In the early 1480s, Leonardo da Vinci was still a young man. He had not yet painted The Last Supper or the Mona Lisa. Indeed, he was a young man with some skills, generous curiosity, and the courage to start before he was ready.
Wanting to leave his native city of Florence and make a name for himself, Leonardo sent a letter to Duke Ludovico Sforza of Milan asking for a job.
Interestingly, Leonardo did not ask to be a painter or sculptor in the royal court. Instead, he proposed doing a job that he had no experience in — military design.
He promised impressive achievements:
- I have plans for very light, strong and easily portable bridges with which to pursue and, on some occasions, flee the enemy, and others, sturdy and indestructible either by fire or in battle, easy and convenient to lift and place in position. Also means of burning and destroying those of the enemy.
- I know how, in the course of the siege of a terrain, to remove water from the moats and how to make an infinite number of bridges, mantlets and scaling ladders and other instruments necessary to such an enterprise.
- Also, if one cannot, when besieging a terrain, proceed by bombardment either because of the height of the glacis or the strength of its situation and location, I have methods for destroying every fortress or other stranglehold unless it has been founded upon a rock or so forth.
- I have also types of cannon, most convenient and easily portable, with which to hurl small stones almost like a hail-storm; and the smoke from the cannon will instil a great fear in the enemy on account of the grave damage and confusion.
- Also, I have means of arriving at a designated spot through mines and secret winding passages constructed completely without noise, even if it should be necessary to pass underneath moats or any river.
- Also, I will make covered vehicles, safe and unassailable, which will penetrate the enemy and their artillery, and there is no host of armed men so great that they would not break through it. And behind these the infantry will be able to follow, quite uninjured and unimpeded.
- Also, should the need arise, I will make cannon, mortar and light ordnance of very beautiful and functional design that are quite out of the ordinary.
- Where the use of cannon is impracticable, I will assemble catapults, mangonels, trebuckets and other instruments of wonderful efficiency not in general use. In short, as the variety of circumstances dictate, I will make an infinite number of items for attack and defence.
- And should a sea battle be occasioned, I have examples of many instruments which are highly suitable either in attack or defence, and craft which will resist the fire of all the heaviest cannon and powder and smoke.
- In time of peace I believe I can give as complete satisfaction as any other in the field of architecture, and the construction of both public and private buildings, and in conducting water from one place to another.
Undoubtedly, these innovations in wartime engineering would have been incredibly useful to the court. The only problem was that Leonardo had never done any of the things he listed before.
In fact, the designs in Leonardo’s notebooks for some of these machines would never have been feasible.
However, Leonardo had the courage to make an offer to the world. To get started on something before he knew everything. The product wasn’t ready, but it didn’t stop him from seeing the vision and working toward it.
Duke Sforza went on to be Leonardo’s long-time patron in Milan. During that time, Leonardo learned more and refined his painting, sculpting, and architecture skills. Thanks to Sforza’s early patronage, Leonardo had the freedom to practice and become the greatest painter of his generation.