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Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position

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Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position

#21

Post by ludoo »

betawolf33 wrote: post #4

He didn't actually complete very much while he was there, though (this was a recurring problem for him which only got worse in later life) -- his contribution over sixteen years was a couple of paintings [including, it must be said, the famous Last Supper, which would rapidly deteriorate after completion] and assistance with various pageants. His one attempt at something lasting and challenging, a giant bronze statue…

Wikipedia lists lots of activities for the time spent in Milan: several paintings, frescoes in the ducal castle, work on military and hydraulic projects, etc.

Plus, the Last Supper is a huge fresco, not just "a painting", which from concept to execution took several years.

Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position

#23

Post by gandalfu »

clueless123 wrote: post #15
edw519 wrote: post #12

If it worked for Leonardo da Vinci, maybe it could work for me. The next time I'm looking for a job, I'll try this: "Most Illustrious Proprietor, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled developers of applications of business, and that the invention and operation of the said programs are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudic…

Dang! great minds think alike :)

I prefer the humbler version: "fools never disagree" ;)

Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position

#24

Post by jenius »

praptak wrote: post #8
betawolf33 wrote: post #4

He didn't actually complete very much while he was there, though (this was a recurring problem for him which only got worse in later life) -- his contribution over sixteen years was a couple of paintings [including, it must be said, the famous Last Supper, which would rapidly deteriorate after completion] and assistance with various pageants. His one attempt at something lasting and challenging, a giant bronze statue…

Had the Duke administered the 1% HR personality test it would surely weed out this Da Vinci guy.

An actually good joke cross-referencing a previous popular HN article -- well done my friend, well done.

Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position

#25

Post by Zarathust »

Something that strikes me is that Da Vinci got the job mostly as a combat engineer, hired to destroy enemy forces by any means possible, but ended up creating art of various sorts and increasing human knowledge in many domains. The military appeal he provided seemed only interesting during the hiring process and is not what lasted across the ages.

Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position

#26

Post by kapilvt »

reminds me of nikolai tesla attempts to sell tech to rich investors or the military.. such is most of human history. quite a lot of the best and brightest in search of funding to pursue their research turn to the military industrial complex rulers aka generals and plutocrats. while the emergence of the internet has opened up a third avenue, how many phds languish on wall street or the nsa.

Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position

#28

Post by Lambdanaut »

edw519 wrote: post #12

If it worked for Leonardo da Vinci, maybe it could work for me. The next time I'm looking for a job, I'll try this: "Most Illustrious Proprietor, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled developers of applications of business, and that the invention and operation of the said programs are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudic…

I wonder how Da Vinci would feel to know that 500 years after he wrote this letter, it would be parodied by future men and their magical supercomputer tech.

Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position

#29

Post by VexXtreme »

Lambdanaut wrote: post #28
edw519 wrote: post #12

If it worked for Leonardo da Vinci, maybe it could work for me. The next time I'm looking for a job, I'll try this: "Most Illustrious Proprietor, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled developers of applications of business, and that the invention and operation of the said programs are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudic…

I wonder how Da Vinci would feel to know that 500 years after he wrote this letter, it would be parodied by future men and their magical supercomputer tech.

Or that he was portrayed aiding and making weapons for assassins in a video game.
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