Was Leonardo da Vinci a procrastinator?

“Men of lofty genius sometimes accomplish the most when they work the least.”

Welcome to the sixth issue of Subtle Maneuvers. Hope everyone’s doing OK!! Here’s something to read that has absolutely nothing to do with you-know-what 🦠🤓🦠

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)

Google “famous procrastinators” and you will find several listicles of dubious authority asserting that Leonardo was among the top 8 or 10 or 15 most notorious work-delayers in the annals of culture and science. This seems surprising, given that the Italian polymath embodied the ideal of the Renaissance Man—with extensive knowledge of architecture, engineering, astronomy, mathematics, music, and many other subjects—and also produced two of the most famous paintings in history. Could such an accomplished individual really have been a chronic procrastinator?