Leonardo’s lifelong journey encompassed an array of engineering marvels, each conceived to enhance the efficiency of various work tasks. His inventive spirit gave rise to an eclectic mix of civil machines, transforming mundane chores into streamlined operations. Among his ingenious creations were hoists tailored for lifting hefty materials, textile machines, cranes, drills, and excavators, illustrating the breadth of his engineering mastery.
From his early days as an apprentice at Verrocchio’s workshop in Florence, Leonardo showcased an appetite for innovation. Drawing upon his fascination with optics, he crafted ‘burning mirrors’ that harnessed the concentrated heat produced by reflection to fuse or weld metals. His keen observations of how light behaves and reflects off various surfaces laid the foundation for future discoveries.
Leonardo’s artistic eye extended to the realm of everyday machines, where he engaged in the detailed study and analysis of their operations. In his pursuit of enhancing speed and efficiency, he often translated his findings into detailed mechanical drawings that are hailed as works of art. Some sketches are refined, capturing the essence of the device, while others are swift and rough, focusing on the mechanics alone. Accompanying these sketches are hasty notes, presented in his signature ‘mirror-writing’, outlining further observations and ideas for optimising the machines’ functionalities.
His unwavering interest in mechanics persisted throughout his life. Even in his later years, Leonardo revisited his pioneering work on metallurgy, cranes, construction-site machines, and textile machinery. This relentless pursuit of perfection remained a constant theme, underscoring his commitment to refining these machines until the very end.
There are three classes of people: Those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.