The Hour of the Apprentice
by Patrick Nerra
The workshop was, as usual, bustling on this spring morning. Matteo stood before a wooden table, grinding yellow pigments into a fine powder. The steady sunshine had already warmed the room, and the odors of linseed oil and wood shavings were pleasant, if strong. Like the other apprentices, Matteo would spend much of the day preparing materials for Da Vinci while the master worked on an enormous canvas. The boy's mind wandered as his fingers mechanically performed their task.
Matteo's daydreams were interrupted by the sound of a driver shouting at his horse in the street. Within moments, Da Vinci was out of doors, quarreling with the owner of the horse cart. The apprentices eavesdropped shamelessly as the master reproached the man.
"Don't disturb the peace again! If you do, I'll see that you are arrested!"
The man muttered something and shrugged, driving his horse down the dusty street. Da Vinci withdrew indoors, raking his fingers through a mass of red curls.
"What did that man say?" he demanded of the silent apprentices.
"That you are a mad inventor and a great, soft-hearted fool," replied Ludovico, the youngest boy in the workshop.
Da Vinci laughed. For it was true that he enjoyed sketching fantastic machines as much as, or more than, he loved painting and sculpting. He sometimes dropped his paintbrush to scribble frantically in his notebooks. If a boy were lucky, he might get a glimpse of a design for a flying machine or a cart that would run by itself. What an incredible world the master created! His friends often came to the studio to see what Da Vinci was creating. They marveled at his genius and urged him on to greater and greater efforts. Everyone knew that the Duke of Milan employed Da Vinci, although he'd never managed to win favor with the powerful Medici family.
While Matteo ate his lunch of bread and cheese, he reflected on his good fortune at finding a place in Da Vinci's workshop in Milan. He might have worked in another city, such as Florence, which had been known for its master painters, woodcarvers, sculptors, and metalsmiths. But ever since his early childhood, Matteo had wanted to work for the artist most people referred to as a genius. He too wanted to invent marvelous machines, and who better to teach him than Da Vinci?
When dusk fell, the boys began to trickle out of the studio, heading home for dinner. Matteo always found it a wrench to leave this place, which seemed more alive than anywhere else in the city. Finally, even the sun deserted the sky, and Matteo found himself alone with the master who was hunched over one of those inky notebooks, completely absorbed in his sketching.
Abruptly, Da Vinci glanced up and then stared unblinkingly at the apprentice.
"Well? Not hungry for your supper, boy?"
"No, Master. I just want to see—"
"My notebook? Hm? Then see, guarda questo—this is a design for a parachute."
"Can it fly?" asked Matteo eagerly, bending his dark head over the drawing.
"It should be able to float," Da Vinci replied. "It could be made of linen cut in a large circle, with the ropes just here, and here. If a man were to throw himself down from a great height, he would land unharmed."
"And if you changed the shape, maybe made the canopy in a triangle instead of a circle?" Matteo suggested impulsively.
"Draw, then."
Carefully, Matteo made a few touches to the sketch in the notebook. Da Vinci appraised the drawing carefully, then flung back his head and grinned.
Passage 2
The Wonderful Imagination of Leonardo Da Vinci
by Cecilia Eliot
The Masterly Apprentice
Born in northern Italy in 1452, Leonard Da Vinci was truly a Renaissance man. He absorbed and helped to create what was best in Italian culture, including fine literature and art. At fifteen, Da Vinci apprenticed in Andrea del Verocchio's workshop in Florence. The apprentice soon proved to be enormously talented at painting, sculpting, and drafting designs.
Da Vinci's gifts and personality made him a favorite of the powerful Duke of Milan and won him other admirers. From 1485 to 1490, he was the duke's technical advisor and engineer, drafting flying machines, submarines, weapons, fortifications, and architecture. Based on what people already knew about simple machines such as levers, gears, and hydraulics, Da Vinci made his own designs.
At the Center of Power
In Milan, Da Vinci ran his own workshop. Having numerous projects to complete, he often gave up on one and moved on to another, although he did manage to finish several major works, including his painting The Last Supper. War and the changing circumstances of the Italian city-states kept Da Vinci on the move, but he continued to find employment. One of his patrons was the powerful Roman Cesare Borgia, for whom Da Vinci made maps and city plans.
We can learn a great deal from the notebooks Da Vinci kept from 1490 and 1495. He made sketches of the human body and other nature studies. We may admire him as the painter of the Mona Lisa, but his fabulous machines greatly impressed Da Vinci's contemporaries. Da Vinci did have rivals, the artists Michelangelo and Raphael, who competed with him for recognition and rewards.
Engineering the Future
Da Vinci was continually inspired by his observations of birds and bats. Some sketches feature a flying machine in which the pilot lay face down on a board and pedaled a crank connected to a rod-and-pulley system. He also left sketches for the "airscrew," a machine similar in theory to the modern helicopter. Da Vinci intended this device to compress air in order to achieve flight. In fact, the helicopter works on much the same principle of the aerial screw.
Da Vinci made many brilliant designs, including the self-propelled cart. Equipped with steering and a brake, the machine moved by the action of coiled springs. This may have been the world's first robot. He also designed a robotic knight, which would move by means of a cable and pulley system. Using his vast knowledge, the inventor was able to build upon and further the study of mechanics. He was a man of his time and ahead of his time.
"The Hour of the Apprentice" and "The Wonderful Imagination of Leonardo Da Vinci" both discuss how Leonardo Da Vinci was an inventor. Write an essay analyzing the significance of Da Vinci's imagination in his drive to invent. Use evidence from both passages to support your response.
Rubric
Leonardo Da Vinci was a man of extraordinary imagination, as seen in both "The Hour of the Apprentice" and "The Wonderful Imagination of Leonardo Da Vinci." His ability to conceptualize and create innovative designs set him apart as a visionary inventor. Throughout his life, Da Vinci's imagination fueled his drive to invent, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and creations that have continued to inspire generations.
In "The Hour of the Apprentice," Da Vinci's imagination is portrayed as a fundamental aspect of his work ethic and creative process. The passage describes how Da Vinci's mind is always active and engrossed in ideation, whether he is working on a painting or sketching designs for elaborate machines. His ability to visualize and conceptualize inventions, such as a parachute and flying machines, showcases his imaginative prowess. Da Vinci's willingness to experiment and innovate, as exemplified by his interactions with the apprentice Matteo, illustrates how his imagination drives his inventiveness.
Similarly, "The Wonderful Imagination of Leonardo Da Vinci" provides a comprehensive overview of Da Vinci's imaginative genius and its impact on his inventions. From his early apprenticeship in Florence to his later collaborations with powerful patrons, Da Vinci's imagination guided his work in various fields, including engineering and art. The passage highlights Da Vinci's versatile talents and his ability to incorporate his observations of nature into his designs. His sketches of flying machines, submarines, and robotic devices demonstrate how his inventive mind pushed the boundaries of what was deemed possible during his time.
Overall, the significance of Da Vinci's imagination in his drive to invent cannot be overstated. His ability to envision and create innovative solutions to complex problems paved the way for advancements in science, technology, and art. By harnessing the power of his imagination, Da Vinci was able to leave a lasting legacy of creativity and ingenuity that continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide.