"Stay thirsty, my friends."
Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position
41–50 of 56 posts
Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position
#42He definitely lack the kind of ego of engineers of our times.
Indeed. Incredibly humble of one of history's greatest painters to simply state he can paint as well as any man.
Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position
#43He definitely lack the kind of ego of engineers of our times.
Indeed. Incredibly humble of one of history's greatest painters to simply state he can paint as well as any man.
> I can further execute sculpture in marble, bronze or clay, also in painting I can do as much as anyone else, whoever he may be.
He's saying he can paint as well as even the best painters. (Which was true.)
"No matter who you put in the wrestling wring, he's at best an even match for me."
Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position
#44"Stay thirsty, my friends."
I think it's somewhat beautiful that the only response you thought appropriate, concerning one of the most brilliant minds ever produced by humanity, was to quote a television commercial.
Regardless, I'm sure Leonardo would be proud of the comparison.
Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position
#45Something 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.
Only historians care which family controlled some town in any given year. The rest of us can't even recall who won the hundred years' war, which certainly sounds like it would have been a big deal at the time.
Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position
#46I feel like this pops up here once every quarter.
Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position
#47Brilliant. Notice that he doesn't dwell on his "qualifications" or his accolades, the letter is basically: 1. I know as you do that there are many who claim to be able to bring you new stuff, but as we both know, they are almost all just rebranding the same old stuff we already have 2. I can do the following important things for you: a. b. c. ... 3. If you are skeptical of my seemingly optimistic claims, I'd be happy…
My thoughts precisely. It's a good model for any job applicant aiming for any non-mindless job. The thing to keep in mind is: don't just make a list of your skills unless it's obvious how they relate to the job you want. It's always best if you show you've put some thought into what your target company really needs and where it's pain points are. As an employee you're still an entrepreneur in a sense, selling your se…
A researcher applying for a research job doesn't list their skills (well, maybe as a minor point), they list projects, publications, along with experience. The CV often looks more like a portfolio.
Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or that he was portrayed aiding and making weapons for assassins in a video game.
While there's a lot that is rather farcical about the historical backdrop behind the (phenomenal) AC games, Da Vinci working on the development of weaponry is not exactly one of them.
In fact, he preferred the manufacture of weapons of war to the production of works of art; Da Vinci considered himself an engineer over an artist (and damn, was he an artist!).
Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position
#49He 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…
I think if you're going to include the Last Supper as a caveat to not producing much in Milan, you should also include the two Madonna of the Rocks paintings, which have been regarded as some of Da Vinci's most technically proficient paintings.
Re: Letter from Da Vinci to the Duke of Milan applying for a position
#50I'm surprised the French were successful despite the technology and engineering Da Vinci brought to the table.
Indeed, if Leonardo's weapons were so superior, how comes we could defeat them and capture the duke? :-)