Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, The Vitruvian Man (Reti 146). Who was the man behind all these famous works of art? It was me, Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, a mathematician: sculptor, painter, engineer, mathematician, inventor, botanist, architect, anatomist, geologist, writer and cartographer. I wanted to know everything; the noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding (Riter). Whenever people saw me, they visualized wealth and happiness, but what they ignored was the factor that shaped me into what I am currently. My childhood was filled with difficulties, heartaches and complex obstacles. April 15, 1452 was the day this talented man was born, but it was also the beginning of my challenging life. I was born in the town of Vinci which was located in the territory of Florence. My father, Ser Piero, was a promising notary. Caterina, my mother was a peasant. I was born out of wedlock, meaning my parents weren't married when they had me. My status as an illegitimate child greatly affected my personal development. “As a solicitor, my father held a fairly strong position within the developing middle classes, which were full of clubs, guilds and unions that carefully regulated my opportunities. I had no hope of attending college or becoming a notary like my father” (SparkNotes Publishers). I hardly had the opportunity to spend time with my father, who was always busy with his work in Florence. Not only was I illegitimate, but my mother soon became distracted by her other children when she decided to abandon me and marry another man. With my mother marrying another man and my father marrying a sixteen year old girl, I ended up having 17 half-siblings (SparkNotes Publishers). Without a doubt, I felt neglected as my parents drifted further and further away...... middle of paper ... my life was about to end, it made me realize how people considered me. My father, Ser Piero, although he had no time for me and married another woman, he still loved me. He appreciated my talent and sent me on the path of art and creativity. My master Andrea del Verro admired my talents as a painter, he treated me like a son more than an apprentice and taught me everything he knew and about life in general. My students, Salai and Francesco Melzi respected me as their teacher. Although the public humiliated me when I was accused of homosexual sodomy, their attitude towards me changed after realizing my talents and when the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. Being famous isn't everything; it's the factors around you that made things famous. The people around me are those who contributed to my existence, Leonardo da Vinci.