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direct influence to become well known in their own right. Only two of Leonardo's followers, Bernardino Luini and Sodoma, seem to have developed well-respected careers independent of Leonardo.
    Bernardino Luini, a Milanese painter, was born sometime between 1470 and 1480, and lived until 1530. It's assumed that he was Leonardo's student, though there's no actual evidence to support that claim. A number of Luini's works, including Christ Crowned with Thorns and some of his paintings of the Virgin and Child (such as those at Saronno) show a style similar to Leonardo's in terms of color choices, overall design, and the sense of depth given by the paintings' relief elements. In these aspects, Luini came closer to replicating Leonardo's style than any other contemporary artist.
    But Luini's style was, in many ways, distinctly his own. For one thing, his works have a sweetness that Leonardo's more ambiguous paintings lack. Also, Luini's works are generally more religious than Leonardo's. Many of Luini's frescos are well known, and while Luini certainly was not a master of many fields as was Leonardo, his works do an admirable job of instilling a sense of religious stillness in observers.
    Giovanni Antonio Bazzi (1477–1549) is another artist whom Leonardo influenced significantly, although once again, there is no evidence that he studied directly in Leonardo's studio. Known by his nickname, Sodoma, Bazzi came to Milan in the late 1400s as a glass painter's apprentice. Sodoma was a natural at drawing, but he learned several things from Leonardo, including color selection. His works are often charming and poetic, and the faces of the women and children he created are quite beautiful. However, none of his works have the timeless mystery and appeal of Leonardo's, showing that once again, genius is a hard act to follow!

Part 2
T HE BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST
    Though Leonardo's interests were all over the map, today we primarily know him for his paintings, and for good reason. They demonstrate Leonardo's various technical innovations, including the blending techniques of sfumato and chiaroscuro . Leonardo pioneered the use of realistic perspectives in his paintings, and he brought his scenes to life with fantastical backgrounds. The Mona Lisa is probably his most famous painting today, but some of his lesser-known works were also immensely popular during his lifetime.
    So what could he do besides paint, you ask? Plenty—Leonardo was a talented innovator in many other artistic fields. He produced designs for sculptures, including what would have been the largest bronze sculpture ever cast if it had been built. With his background in both art and mathematics, Leonardo was a natural for architecture—he designed a number of churches, palaces, fortresses, and military structures. He also devoted time to a personal project called “Ideal City,” a master plan for city planning meant to provide a hygienic urban design to protect city dwellers from the plagues that decimated populations during Leonardo's lifetime. While none of Leonardo's architectural designs were ever built, other contemporary architects did adopt some of his concepts.
    Whether painting his most famous works, like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper , or planning new and innovative city structures, Leonardo's expertise and breadth of knowledge reached far beyond traditional areas of art and architecture.

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Early sculpture: A celebration in three dimensions
    During his apprenticeship to Andrea Verrocchio (1468–1472), Leonardo learned how to paint—but his education didn't stop there. He was exposed to different aspects of arts and craftsmanship, including how to make panels and canvases, castings, and sculptures. Leonardo was a bit biased in that he considered painting to be the true sign of genius in an artist. Leonardo viewed sculpture as being more mechanical, whereas he saw painting as more expressive and creative. Lucky for us he excelled at