Leonardo Da Vinci was one of history’s greatest thinkers. He was a writer, an inventor, an architect, a painter, and, on one occasion, just another applicant. Written when Leonardo was 3o is this letter to the Duke of Milan, in which Leonardo mentions all the ways in which he is helpful to the Duke and why he would be a good hire for the royal court. Basically, it’s Leonardo Da Vinci’s job application, translated for your perusal!
It’s funny, but as Stone points out, it’s also worth reading because it’s actually a really good resume (and shows me some mistakes I make on my own cover letters):
“You’ll notice he doesn’t recite past achievements. He doesn’t mention the painting of the altarpiece for the Chapel of St. Bernard; he doesn’t provide a laundry list of past bombs he’s built; he doesn’t cite his prior employment in artist Andrea di Cione’s studio.
“No, he does none of these things, because those are about his achievements, and not about the Duke’s needs.
“Instead, he sells his prospective employer on what he can do for him.”
I don’t know about you, but I’d hire the guy! Who doesn’t need an on-site bridge-maker who can also build me an attack-proof chariot? Those aren’t skills you take lightly!
Tags: Leonardo Da Vinci’s job application, job applications, cover letters, Da Vinci, Renaissance art, Duke of Milan, Renaissance job applications, Da Vinci letter scanned, unusual images, unusual letters
