Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most intelligent and talented men of all time. He was an accomplished painter, sculptor, musician, architect, engineer, scientist and inventor. In fact, the diversity of his expertise helped set the standard for the idea of the "Renaissance man." As a scientist, he conducted intricate anatomical studies of plants, animals, and people that he recorded with detailed drawings of extreme technical precision and artistic beauty. Many of his ideas and inventions were so advanced in their anticipation of modern technology that they were not understood or constructed. As an artist, he pioneered the painting techniques of sfumato and chiaroscuro and created such masterpieces as Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Leonardo da Vinci's contributions to art, science, and culture were so profound that it is hard to measure the immensity of their impact on us today.