Is Exploration a 'Good' Thing? (Revised)

Is Exploration a ‘Good’ Thing?

            Exploration is something that people have been doing for quite a long time. Sumeria in 3100 B.C., Jesus of Nazareth in 4 B.C., and many other important historical events in time all happened because exploration had been accomplished.( http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/asbook03.html#Sumeria; http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/asbook11.html#Jesus) If Mesopotamia had never been fully explored, then Sumeria would never have been as successful as it was. Likewise, if Nazareth had never been explored, the life of Jesus would have ben very different. Exploration is a very good thing, because of all the things that can benefit from the discoveries made as a result.

            Exploration is not limited to finding new places however. Another type of exploration is exploring the arts, mathematics, sciences, etc. During the Renaissance, a painter and sculptor of Florence explored many things in this way. His name was Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci is famous today as an inspirational artist, and after researching him, it is not hard to see why.

            Leonardo was the son of Ser Piero da Vinci, and was considered to be one of the greatest geniuses of his time. He was very interested in exploring many things, such as mathematics, sciences, music, and many other things. He was very interested in learning many different things, but would often start learning something, only to abandon it and start to learn something else. Leonardo could have been fantastic at many things, if only he had continued to study them. For instance, he could have been a very skillful writer, if he had not stopped studying writing in order to study other things.  (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/vasari1.html)

He would question his professors, and bewilder them with his intelligent points. In the few months that he studied arithmetic, he bewildered his teacher by often suggesting doubts and difficulties. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/vasari1.html)

Leonardo gave a small amount of attention to music, and learned to play the lyre, where he often improvised with the instrument. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/vasari1.html)

However, the one thing that Leonardo never ceased to practice was drawing, which was the thing he most enjoyed doing. A man by the name of Ser Piero took some of Leonardo’s drawings, and showed them to a friend by the name of Andrea del Verrocchio. Andrea was shocked at how skilled the drawings were, and eventually Leonardo very willingly began to study in Andrea’s workshop, where he was able to explore and practice all branches of art, such as sculpture, at which he was excellent. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/vasari1.html)

Leonardo was very good at expressing by drawing, and showing them to men. He showed men how to move mountains, and also how to go through them from one side to the other. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/vasari1.html)

Web Citations: 

1. "Medieval Sourcebook: Giorgio Vasari: Life of Leonardo Da Vinci 1550." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 06 June 2010. . http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/vasari1.html 

Image: http://www.metmuseum.org/special/Leonardo_Master_Draftsman/images/Cat.58R.R.jpg