Leonardo da Vinci's Achilles’ Heel

And why he thought he was a failure...

Leonardo’s notebooks are a window into his extraordinary genius — and limitless curiosity

The main ingredient behind Leonardo da Vinci’s incredible success can be boiled down to one thing: curiosity. His intense curiosity was the engine of his genius, propelling him to make groundbreaking observations and contributions across various fields.

From anatomy to botany, cartography to engineering, architecture to warfare, his interests knew no bounds. His deep knowledge of these diverse fields allowed him to make connections between seemingly disparate disciplines, and elevate his art in the process.

Leonardo’s notebooks, which contain thousands of pages of sketches and drawings, bear witness to his expansive mind: detailed studies of war machines, architectural plans, rock formations, drapery studies, anatomical dissections, and depictions of natural phenomena like whirlpools.

Unfortunately, this same curiosity was also Leonardo’s Achilles’ heel. The breadth of his interests often prevented him from seeing projects through to completion, as his focus was constantly shifting. The very curiosity that fueled his innovative spirit also scattered his attention, resulting in numerous neglected paintings. 

How is it that a Renaissance genius with a career of over 50 years didn’t ever complete more than 20 paintings? Let me explain…