is one of the most famous portraits in the world. 



Sketchbook, Leonardo da Vinci

 They also learned that Leonardo was a genius who was fascinated with all kinds of subjects:  •Science, •Math , •Engineering , •Sculpture, •Architecture, •Botany (study of plants), •Music and Anatomy (study of the body).   After viewing several examples of da Vinci's sketches of skeletons, students observed a model of a skeleton and drew it, then traced it onto metal tooling foil.  This type of art is called "repousse" which means "to push back" in French.  After engraving the metal with their drawings, black shoe polish was added for the final effect.