Which of the Renaissance artists do you think was the most talented and why?
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci is probably the best-known Renaissance artist, famous for his masterworks The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. The classic “renaissance man,” da Vinci was not only an artist but also an inventor, scientist, architect, engineer, and more. His innovative techniques included layering of paints, precise attention to light, shadow, and human form, and a detailed eye for expression and gesture — the last of which has led to endless speculation over the impassive face of the Mona Lisa. His famous sketch known as The Vitruvian Man is shown to the right.

Michelangelo
One of da Vinci’s contemporaries and perhaps his challenger for the title of greatest Renaissance artist was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. Born 13 years after da Vinci, Michelangelo followed in his footsteps as a Renaissance man. He was an accomplished artist, poet, architect, and engineer. His best-known work is probably the sculpture David, which was completed in the opening years of the 16th century. The nearly 15-foot David depicts the biblical figure of David in white marble from the quarry at Miseglia. Other famous works by Michelangelo include the statue Pietà and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.