London: Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci may have struggled to complete some of his iconic art works because he suffered from Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), scientists claim.
According to Professor Marco Catani from King’s College London in the UK, as well as explaining his chronic procrastination, ADHD could have been a factor in da Vinci’s extraordinary creativity and achievements across the arts and sciences.
Da Vinci produced some of the world’s most iconic art, but historical accounts show that he struggled to complete his works. Five hundred years after his death, Catani suggests the best explanation for da Vinci’s inability to finish projects is that the great artist may have had ADHD.
In a research article published in the journal Brain, researchers lay out the evidence supporting this hypothesis, drawing on historical accounts of da Vinci’s work practices and behaviour. “While impossible to make a post-mortem diagnosis for someone who lived 500 years ago, I am confident that ADHD is the most convincing and scientifically plausible hypothesis to explain Leonardo’s difficulty in finishing his works,” said Catani.