DrawingAcademy

Article by Clayton Cogmon Jr.

Leonardo da Vinci was born April 15, 1452. He is considered by many the greatest painter of all time. However, he is also known as one of the greatest anatomists of his time. When he died in 1519, da Vinci left behind thousands of pages of notes and drawings that lay undiscovered for hundreds of years. These notes include hundreds of surprisingly accurate anatomical sketches.

Leonardo da Vinci first began his sketches in Milan, Italy during the year 1482, already a full fledged artist. He was very curious about the human body; he wanted to get inside and see how it worked. To accomplish this, da Vinci would acquire bodies from the church and dissect them. He analyzed the different muscle groups and tendons, trying to deduce what made what move and what worked where. He recorded these observations in his notebook. Pages upon pages of newfound discoveries and theories were shown. His sketches were done very meticulously and, to modern anatomists surprise, immensely accurate.

Article by Carol GRACE de SOFIA, Drawing Academy student

JOSÉ JIMÉNEZ ARANDA – 1837-1903

In 1889, Jiménez Aranda’s brother Luis was awarded a prize for “The Hospital,” painted from the interior of a French hospital and meticulously detailed.

The piece received the Medal of Honor at the Spanish Pabillion during the Universal Expo in Paris. This marked a painting renaissance throughout Spain.

The Universal Expo of 1889 initiated a new trend in Spanish painting: Naturalism. José Jiménez Aranda said of his brother Luis’ artwork that “It is simple and logical. We know how to paint, but need to renovate ourselves.”

Only Great Masters are able to change their style—which is exactly what Jiménez Aranda did, proving once more his real talent. He had already mastered the Casaca style and earned a tremendous reputation, and even though he was over 50 years old, he completely changed course…