The scene of Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) on his deathbed has, for many centuries, been venerated beautifully in both writing and painting. Historians have hotly disputed the scene depicting his dying hours surrounded by his disciples with his head cradled in the arms of King Francis.
The temptation to immortalize Leonardo as a grand artistic and scientific genius has overtaken both public and professional imaginations to the point of obsession. What is not contested about his death, but often left out of the glittering myths and movies, is his request for a priest and his last recorded words: “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”
