He also completed another great painting of John the Baptist as a young man. ... Because young Leonardo demonstrated a great talent for drawing, his father later made him an apprentice in the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio, a leading artist in Florence. ... Artists in the fifteenth century Italy were more than just expert painters and sculptors however. ... He completed his most famous portrait La Gioconda (Mona Lisa). ... He planned the costumes and sets for festivals and plays, designed and built forts, laid out new canals for the city and painted many portraits. ...

• Word Count: 1626
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School