Leonardo Da Vinci Essays (2447 words) - Giftedness,

Leonardo Da Vinci Painter, sculptor, inventor. Born April 15, 1452 near the village of Vinci, Italy. He was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero da Vinci, a prominent notary of Florence, who had no other children until much later. Ser Piero raised his son himself, a common practice at the time, arranging for Leonardo's mother to marry a villager. When Leonardo was 15, his father apprenticed him to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading artist of Florence and a characteristic talent of the early Renaissance. A sculptor, painter, and goldsmith, Verrocchio was a remarkable craftsman, and his great skill and passionate concern for quality of execution, as well as his interest in expressing the vital mobility of the human figure, were important elements in Leonardo's artistic formation. Indeed, much in Leonardo's approach to art was evolutionary from tradition rather than revolutionary against it, although the opposite is often true of his results. After completing his apprenticeship, Leonardo stayed on as an assistant in Verrocchio's shop, and his earliest known painting is a product of his collaboration with the master. In Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ (ca. 1475), Leonardo executed one of the two angels, a fact already recorded in the 16th century, as well as the distant landscape, and he added the final touches to the figure of Christ, determining the texture of the flesh. Collaboration on a major project by a master and his assistant was standard procedure in the Italian Renaissance. What is special is that Leonardo's work is not, as was usual, a slightly less skilled version of Verrocchio's manner of painting but an original approach altering it. It completely possesses all the fundamental qualities of Leonardo's mature style and implies a criticism of the early Renaissance. By changing hard metallic surface effects to soft yielding ones, making edges less cutting, and increasing the slight modulations of light and shade, Leonardo evoked a new flexibility within the figures. This soft union, as Giorgio Vasari called it, is also present in the special lighting and is emphatically developed in the spiral turn of the angel's head and body and the vast depth of the landscape. Apparently Leonardo had painted one extant work, the Annunciation in Florence, before this. It is much nearer to Verrocchio in the stability of the two figures shown in profile, the clean precision of the decorative details, and the large simple shapes of the trees, but it already differs in the creamier modeling of the faces. A little later is Leonardo's portrait of Ginevra de' Benci, the young wife of a prominent Florentine merchant, in which her oily face with softly contoured lips is seen against a background of mysteriously dark trees and a pond. About 1478 Leonardo set up his own studio. In 1481 he received a major church commission for an altarpiece, the Adoration of the Magi. In this unfinished painting, Leonardo's new approach is far more developed. A crowd of spectators, with odd and varied faces, flutters around and peers at the main group of the Virgin and Child, and there is a strong sense of continuing movement. In the background the three horses of the kings prance among intricate architectural ruins. However, the painting also illustrates Leonardo's strong sense of the need for a countervailing order: he placed in the center of the composition the Virgin and Child, who traditionally in paintings of this theme had appeared at one side of the picture, approached by the kings from the other side. Similarly, the picturesque ruins are rendered in sharp perspective. The simultaneous increase in both the level of activity and the organized system which controls it will climax later in Leonardo's Last Supper, and it shows us his basically scientific temperament?one concerned with not only adding to the quantity of accurate observations of nature but also subjecting these observations to newly inferred physical or mathematical laws. In their paintings earlier Renaissance artists had applied the rules of linear perspective, by which objects appear smaller in proportion as they are farther away from the eye of the spectator. Leonardo joined this principle to two others: perspective of clarity (distant objects progressively lose their separateness and hence are not drawn with outlines) and perspective of color (distant objects progressively tend

Free Essays on The Qualities of the Prince

Past and Present Analysis of Views on Human Nature In his work, â€Å"The Qualities of the Prince†, Machiavelli shares his views on the key requirements for leadership. He believes that in order to effectively continue an esteemed status of leadership, there are necessary qualities that one must personify. Although these qualities may not generally be accepted in society as fair or even moral, Machiavelli maintains that a reputable leader is efficient in battle, superior in mentality, and effective in manipulation. He also states that although a leader may not actually possess these characteristics, it is important to appear to the rest of the inhabitants of the empire as possessing them because, in the writer’s judgment, most of the populace cannot achieve greatness and therefore must be led. Machiavelli’s overall view of human nature is that while a leader will be strong, wise, and wealthy, most other people are weak, naà ¯ve, and envious. Machiavelli believes most people by nature are weak. He probes even further into this theory to show that because of this inherent weakness in the general population, a leader should constantly strive to develop strategies that will utilize the weaknesses of the many to increase his strength and ability to remain in power. Machiavelli places a high importance on a leader’s competence in mastering all facets of fighting against opposition and being victorious in war. He claims that the first way for a leader to gain power is to be â€Å"well versed† in all aspects of war (Machiavelli, 1513, p. 38). Machiavelli believes that as a leader’s expertise in oppressing the masses expands, so does his power. Skill on the part of the leader, or lack thereof on the part of the people proves to be an issue of strength or weakness. In addition to being weak, Machiavelli believes most people by nature are naà ¯ve, basic minded individuals who are easily influenced and will believe all of what they see. ... Free Essays on The Qualities of the Prince Free Essays on The Qualities of the Prince Past and Present Analysis of Views on Human Nature In his work, â€Å"The Qualities of the Prince†, Machiavelli shares his views on the key requirements for leadership. He believes that in order to effectively continue an esteemed status of leadership, there are necessary qualities that one must personify. Although these qualities may not generally be accepted in society as fair or even moral, Machiavelli maintains that a reputable leader is efficient in battle, superior in mentality, and effective in manipulation. He also states that although a leader may not actually possess these characteristics, it is important to appear to the rest of the inhabitants of the empire as possessing them because, in the writer’s judgment, most of the populace cannot achieve greatness and therefore must be led. Machiavelli’s overall view of human nature is that while a leader will be strong, wise, and wealthy, most other people are weak, naà ¯ve, and envious. Machiavelli believes most people by nature are weak. He probes even further into this theory to show that because of this inherent weakness in the general population, a leader should constantly strive to develop strategies that will utilize the weaknesses of the many to increase his strength and ability to remain in power. Machiavelli places a high importance on a leader’s competence in mastering all facets of fighting against opposition and being victorious in war. He claims that the first way for a leader to gain power is to be â€Å"well versed† in all aspects of war (Machiavelli, 1513, p. 38). Machiavelli believes that as a leader’s expertise in oppressing the masses expands, so does his power. Skill on the part of the leader, or lack thereof on the part of the people proves to be an issue of strength or weakness. In addition to being weak, Machiavelli believes most people by nature are naà ¯ve, basic minded individuals who are easily influenced and will believe all of what they see. ...

Marketing transportation assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing transportation assignment - Essay Example This process goes through a machine. The machine has three compartments. Bottles that come from the roll conveyor get into the machine for successive treatment. The bo0ttles are cleaned in the frost compartment with a small amount t of caustic soda at a temperature of 100 to 115 F. In the second compartment the bottles are again rewashed with a small amount of caustic soda at a temperature of 120F.now to the third compartment, the bottles are rinsed again with sort ware for another ten minutes (Kachru, 693). In this place, syrup is prepared from filtered water, sugar and the concentrate. The room is filtered with several tanks where the first one is heating tank where syrup is actually prepared. Here the amount of sugar concentrate is heated up to 850 F where a saturated solution is made (Kachru, 693). The filled bottles are then crowned with plastic or metallic caps to protect the purity of the content .They are then branded with the necessary information by the help of laser machine for its supply in the market .the bottles are then lifted manually from the conveyor and packed. After all this process then the wholesalers take the beverages from the pepsin manufacturer and distribute it to the wholesaler (Kachru,

The Flow of Foreign Direct Investment to Developing Countries Essay

The Flow of Foreign Direct Investment to Developing Countries - Essay Example This theory draws heavily on the more general work of Williamson that explores the conditions under which firms choose a hierarchical approach to engaging in business activities rather than a market-based approach. Williamson argues that where two sets of conditions exist, firms will tend to prefer internal or hierarchical approaches. These conditions include oligopolistic (few sellers) or oligopsonistic (few buyers) market settings and situations of great uncertainty. Oligopolistic or oligopsonistic situations lead to the choice of a hierarchical approach because, in these situations, opportunistic economic agents will make it very difficult for a firm to negotiate an equitable transaction. In situations of uncertainty, the fact that individuals and organizations are limited in their analytical capacity will lead to internal organization because of the difficulty of writing and enforcing long-term contracts that incorporate all the necessary contingencies that arise as a result of a n uncertain environment (Michael, 1982). Building upon this work, international business theorists suggest that firms that venture overseas either have a particular competitive advantage or seek a competitive advantage. A firm's existing competitive advantage might be its superior technology, its unparalleled management expertise, or its unique brand name. Indeed, these competitive advantages are often intangible assets. Though critical to the firm, they are not identified as fixed assets in the firm's balance sheet. The firm has various options it could use to benefit from these competitive advantages. These options span the choice of a market or a hierarchical approach. In particular, the firm could sell or rent these advantages on the... This essay stresses that the worldwide pool of labor expanded beyond the borders of the countries with enfranchised working classes and high levels of reproduction. Employers seeking to minimize their direct employment costs and their indirect political burdens sought out communities of workers who were politically less potent than those in the older industrial states and whose costs of reproduction were lower. This paper makes a conclusion that the findings highlight the interaction between global financial institutions and local political-economic variables. When these variables measure both international and intranational processes simultaneously, they reflect or point to highly interdependent processes that influence the location of foreign investment. In other words, national and international dynamics are so interpenetrating in the modern world system that any analysis that disregards the effect of either set of factors is seriously deficient. As such, the work extends the political sociology of foreign direct investment by showing the importance of international financial institutions in directing and attracting foreign direct investment. Specifically, International Monetary Fund conditionality is both a signal of approval and a generator of policies that create access to foreign investors. When these two factors interact with policies of repressive regimes, foreign investors have re alized their goal: economic access and political protection.

Gym usage in afro Caribbean men and its influence on acquiring the Essay

Gym usage in afro Caribbean men and its influence on acquiring the perfect body - Essay Example The thesis aims to identify some of the main aspects of gym use among Afro Caribbean men. The quest for beauty is not limited to women only. Men and women both have from time immemorial strived for better looking features and physique. While the standards of beauty have continued to evolve, the quest remains the same. The growth of the fashion, beauty and health care industry has been significant in increasing awareness about the physical aspects of the body to a new level that was never before. Previously, only women seemed to be affected by the societal and media demands of having the perfect physique and facial features. Now, even men are not spared with the new wave of fashion industry putting men under as tight scrutiny as women. Therefore, the new beauty trend is not only woman, but also man (Hatoum et al, 2004). This is however, only one aspect of the growing awareness about the physical features and their aesthetic requirements. The effect of these projections on the media and the social adverse reactions to other forms of physique have created effect on almost all, and therefore, the newer generations are becoming increasingly brand and beauty conscious. There is no family and parents spared now, who do not complain about the vanity that has entered their children’s mind, instead of the good moral and personal qualities. The introduction of the thousands of brands for skin, hair, nails, and makeup and others has increased this madcap rush towards beautification. This along with the increase in the number gyms, health spas, beauty salons and various beauty service providers with uncounted names continue to increase this desire for more beautiful bodies. Part of this need for beauty is not entirely false. The social prerequisites became more physical and material with the advent of the industrial age. There is now a certain image and look to be

Romans And The Christian Worldview

Romans And The Christian Worldview Pauls letter to the Roman church was not meant to be a systematic theology. It was an occasional letter that contained a very systematic presentation of the Gospel. This makes Romans a very important book when it comes to the Christian Worldview. It covers a wide array of topics that are essential for a believer to understand and to live by. These topics include: creation, sin, salvation, eschatology, ethics, and theology. It will be shown what Paul teaches about these topics and how they apply to a Christians worldview. Paul teaches that in creation, God has given a testimony of himself and his goodness in Romans 1:19-20. This passage says that what can be known about God is made plain and that His invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20) It also speaks about how believers should have relationships with the opposite sex and not with the same sex in Romans 1:26-27, because this is the natural way. In ones human nature one chooses to rebel not wanting to be under any kind of authority, whether it is that of another person or God himself. So since humans would much rather choose to live under their own control, Paul teaches that God gives those who would reject Christ over to lust in Romans 1:28-32. Sin is another topic that Paul covers in his letter to the Roman Christians. Sin at one point is described as anything not done from faith, in Romans 14:23. In Romans 6:23 Paul says, For the wages of sin is deathà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Sin is not something that God takes lightly and it is important for Christians to understand that they are sinners and to avoid it at all costs. In Romans 1, Paul gives his readers a list of sins that mankind was committing in Romans 1:29-32. In learning that everyone sins from Romans 3:23 and need a savior, one also learns that there is salvation.  [2]   SALVATION Salvation does not lie in anything that a person can do for themselves; Paul teaches that it is the power of God and God alone in Romans 1:16-17. In Romans 3:24-25, Paul tells about the work of Jesus Christ as the redeemer, who was put forth as the propitiation for the sins of the world. Also including the surrounding verses of 21-21, Paul continually uses the word faith when dealing with Gods righteousness and justification. When it comes to sanctification and living a life empowered by the Holy Spirit, Romans 8 gives one of the strongest sections on how one can live apart from the flesh and live in the Spirit.  [3]   ESCHATOLOGY/ETHICS/ THEOLOGY One can learn about God and some of his ultimate goals by reading Romans 11. In this chapter Paul teaches about the last days and what Christians can expect during these times. Chapter 11 lays out the plan and process by which the Gentiles are saved and how the people of Israel will be saved in the last days. It is important to know our place in all of this. Romans aslo speaks directly as to how we should live as Christians. It begins in chapter12, being told to live as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God in Romans12:1. Paul continues instructing people to renew their minds, basically telling them to think differently than they did when they belonged to the world. Throughout the book of Romans one can gather glimpses of what God is truly like; starting in chapter one verse twenty, his power and divine nature have been clearly seen. Throughout chapter two and parts of three Paul teaches about how God is righteous. In 3:25 one learns about his forbearance with previous sin, al l while learning how much he loves his children. In chapter eight and nine Paul teaches of his sovereignty and that all things are in his control. Through it all Paul teaches that believers can trust God to do what he promises, according to Romans chapter 4.  [4]   CONCLUSION The Book of Romans is full of teachings that are essential to a Christians walk. With all of the talk about evolution and the big bang theory one needs to know what God teaches about creation and what he wants to get across. Sin causes death in a believer and God has provided away for each human to be saved from this death. That comes through salvation from Jesus Christ. In the end times Gods ultimate goal is to see all his children come to a saving knowledge of His Son, Jews and Gentiles. Christians should operate in a righteous fashion while in this world and God will always be there to help and support each and every one of them.

His Odyssey to Chat :: Argumentative Persuasive Communication Essays

His Odyssey to Chat From the readings in Constructive Identity in the Computer Age, there are many authors with different views and claims about the Internet, such as Sherry Turkle who wrote an article called "Identity in the Age of the Internet: Living in the Mud," about how we should have hidden identities online to hide behind. Even Dale Spender had a few great points in her essay "Gender Bending," about gender-neutral names enabling us to speak freely on the net so that we are not judged for being a man or a woman. The author that struck me most was Jesse Kornbluth. He is the author of the essay, "(you make me feel like) A Virtual Woman." Kornbluth claims that he cannot have a meaningful conversation online because people are playing word games of either sexual content, or defending themselves against that sort of communication. And how people speak like they are online addicts. "(you make me feel like) A Virtual Woman," expresses Kornbluth's thoughts about communication. In the beginning of his essay, Kornbluth apologizes to any women readers who may have been offended by his portrayal of a woman character on the Net. Then he goes on telling his readers why he faked as a woman on the Net. Kornbluth's main goal was to experiment with genders online. In the beginning of his venture through cyber communication, he is first approached by "online addicts." These are people on the Net who like to express themselves using expressions such as LOL (laugh out loud) and {{{{LOLA}}}} to signify a warm greeting. These type of conversations only bored Kornbluth. So, he moved on to the next chat room, the member rooms. Yet, the people in this room only had one idea on their mind, "The women, in the main, come to talk; the men, in the main, talk to come." (Kornbluth 77). Next he tried the male rooms, although, Kornbluth knew that the male rooms were usually only for gay me n. Kornbluth feels that if he were to actually stay and converse in the men's chat he wouldn't have the chance to talk to men like himself, "quick thinking, sharp tongued, straight men." His last chance was the "women 4 women" chat room. He figured that he couldn't just enter as a man because he would be kicked out and be forced to hang out in one of the main chats.