Leonardo lived during the Renaissance and is today considered to be the ideal"Renaissance Man". The current definition of this label is often said to be someone who is multitalented and very knowledgeable about various aspects of the world. Leonardo himself had a thirst for knowledge and a questioning spirit, thinking that everything was connected in some way and wanting to learn it all.

The word Renaissance is a French term that means "rebirth" or "reawakening". People living at this time were fascinated by the discoveries and ideas from ancient Greece and Rome. There was a renewed interest in the world and humankind, complimented by discoveries in medicine, astronomy, human anatomy, and the earth. Contemporaries of Leonardo included Copernicus, Christopher Columbus, and Michelangelo.

Leonardo is most famous for his paintings, including The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa, but his ideas contributed to many other fields of study. He was fascinated with the human form and proportion, nature, flight and strange machines. He explored so many new ideas and contributed to a wealth of knowledge; to art and science. He is the ultimate example of a Renaissance Man.