Best Leonardo da Vinci Quotes

• Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
• Art is never finished, only abandoned.
• While I thought I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.
• Water is the driving force of all nature.
• The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.
• The knowledge of all things is possible.
• A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.
• Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.
• Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple, or more direct than does nature, because in her inventions nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous.
• Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.
• As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.
• Learning never exhausts the mind.
• He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast.
• A good painter is to paint two main things: men and the working of man’s mind.
• There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, and those who do not see.

Motivational Quotes

• I have offended God and mankind because my work didn’t reach the quality it should have.
• The smallest feline is a masterpiece.
• In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time.
• It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.
• Art is the queen of all sciences communicating knowledge to all the generations of the world.
• Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work, your judgment will be surer.
• Just as courage imperils life, fear protects it.
• The grandest ambition that any man can possibly have is to so live and so placidly that Senility may be the last to come to him.
• The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.
• Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.
• Life well spent is long.
• Realize that everything connects to everything else.
• I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.
• It’s time to show reverence for things which are not customary.
• Study the art of science. Study the science of art. Develop your senses – especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.

Inspirational Sayings

• The painter will produce pictures of little merit if he takes the works of others as his standard.
• The wider the range of experience, the richer and more fulfilling life…
• When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.
• He who truly knows has no occasion to shout.
• Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold.
• Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.
• Water which is too pure has no fish.
• I love those who can smile in trouble.
• Every obstacle hides an opportunity.
• It’s easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.
• If you are alone you belong entirely to yourself. If you are accompanied by even one companion you belong only half to yourself or even less in proportion to the thoughtlessness of his conduct, and if you have more than one companion you will fall more deeply into the same plight.
• The moment has no time.
• To have patience is necessary to finish this work.
• Wisdom is the daughter of experience.
• Nothing strengthens authority as much as silence.

FAQ Best Leonardo da Vinci Quotes

What did Leonardo da Vinci mean when he said, “Experience never errs; it is only your judgment that errs in promising itself results which are not caused by your experiments”?

This quote from Leonardo da Vinci emphasizes his belief in the primacy of empirical evidence and experimentation in acquiring true knowledge. He suggests that experience itself is a flawless teacher, and any errors arise from personal misinterpretations or expectations not grounded in reality.

How does Leonardo da Vinci’s quotation, “The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men,” reflect his views on nature and ethics?

This quotation reveals Leonardo da Vinci’s progressive views on animal rights and his deep respect for all forms of life. As an Italian artist and polymath, his foresight into ethical considerations regarding animals highlights his broad thinking, extending beyond the typical boundaries of the Renaissance period.

In Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, what does he describe as the function of muscle, and how does this relate to his studies in anatomy?

Leonardo da Vinci describes the function of muscle primarily as to pull and not to push, which showcases his meticulous studies in anatomy. His detailed anatomical drawings and notes, found in his notebooks, reflect his scientific approach and keen observation, demonstrating his understanding that muscles operate by contraction.

How does Leonardo da Vinci’s statement, “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen,” illustrate his perspective on art?

This quote illuminates Leonardo’s perception of the interconnectedness of the arts, viewing painting and poetry as complementary forms where one is visual and the other emotional. He recognized that both forms aim to evoke a sense of beauty and truth, each through its own medium—painting through sight and poetry through emotional resonance.

Leonardo da Vinci often remarked on the purity of water; what was one of his notable observations about how cold weather affects water?

Leonardo observed that cold weather becomes frozen in its severity just as water loses its purity by stagnating. This reflects his deep engagement with the natural world, where he often drew parallels between natural phenomena and broader philosophical or scientific principles.

Discuss how Leonardo da Vinci’s belief that “even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind” could be applied to his own lifestyle and work ethic.

Leonardo da Vinci was a proponent of continuous learning and activity, as reflected in his vast array of interests from art to engineering to anatomy. His belief that inaction weakens the mind underscores the restless, inventive spirit that propelled him to pursue diverse fields of study and leave an indelible mark on various disciplines.

What was Leonardo da Vinci’s view on how great knowledge could influence one’s perception of the world?

Leonardo da Vinci believed that great knowledge enabled a person to see the world with enhanced clarity and understanding. He felt that with education and insight, an individual could appreciate the intricate workings and beauty of both the art of painting and the broader works of nature, enriching their experience and interaction with the world around them.