Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was born on 15 April 1452 in the municipality of Vinci in the territory of Florence. He was the son of Messer Piero Frusino of Antonio da Vinci and Caterina. The event that started his career was probably his first painting. When he was young he was asked to paint a picture on a record. Then he painted a picture of snakes breathing fire. His father thought it was so terrifying that he sold it and with the money from the one he sold he bought a record with a painting already on it. Then he gave it to the man. This is the first painting I ever made. So it definitely kicked off his career. At about 15 years old Leo was an excellent artist. His father enrolled him in a study. He became a pupil of the artist known as Verrocchio. Verrocchio had studied with Donatello and had become a very accomplished artist. He was also the official sculptor of the Medici family. Leo's first known painting is The Baptism of Christ, on which he worked with Verrocchio. After some time Verrocchio stopped painting. Leo's second known work of art was The Annunciation. But for some reason he only painted the background. In 1482 Leone joined the service of the Duke of Milan, hoping for more money. He worked for the Duke for 17 years. In these 17 years Leone created only about 6 works, including The Last Supper and The Virgin of the Rocks. He then left when the Duke fell from power in 1499. During 1485-1490 Leo studied a number of subjects. His studies included designs for many inventions. During this period he also began the study of anatomy to develop his painting skills. In 1499, when the French war with Milan broke out, Leone fled to Florence. While in Florence he painted the Madonna and Child with...... medium of paper......Leo designed it for theatrical use. Leo's chariot was powered by oiled springs. It also featured braking and steering capabilities. When the brake was released, the cart moved forward. The steering was programmable to go straight or at preset angles. Leone's project baffled scholars well into the 20th century. In 2006 a museum in Milan created a working model of the design. Leo's artistic vision helped him design Scuba Gear! He designed it in Venice, called The City of Water, in 1500. He designed it for stealthy attacks on enemy ships from underwater. The leather suit was equipped with a mask bag. Attached to the mask were two tubes leading to the surface. The mask was also equipped with a balloon that could be inflated or deflated to allow the diver to surface or sink more easily. It also had a bag in which the diver could urinate (strange).