Da Vinci Genius: Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci is often seen as the archetype of the "Renaissance man." He is universally recognized as a genius. His curiosity had no bounds, and his inventive spirit seemed limitless. He is one of the greatest painters who ever lived.

Born on April 15, 1452, Leonardo became a true polymath—a person of great learning. He was an anatomist, a sculptor, an engineer, an architect, a musician, an inventor and a painter, making significant contributions to all of these fields. He died on May 2 ,1519 and no single person has been able to reach such a high degree of proficiency in such a wide range of fields since.

Damage and Restoration


Lady with Ermine	Lady with Ermine
Restoration by DaVinciGenius.com Yellow overlay removed, color saturation returned to original, panel returned to original size.	Museum copy yellowed by centuries of varnish applied to preserve the paint, and height reduced due to damage at upper left corner.
Time has taken its toll on the magnificent art that da Vinci produced. Centuries of exposure to light have caused the paintings to fade. Varnish used to protect them has yellowed, and one of his most famous works has been badly damaged by exposure to the weather. Evidence from Leonardo's diaries, eyewitness accounts from the first generations following Leonardo's time, and chemical analyses of the paints Leonardo used now enables us to reconstruct the original colors of these fabulous works of art. Our Art page presents an overview of our digital restoration work. Full size, high resolution prints are available for purchase there. Two examples are included below.

"Mona Lisa"	"Mona Lisa"
Restoration by DaVinciGenius.com Dark overlay removed, color saturation returned to original, canvass returned to original size, original columns returned.	Actan Gallery copy, darkened by centuries of varnish applied to protect the paint. Size reduced by an early owner.

Our restorations are available for purchase by calling (919) 401-2586.