“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.” – Leonardo
If you look at the definition of Renaissance, it refers to a particular time in the Middle Ages (14th-16th Centuries) where there was a rebirth in Art, Science and intellectual pursuits. Personally, I like the definition that focuses on rebirth and revival. I consider myself to be a Renaissance Woman. There are a lot of things that I am interested and that stimulate me intellectually – palentology, astronomy, biology, engineering of all sorts, vulcanology and ecology. But along with my scientific pursuits, there’s the woman who pursuits words, music, and art because who was the female equivalent to Leonardo?
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That is an excellent question. Women didn’t have enough freedom during that time to become a daVinci. I know Hildegard von Bingen (earlier) was a polymath and composer, philosopher and a rebel (as much as she could be) Julian of Norwich (sorry my expertise is more middle ages) was a gifted philosopher. Maybe much later with Madame Curie?
From what I remember of the biographies I’ve read about Madame Curie, I would say she’s probably not as well rounded in terms of other activities like Leonardo was. She was very scientifically driven but didn’t pursue the arts as well.
Look at the things da Vinci was known for:
painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal.
While Curie did study physics and chemistry, there’s not the artistic depth to her that Da Vinci has.