The Spirit of the Renaissance

"Verocchio painted one angel, and then asked Leonardo to paint another. Legend has it that Leonardo's angel looked so much better than Verrocchio's that the old master never picked up a brush again."

According to legend, what happened after Leonardo outshone his master?

• Verrocchio never painted again.
• Verrocchio painted a masterpiece immediately after.
• Leonardo became Verrocchio's assistant.
• Verrocchio became a famous sculptor instead.

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"The story, whether true or legendary, tells a lot about Leonardo's attitude toward life: Man is capable of doing anything he sets his mind to. Anything!"

"That belief drove Leonardo do Vinci to explore uncharted territory in many fields. He was passionately interested in a number of subjects, and highly skilled at most anything he tried."

What does the word uncharted mean as it is used in the text?

• unknown or unexplored
• common or ordinary
• mapped or charted
• well-known or familiar

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"Often, a master artist would paint the main features of a picture but leave it for an apprentice to finish the landscape or other smaller figures in the background. In 1476 AD, Verrocchio was working on a painting called The Baptism of Christ, Verrocchio painted one angel, and then asked Leonardo to paint another. Legend has it that Leonardo's angel looked so much better than Verrocchio's that the old master never picked up a brush again."

Even as an apprentice, how did Leonardo supposedly demonstrate his "artistic genius?"

• Leonardo painted the entire background himself.
• Leonardo's angel looked much better than Verrocchio's.
• Verrocchio's angel was more detailed than Leonardo's.
• Verrocchio never allowed anyone to paint alongside him.

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"It took two years (from 1495-1497 AD) for Leonardo de Vinci to finish The Last Supper."

Why did the painting not last very long?

(Refer to page 26 in your reader.)

• The painting was destroyed in a fire.
• Leonardo da Vinci used watercolors instead of oil paints.
• It was painted on canvas instead of wood.
• The type of paint used caused the wall to crumble.

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How did Leonardo refine, or improve upon, Brunelleschi's rules of perspective?

(Refer to page 26 in your reader.)

• According to Leonardo, when painting objects at a distance, you should not make them too detailed, and you should make the colors a little weaker.

• Leonardo rejected the concept of perspective entirely.
• Leonardo focused solely on geometric shapes without considering light.
• Brunelleschi's rules were not used by Leonardo at all.

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What does Leonardo's attempt to make man fly tell us about his personality?

• Leonardo was primarily focused on painting and had no interest in flight.
• His personality was marked by a reluctance to take risks and avoid new ideas.
• Leonardo believed that man should not attempt to fly, as it was against nature.
• Leonardo had great perseverance because he tried numerous times to create a flying machine.

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How is Leonardo an embodiment of the belief that man can do anything he sets his mind to?

• Leonardo's work was limited to his time and did not influence future generations.
• Leonardo focused solely on painting and did not explore other fields.
• Leonardo believed that only a few individuals could achieve greatness.
• Leonardo embodies the belief that man can do anything he sets his mind to by excelling in a variety of subject areas, including different areas of art and science.

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