The challenge of extracting the essence from complexity.

Simplicity is the ultimate

degree of sophistication.

Leonardo da Vinci

(1452 - 1519)

For Da Vinci, simplification wasn't about "doing less," but about getting to the essential . He believed that only those who deeply understand a phenomenon can express it clearly, elegantly, and without excess. This applied to everything: drawing, engineering, anatomy, painting, inventions. In this sense, simplicity is not the starting point, but rather the pinnacle of understanding .

Da Vinci studied nature obsessively. He saw that its mechanisms—muscles, wings, water, light—seemed simple at first glance, but were supported by extremely sophisticated structures. For him, nature was living proof that simplicity is the end result of perfect engineering.

Sources:

ISAACSON, Walter. Leonardo da Vinci. 2017 .

ZÖLLNER, Frank; NATHAN, Johannes. Leonardo da Vinci: The Complete Paintings and Drawings. Ed.Taschen, 2003.

NICHOLL, Charles. Leonardo da Vinci: Flights of the Mind. Ed.Viking Adult, 2004.