- from Leonardo da VinciLeonardo is considered to be one of the finest artists the world has ever produced. “A genius.” “Unmatched.” “Divinely inspired.” Naturally, such a great painter must have been highly disciplined, working diligently to complete each of his major works. Well, not exactly.Leonardo didn’t complete most of his major works! Some scholars suggest this was because he was a perfectionist who was never satisfied with what he did. Others say his interests changed so often that he’d quickly abandon one project in favor of a new one. Others believe that his attention span was relatively short, so he’d lose interest in long-term projects. Whatever the reason, Leonardo completed only a handful of paintings, but they are enough to establish him as a brilliant artist.