Valley Ridge Academy PTO

Mirror Writing

Renaissance

Not only did Leonardo write with a special kind of shorthand that he invented himself, he also mirrored his writing, starting at the right side of the page and moving to the left. Some people think that perhaps he was trying to keep his work secret. This is not true. Leonardo wrote (and sometimes drew) with his left hand. In those days pens were made from a quill (a large feather) that was cut with a penknife on the end. It is hard for a left-handed person to write with a quill in the ordinary way, but quite easy to write backwards. Only when he was writing something intended for other people did he write in the normal direction.

Why do you think Leonardo wrote in reverse? Can you recognize any letters or words?

Fun Facts about Leonardo da Vinci

• The term Renaissance Man means someone who is good at everything. Leonardo is considered to be the ultimate Renaissance man.

• Some people claim he invented the bicycle.

• Only around 15 of his paintings are still around.

• The Mona Lisa was valued in 1962 at US$100 million and a suggested value today of US$780 million.

• Unlike some artists, Leonardo was very famous for his paintings while he was still alive. It's only recently that we've realized what a great scientist and inventor he was.