13. The cultural and technological potential of Leonardo da Vinci in the modern world is beyond estimation
The archetypal “Renaissance Man” or “Universal Genius”, Leonardo da Vinci was an acclaimed Italian polymath from the late-15th and early-16th centuries whose influence has spanned the generations since. Widely considered one of the most diversely talented individuals to have ever lived, Leonardo’s contributions to the world ranged from the artistic, including sculpting and painting, to the scientific, such as engineering and mathematics. Offering also countless technological innovations, Leonardo’s ingenuity has been credited with the conceptual creation of flying machines, tanks, solar power, and the calculator – all technologies far beyond the capabilities of his time.
Predominantly remembered today as a painter, with his Salvator Mundi sold at auction for $450.3m – the highest price ever paid for a work of art – as well as producing The Last Supper, the most replicated religious painting in history, and the Mona Lisa, only fifteen original works have survived to the modern age. Unrivaled in skill and scope, an opportunity for Leonardo to transform and making further lasting contributions to humanity’s culture and knowledge could not be overlooked. Furthermore, for a man of unquestionable intellectual thirst, the chance for Leonardo to experience the future of humanity would be a gift like no other.