They have delighted humanity for five hundred years.
It is known that the artist worked at the request of the ruling elite or the church and for a very long time. There were cases when the customer could not wait any longer and gave the job to someone else.
The artist created no more than three dozen paintings, some of them are lost. Those that have come down to us are an invaluable cultural heritage and belong to the golden fund of Renaissance art. Leonardo became the pearl of that era, for the first time demonstrating unique technique sfumato, which was used by his followers: Raphael, Michelangelo and other great names.
His last work, “John the Baptist,” was written by him at the age of 65, three years before his death, in a castle graciously provided to the Italian by the French king. This is where we begin our acquaintance with da Vinci’s masterpieces.
The most best paintings Leonardo da Vinci: description and photo.
John the Baptist (1514-1516)
“John the Baptist” - painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
The artist began painting in Rome and finished it in France. Since then, it has not left this country, passed from king to king, and is now kept in the Louvre.
The painting, measuring 69 by 57 cm, aroused discontent among the clergy and was criticized for its feminine likeness, the playful smile of the saint and the too dark background surrounding the bright face. It is believed that the image was copied from Salai’s student, with whom the artist had a long-term relationship, possibly of an intimate nature.
Work is interpreted differently consensus no, but it is known for sure that the artist often used this gesture in his works, and later it was copied by others, including Raphael.
The painting is considered the second most mysterious after La Gioconda.
Mona Lisa (1503-1519)
“Mona Lisa”, also known as “La Gioconda”, is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
The most controversial and famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It is also in the Louvre, from where it was stolen in 1911. They searched for it unsuccessfully for several years, until the thief made a mistake himself by advertising the sale in the press. All this time he kept it under his mattress.
In addition, there were four attempts on the painting: they poured acid on it, threw a stone and even a mug at it, and they also tried to splatter it with paint.
The work was restored several times, and there is an opinion of experts that the eyebrows disappeared from her face precisely because of this. Many people tried to discuss her smile, writing tons of paper. However, they also broke their spears over who is actually depicted on it: a real woman, the image of the author’s mother, or an encrypted self-portrait.
One thing is certain: in this work the sfumato technique is most pronounced, and thanks to the blurring of the lines, the portrait comes to life. This is especially noticeable if you look at the museum exhibit directly in the Louvre: Gioconda’s smile changes depending on the angle.
It is known for sure that Leonardo da Vinci never parted with this portrait.
By the way, the portrait is insured for $670 million, which allowed it to get into the Guinness Book of Records as the most expensive insured work of art. The painting is hidden behind bulletproof glass in a hall created for it, protected by a security system.
Madonna of the Rocks (1483-1486)
“Madonna of the Rocks” - painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
The Louvre also houses this work by the artist, which he began working on at the age of 30. There is a second version of the work with the same name, which is kept in the London Museum. And if the French are confident in the authorship of Leonardo, then the British had to prove it. The paintings are identical in composition, the execution is slightly different. In addition, the Louvre version is several centimeters higher.
The Holy Family was ordered to the artist by a representative of one of the Milan churches, but it never arrived at the address. Leonardo received the deposit, but raised the final price. The parties did not agree, the painting remained with the artist and went with him to France.
This painting turned out to be the first in the history of painting in which people are placed inside the landscape, and not in front of it. They also note the humanization of the images of Mary, Jesus, John the Baptist and the Angel; before this, artists painted frozen faces of saints. Experts attribute this to the fact that Leonardo himself, although he wrote for the church, was skeptical about religion.
Lady with an ermine (1489-1490)
This is one of four portraits of women that is kept in a museum in Poland, and the only painting by Da Vinci.
The artist painted a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, the favorite of the Duke of Milan, at whose court Leonardo spent seventeen years.
In her hands, the ermine is not a strange animal, but a symbol depicted on the duke’s coat of arms. Enthusiastic reviews of that time have been preserved both about the artist’s skill and about Cecilia.
Examination of the portrait showed that the background had been rewritten several times. The girl's face has also been changed. Whether this is a correction by the author himself - history is silent. Perhaps changes were made after Leonardo's death during the restoration of the painting.
Last Supper (1495-1498)
“The Last Supper” is the work of Leonardo da Vinci.
This fresco is located in Milan (), in the monastery of St. Mary, where Leonardo da Vinci worked on it for three years but never completed it. The Duke of Milan paid Leonardo almost $800 thousand for this order, if we convert two thousand ducats into modern money.
Art critics believe that calling this work a fresco is not entirely correct: it is painted with tempera on a specially prepared layer. Over the years, the work has been restored several times by different masters. And it began to collapse just two decades after it was written. The last time it was put in order was in 1954.
There are a lot of rumors and secrets surrounding the idea of the painting. Dan Brown's book and the film of the same name "The Da Vinci Code" were based on some of them.
"Annunciation" (1475)
“The Annunciation” - painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
Another work commissioned by the church, “The Annunciation,” is kept in Florence in the Uffizi Gallery. Leonardo wrote it as a student.
If you look at it in detail, you are struck by the care with which every centimeter of the picture is painted. Here, for the first time, Maria is wearing a tight-fitting dress that does not hide her figure. And the Angel who brought her the good news has a white lily - a symbol of innocence. The development of perspective is considered an innovation - it is not just a dark or light background, but a piece of a port city, with trees, a river, towers and ship masts.
"Madonna Litta" (1495)
“Madonna Litta” (1490-1491) is a masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci.
Here too biblical story full of mysteries. On the one hand, the serenity and tenderness of the nursing Mother of God, on the other hand, torn stitches on the clothes, as if she had not planned to feed the child. It is not clear why the light falls not from the windows, but from somewhere to the left. There are versions that Leonardo painted only the faces of the characters, the rest was completed by his students. Well, the main detail that the author will later bring to perfection in his “La Gioconda” is the smile. If it seems to you that Madonna is smiling, then she is not. Experts say that the optical illusion occurs due to the shadows in the corners of her lips.
Saint Anne with Madonna and Christ Child (1510)
“Saint Anne with the Madonna and Child Christ” is an unfinished work by Leonardo da Vinci.
The painting remained unfinished, although Leonardo returned to it before last days of your life. He made many sketches where her daughter Mary sits on mother Anna’s lap, holding little Christ. There were several variations of “Anna in Three,” as this work is also called.
The painting was often restored, most recently with scandal. In 2012, after “rejuvenation,” the colors became unnaturally bright, which is why two influential Louvre curators who disagreed with such a barbaric method resigned from the international restoration commission.
And she was also shot. This happened in London's National Gallery. The shooter admitted that in this way he expressed his protest against the policies of Great Britain and Margaret Thatcher personally. The buckshot broke safety glass, and the drawing itself received several scratches. The vandal received a real prison sentence.
The largest number of paintings is in France in the Louvre and in Italy in the Uffizi Gallery. Two paintings are in Russia, in the Hermitage: these are “Madonna Litta” and “Madonna Benois”. It is believed that 13 paintings by the great artist and thinker have survived, but among them there are those whose authorship is controversial.
Leonardo da Vinci. 04/15/1452, Vinci – 05/02/1519, Clue
The unprecedented attention now being paid by historians and fiction writers to the personality of Leonardo da Vinci is evidence of a turning point in relation to the culture of the Renaissance, a revaluation of the spiritual content of the “greatest progressive revolution” that underlies modern European civilization. They see Leonardo as a kind of quintessence of the emerging era, emphasizing and highlighting in his work either the connection with the worldview of the previous time, or the radical demarcation from it. Mysticism and rationalism coexist in the assessment of his personality in an incomprehensible balance, and even the huge written heritage of the master, which has come down to our time, is not able to shake him. Leonardo da Vinci is among the greatest scientists, although very few of his projects were realized. He is also one of the greatest artists, despite the fact that he created very few paintings (and not all of them have survived) and even fewer sculptures (not at all preserved). What makes Leonardo great is not the number of ideas he implemented, but the change in the method of both scientific and artistic activity. Figuratively speaking, he sought to “understand the organism of each object separately and the organism of the entire universe” (A. Benoit).
Leonardo da Vinci. Self-portrait, ca. 1510-1515
Leonardo's childhood and adolescence are very little documented. His father, Piero da Vinci, was a hereditary notary; Already in the year of his son’s birth, he practiced in Florence and soon took a prominent position there. All that is known about the mother is that her name was Caterina, she came from a peasant family and, soon after the birth of Leonardo, she was married to a wealthy farmer, a certain Accatabridge di Piero del Vaccia. Leonardo was taken into his father's house and raised by his childless stepmother Albiera Amadori. What and how he was taught, what his first experiences in drawing were, is unknown. What is indisputable is that the formation of a boy’s personality has a large, if not decisive influence provided by his uncle Francesco, with whom Leonardo da Vinci maintained the warmest relationship throughout his life. Since Leonardo was an illegitimate son, he could not inherit his father's profession. Vasari reports that Pierrot was friends with Andrea Verrocchio and one day showed him his son’s drawings, after which Andrea took Leonardo to his workshop. Piero and his family moved to Florence in 1466, therefore, Leonardo da Vinci ended up in the workshop (bottega) of Verrocchio at the age of fourteen.
The largest works carried out by Verrocchio during the period of Leonardo’s studies with him were the statue “David” (Florence, Bargello), commissioned by the family Medici(it is believed that the young Leonardo da Vinci posed for her), and the completion of the dome of the Florence Cathedral with a golden ball with a cross (the city’s order was received on September 10, 1468 and completed in May 1472). In Andrea's workshop, the best in Florence, Leonardo da Vinci had the opportunity to study all types of fine arts, architecture, theory of perspective and become partially familiar with the natural sciences and humanities. His development as a painter was apparently influenced not so much by Verrocchio himself as by Botticelli and Botticelli, who studied with him in the same years. Perugino.
In 1469 Piero da Vinci received the position of notary of the Florentine Republic, and then of a number of the largest monasteries and families. By this time he was widowed. Having finally moved to Florence, Piero remarried and took Leonardo into his home. Leonardo continued his studies with Verrocchio and also studied science on his own. Already during these years he met Paolo Toscanelli (mathematician, doctor, astronomer and geographer) and Leon Battista Alberti. In 1472 he joined the guild of painters and, as evidenced by the entry in the guild book, paid a fee for the organization of the feast of St. Luke. That same year he returned to Andrea's workshop, since his father was widowed for the second time and married for the third time. In 1480 Leonardo da Vinci had his own workshop. The first painting by Leonardo, known today, is the image of an angel in the painting “The Baptism of Christ” (Florence, Uffizi). Until recently, the painting was considered (based on a report Vasari) by Verrocchio, who supposedly, having seen how much his student surpassed him in skill, abandoned painting.
Baptism of Christ. A painting by Verrocchio, painted by him and his students. The right one of the two angels is the work of Leonardo da Vinci. 1472-1475
However, an analysis carried out by Uffizi staff showed that the work was carried out collectively by three or even four artists in accordance with the traditions of medieval workshops. Obviously, Botticelli played the main role among them. The origin of the figure of the left angel by Leonardo is beyond doubt. He also painted part of the landscape - behind the angel at the edge of the composition.
The lack of documentary evidence, signatures and dates on the paintings makes their attribution very difficult. Two “Annunciations” date back to the early 1470s, which, judging by their horizontal format, are altar predella. Those of them that are kept in the Uffizi collection are included in a number of the few early works of Leonardo da Vinci. His dry execution and the types of faces of Mary and the angel are reminiscent of the works of Lorenzo di Credi, Leonardo's comrade in Verrocchio's workshop.
Painting by Leonardo da Vinci "The Annunciation", 1472-1475. Uffizi Gallery
The Annunciation from the Louvre, rendered in a more generalized manner, is currently attributed to the works of Lorenzo.
Leonardo da Vinci. Annunciation, 1478-1482. Louvre Museum
The first dated work by Leonardo da Vinci is a pen drawing representing a landscape with a river valley and rocks, possibly a view along the road from Vinci to Pistoia (Florence, Uffizi). In the upper left corner of the sheet there is an inscription: “On the day of St. Mary of the Snows, August 5, 1473.” This inscription - the first known example of Leonardo da Vinci's handwriting - was made with the left hand, from right to left, as if in a mirror image.
Leonardo da Vinci. Landscape with a river valley and rocks, executed on the day of St. Mary of the Snows, August 5, 1473
Numerous drawings of a technical nature also date back to the 1470s - images of military vehicles, hydraulic structures, spinning machines and for finishing cloth. Perhaps it was Leonardo da Vinci’s technical projects that he carried out for Lorenzo de’ Medici, to whom, as stated in the master’s biography (written by an unknown author, apparently shortly after Leonardo’s death), he was close for some time.
Leonardo da Vinci received his first large order for a painting thanks to his father’s petition. December 24, 1477 Piero Pollaiolo was commissioned to paint a new altarpiece (instead of the work by Bernardo Daddi) for the Chapel of St. Bernard in the Palazzo Vecchio. But a week later, a decree of the Signoria appeared (dated January 1, 1478), according to which the work was transferred “in cancellation of any other order made up to now in any way, in any way and to anyone, Leonardo , son of Ser [notary] Piero da Vinci, painter.” Apparently, Leonardo needed money, and already on March 16, 1478 he turned to the Florentine government with a request for an advance. He was paid 25 gold florins. The work, however, moved so slowly that it was not completed by the time Leonardo da Vinci left for Milan (1482) and was transferred to another master the following year. The plot of this work is unknown. The second order that Leonardo Ser Piero provided was the execution of an altar image for the church of the monastery of San Donato a Scopeto. On March 18, 1481, he entered into an agreement with his son, precisely specifying the deadline for completing the work (in twenty-four, at most thirty months) and indicating that Leonardo would not receive an advance, and if he did not meet the deadline, then everything that would be done by him would be will become the property of the monastery. However, history repeated itself, and in July 1481 the artist turned to the monks with a request for an advance, received it, and then twice more (in August and September) took money as collateral for the future work. The large composition “Adoration of the Magi” (Florence, Uffizi) remained unfinished, but even in this form it is one of “those works on which everything is based further development European painting" (M. A. Gukovsky). Numerous drawings for it are kept in the collections of the Uffizi, Louvre and the British Museum. In 1496, the order for the altar was transferred to Filippino Lippi, and he painted a painting on the same subject (Florence, Uffizi).
Leonardo da Vinci. Adoration of the Magi, 1481-1482
“St. Jerome" (Rome, Pinacoteca Vatican), which is an underpainting in which the figure of the penitent saint is worked out with exceptional anatomical precision, and some minor details, for example the lion in the foreground, are only outlined.
A special place among early works the masters occupy two completed works - “Portrait of Ginevra d'Amerigo Benci” (Washington, National Gallery) and “Madonna with a Flower” (St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum). The seriousness and peculiar hermeticism of the image of Ginevra, which speaks of her complex spiritual life, mark first manifestations psychological portrait in European art. The painting has not been completely preserved: its lower part with the image of hands has been cut off. Apparently, the position of the figure was reminiscent of the Mona Lisa.
Leonardo da Vinci. Portrait of Ginevra de Benci, 1474-1478
The dating of the “Madonna of the Flower, or Madonna of Benois” (1478-1480) is accepted on the basis of a note on one of the sheets from the Cabinet of Drawings in the Uffizi: “...bre 1478 inchomincial le due Vergini Marie.” The composition of this painting is recognizable in the drawing with pen and bistrome, stored in the British Museum (No. 1860. 6. 16. 100v.). Made in a new technique for Italy oil painting, the picture is distinguished by the transparent lightness of the shadows and the richness of color shades with an overall restrained color scheme. The transmission of the air environment begins to play an extremely important role in creating a holistic impression, connecting characters with their environment. Melting chiaroscuro, sfumato, makes the boundaries of objects subtly unsteady, expressing the material unity of the visible world.
Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna with a Flower (Benois Madonna). OK. 1478
Another early work of Leonardo da Vinci is considered to be “Madonna of the Carnation” (Munich, Alte Pinakothek). Perhaps this work preceded the appearance of the Benois Madonna.
Vasari reports that in his youth Leonardo da Vinci made from clay “several heads of laughing women,” from which plaster casts were still made in his time, as well as several children’s heads. He also mentions how Leonardo depicted a monster on a wooden shield, “very disgusting and terrible, which poisoned with its breath and ignited the air.” The description of the process of its creation reveals the system of work of Leonardo da Vinci - a method in which the basis of creativity is the observation of nature, but not with the goal of copying it, but in order to create something new based on it. Leonardo did the same thing later, when painting “The Head of Medusa” (not preserved). Executed in oil on canvas, it remained unfinished and mid-16th century V. was in the collection of Duke Cosimo de' Medici.
In the so-called “Codex Atlantica” (Milan, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana), the largest collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s records on various fields of knowledge, on page 204 there is a draft letter from the artist to the ruler of Milan, Lodovico Sforza ( Lodovico Moro). Leonardo offers his services as a military engineer, hydraulic engineer, and sculptor. In the latter case, we are talking about the creation of a grandiose equestrian monument to Francesco Sforza, the father of Lodovico. Since Moro visited Florence in April 1478, there is an assumption that even then he met Leonardo da Vinci and negotiated about working on “The Horse.” In 1482, with the permission of Lorenzo Medici, the master left for Milan. A list of things that he took with him has been preserved - among them many drawings and two paintings are mentioned: “The Finished Madonna. The other is almost in profile.” Obviously, they meant “Madonna Litta” (St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum). It is believed that the master finished it already in Milan around 1490. Beautiful preparatory drawing to it - an image of a woman's head - is kept in the collection of the Louvre (No. 2376). Active interest in this work on the part of researchers arose after its acquisition by the Imperial Hermitage (1865) from the collection of Duke Antonio Litta in Milan. The authorship of Leonardo da Vinci has been repeatedly denied, but now, after research and exhibition of the painting in Rome and Venice (2003-2004), it has become generally accepted.
Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna Litta. OK. 1491-91
There are several more portraits, executed with the elegance characteristic of Leonardo, but compositionally they are solved more simply and do not have the spiritual mobility that makes the image of Cecilia fascinating. These are the “Portrait of a Lady” in profile (Milan, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana), “Portrait of a Musician” (1485, ibid.) - perhaps Franchino Gaffurio, regent of the Milan Cathedral and composer - and the so-called “Bella Feroniera” (portrait of Lucrezia Crivelli?) from the collection of the Louvre.
Leonardo da Vinci. Portrait of a Musician, 1485-1490
On behalf of Lodovico Moro, Leonardo da Vinci performed for Emperor Maximilian the painting “The Nativity,” about which an anonymous biographer writes that it was “revered by connoisseurs as a masterpiece of one-of-a-kind and amazing art.” Her fate is unknown.
Leonardo da Vinci. Bella Ferroniera (Beautiful Ferroniera). OK. 1490
Leonardo's largest painting created in Milan was the famous "Last Supper", painted on the end wall of the refectory of the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Leonardo da Vinci began the actual execution of the composition in 1496. This was preceded by a long period of deliberation. The collections of Windsor and the Venetian Academy contain numerous drawings, sketches, sketches related to this work, among which the heads of the apostles especially stand out for their expressiveness. It is not known exactly when the master completed the work. It is generally believed that this happened in the winter of 1497, but a note sent by Moro to his secretary Marchesino Stange and referring to this year says: “Demand that Leonardo finish his work in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie.” Luca Pacioli reports that Leonardo completed the painting in 1498. As soon as the painting saw the light, a pilgrimage of painters began, who more or less successfully copied it. “There are paintings, frescoes, graphic, mosaic versions, as well as carpets that repeat the composition of Leonardo da Vinci” (T. K. Kustodieva). The earliest of them are kept in the collections of the Louvre (Marco d'Odzhono?) and the Hermitage (No. 2036).
Leonardo da Vinci. Last Supper, 1498
The composition of “The Last Supper” in its “airy volume” seems to be a continuation of the refectory hall. The master was able to achieve such an effect due to his excellent knowledge of perspective. The Gospel scene appears here “close to the viewer, humanly understandable and at the same time not losing either its high solemnity or its deep drama” (M. A. Gukovsky). The glory of the great work, however, could not protect “The Last Supper” either from the destruction of time or from the barbaric attitude of people. Due to the dampness of the walls, the paints began to fade during Leonardo da Vinci’s lifetime, and in 1560 Lomazzo reported in his “Treatise on Painting,” albeit somewhat exaggerating, that the painting was “completely destroyed.” In 1652, the monks enlarged the door of the refectory and destroyed the image of the feet of Christ and the apostles next to Him. Artists also contributed their share of destruction. So, in 1726, a certain Belotti, “who claimed to have the secret of bringing colors to life” (G. Sayle), rewrote the entire picture. In 1796, when Napoleon's troops entered Milan, a stable was built in the refectory, and the soldiers amused themselves by throwing fragments of bricks at the heads of the apostles. In the 19th century “The Last Supper” was reconstructed several more times, and during the Second World War, during the bombing of Milan by British aircraft, the side wall of the refectory collapsed. Restoration work, which began after the war and consisted of strengthening and partially clearing the paintings, was completed in 1954. More than twenty years later (1978), restorers began a grandiose effort to remove later layers, which was completed only in 1999. Several centuries later, you can again see the light and clean paints of a genuine master's painting.
Obviously, immediately after arriving in Milan, Leonardo da Vinci turned to the design of the monument to Francesco Sforza. Numerous sketches indicate changes in the master’s plan, who initially wanted to present the horse rearing (in all equestrian monuments that existed at that time, the horse was shown calmly walking). Such a composition, given the huge size of the sculpture (about 6 m high; according to other sources - about 8 m), created almost insurmountable difficulties during casting. The solution to the problem was delayed, and Moro instructed the Florentine ambassador in Milan to order another sculptor from Florence, which he reported Lorenzo Medici in a letter dated July 22, 1489. Leonardo had to work closely on “The Horse.” However, in the summer of 1490, work on the monument was interrupted by the trip of Leonardo and Francesco di Giorgio Martini to Pavia to advise on the construction of the cathedral. In early September, preparations began for Lodovico’s wedding, and then the master carried out numerous assignments for the new ruler, Beatrice. At the beginning of 1493, Lodovico ordered Leonardo to speed up the work in order to show the statue during the next wedding celebrations: Emperor Maximilian was marrying Moreau's niece, Bianca Maria. The clay model of the statue - “The Great Colossus” - was completed on time, by November 1493. The master abandoned the original idea and showed the horse walking calmly. About this final version Only a few sketches of the monument give an idea. It was technically impossible to cast the entire sculpture at once, so the master began experimental work. In addition, about eighty tons of bronze were required, which was collected only by 1497. All of it was used for cannons: Milan was expecting an invasion by the troops of the French king Louis XII. In 1498, when the political position of the duchy temporarily improved, Lodovico commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to paint the hall in the Castello Sforzesco - Sala delle Acce, and on April 26, 1499 he signed a deed of gift for a vineyard in the vicinity of Milan. This was the last favor shown by the Duke to the artist. On August 10, 1499, French troops entered the territory of the Duchy of Milan, on August 31, Lodovico fled from the city, and on September 3, Milan surrendered. The Gascon marksmen of Louis XII destroyed a clay statue while competing in crossbow shooting. Apparently, even after this, the monument made a strong impression, since two years later, Duke of Ferrara Ercole I d'Este negotiated its acquisition. The further fate of the monument is unknown.
For some time Leonardo da Vinci remained in the occupied city, and then, together with Luca Pacioli, he left for Mantua to the court of Isabella Gonzaga. For political reasons (Isabella was the sister of Beatrice, Moreau’s wife, who had died by that time - in 1497), the margravess did not want to provide patronage to the artist. However, she wanted Leonardo da Vinci to paint her portrait. Without stopping in Mantua, Leonardo and Pacioli went to Venice. In March 1500, the master of musical instruments, Lorenzo Gusnasco da Pavia, wrote to Isabella in a letter: “Here in Venice is Leonardo Vinci, who showed me an outline portrait of Your Lordship, which is as well executed according to nature as possible.” Obviously, we were talking about a drawing currently kept in the Louvre. The master never completed a picturesque portrait. In April 1500 Leonardo and Pacioli were already in Florence. During this short – just over two years – quiet period of Leonardo da Vinci’s life, he was mainly engaged in technical research (in particular, the project aircraft) and, at the request of the Florentine government, took part in an examination to identify the reasons for the subsidence of the Church of San Salvatore on the hill of San Miniato. According to Vasari, at that time Filippino Lippi received an order for an altarpiece for the Church of Santissima Annunziata. Leonardo “declared that he would be willing to do such work,” and Filippino kindly gave him the order. The idea for the painting “St. Anne” apparently came to Leonardo da Vinci while still in Milan. There are numerous drawings of this composition, as well as a magnificent cardboard (London, National Gallery), but it did not form the basis of the final decision. Exhibited by the master after Easter in 1501 for public viewing, the cardboard did not survive, but, judging by the documents that have survived to this day, it was its composition that was repeated by the master in the well-known painting from the Louvre. Thus, on April 3, 1501, the Vicar General of the Carmelites Pietro da Nuvolario, who was in correspondence with Isabella Gonzaga, informed her, describing in detail the composition of the cardboard, that, in his opinion, the image of St. Anna embodies the Church, which does not want “His sufferings to be turned away from Christ.” It is unclear when exactly the altar painting was completed. Perhaps the master finished it in Italy, where it was acquired by Francis I, as Paolo Giovio reports, without indicating, however, when or from whom. In any case, the customers did not receive it and in 1503 they again turned to Filippino, but he did not satisfy their wishes.
At the end of July 1502 Leonardo da Vinci entered the service of Cesare Borgia, son Pope AlexanderVI, who by this time, trying to create his own possessions, had captured almost all of Central Italy. As chief military engineer, Leonardo traveled around Umbria, Tuscany, Romagna, drawing up plans for fortresses and consulting local engineers on improving the defense system, and created maps for military needs. However, already in March 1503 he was again in Florence.
By the beginning of the first decade of the 16th century. refers to the creation of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous work - the portrait of Mona Lisa - “La Gioconda” (Paris, Louvre), a painting that has no equal in the number of interpretations and controversies it provoked. The portrait of the wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo combines the amazing concreteness of reality with such spiritual ambiguity and generality of the universal that it outgrows the boundaries of the genre and ceases to be a portrait in the proper sense of the word. “This is not a mysterious woman, this is a mysterious being” (Leonardo. M. Batkin). The very first description of the painting given by Vasari is contradictory, who assures that Leonardo da Vinci worked on it for four years and did not finish it, but immediately writes admiringly that the portrait “reproduces all the smallest details that the subtlety of painting can convey.”
Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa (La Gioconda), c. 1503-1505
Another painting created by Leonardo da Vinci during these years, “Madonna with a Spindle,” is described in detail by Pietro da Nuvolario in a letter to Isabella Gonzaga dated April 4, 1503. The vicar reports that the artist painted it for the secretary of Louis XII. The fate of the painting is unknown. A good copy of the 16th century gives an idea of it. (collection of the Duke of Buccleuch in Scotland).
During the same period, Leonardo returned to his anatomy studies, which he began in Milan in the building of the Grand Hospital. In Florence, doctors and university students, with special permission from the government, worked on the premises of Santa Croce. The treatise on anatomy that the master was going to compile was not carried out.
In the fall of 1503, through the permanent gonfalonier Pietro Soderini, Leonardo da Vinci received an order for a large painting - painting one of the walls of the new hall - the Council Hall, added in 1496 to the Palazzo della Signoria. On October 24, the artist was given the keys to the so-called Papal Hall of the Monastery of Santa Maria Novella, where he began work on the cardboard. By decree of the Signoria he received 53 gold florins in advance and permission to receive small sums “from time to time.” The completion date for the work was February 1505. The theme of the future work was the Battle of Anghiari (June 29, 1440) between the Florentines and Milanese. In August 1504, Michelangelo received an order for the second painting for the Council Hall - “The Battle of Cascina”. Both craftsmen completed the work on time, and the cardboards were displayed to the public in the Council Chamber. They made a tremendous impression; artists immediately began to copy them, but it was impossible to determine the winner in this unique competition. Both cardboards have not survived. The central part of Leonardo da Vinci's composition was the scene of the battle for the banner. Only about it can one currently get some idea thanks to a drawing by Raphael (Oxford, Christ Church Library), executed by him in 1505-1506, as well as from a copy of Rubens (Paris, Louvre). However, it is unknown where exactly Rubens, who lived in Italy in 1600-1608, made his copy from. An anonymous biographer of Leonardo da Vinci reports that after the death of the master, most of the cardboard “Battle of Anghiari” could be seen in the hospital of Santa Maria Novella, and “the group of horsemen remaining in the palazzo” also belonged to it. In 1558 Benvenuto Cellini in his “Biography” he writes that the cardboards hung in the Papal Hall and “while they were intact, they were a school for the whole world.” From this we can conclude that in the 1550s Leonardo's cardboard, at least as a whole, no longer existed.
Leonardo da Vinci. Battle of Anghiari, 1503-1505 (detail)
Contrary to custom, Leonardo completed the painting on the wall of the Council Chamber quickly. As the anonymous author reports, he worked on a new soil of his own invention and used the heat of a brazier to dry it as quickly as possible. However, the wall dried unevenly, its upper part did not hold the paint, and the painting turned out to be hopelessly damaged. Soderini demanded completion of the work or return of the money. The situation was temporarily resolved by leaving for Milan, at the invitation of his viceroy, Charles d'Amboise, Marquis de Chaumont. The artist entered into an agreement with the Signoria, according to which he undertook to return in three months, and in case of violation of the obligation, to pay a penalty of 150 gold florins. June 1 1506 Leonardo da Vinci went to Milan. In a letter dated August 18, Charles d'Amboise asks the Florentine government to keep the artist at his disposal for some time. In the response letter (dated August 28), consent was given, but with the condition of repaying the debt. Since the money was not sent, Soderini again appealed to the governor on October 9, demanding compliance with the agreement. Finally, on January 12, 1507, the Florentine ambassador to the French court informed the members of the Signoria that Louis XII wanted to leave Leonardo in Milan until his arrival. Two days later, the king personally signed a letter with the same content. In April 1507, Leonardo received his vineyard back and at the beginning of May he was able to pay 150 florins. The king arrived in Milan on May 24: Leonardo da Vinci took an active part in organizing processions and performances for this occasion. Thanks to the intervention of Louis, on August 24, the long-term process over the “Madonna of the Rocks” ended. The painting remained at the master’s disposal, but he, together with Ambrogio de Predis (Evangelista had died by this time), had to paint another one on the same subject within two years (London, National Gallery).
From September 1507 to September 1508 Leonardo da Vinci was in Florence: it was necessary to conduct litigation over an inheritance. The elderly Ser Piero, Leonardo's father, died back in 1504 at the age of ninety, leaving ten sons and two daughters.
Saint Anne with the Madonna and Child Christ. Painting by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1510
In Milan, Leonardo da Vinci completed “Saint Anne” and completed several more paintings, the most famous of which is “John the Baptist” (Paris, Louvre). Currently, the “Bacchus” stored there is also recognized as the work of Leonardo.
Leonardo da Vinci. John the Baptist, 1513-1516
Leda was also in the French royal collection. The last time this painting was mentioned in the inventory of Fontainebleau was in 1694. According to legend, it was destroyed at the request of Madame de Maintenon, the last favorite of Louis XIV. An idea of its composition is given by several drawings by the master and several repetitions that differ in detail (the best is attributed to Cesare da Sesto and is kept in the Uffizi).
Leda. Work tentatively attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, 1508-1515
Besides paintings, Leonardo da Vinci was in Milan designing a monument to Marshal Trivulzio, who was in French service. A small bronze model in the collection of the Budapest Museum is believed to be associated with this project. If this is so, then Leonardo da Vinci again returned to the idea of a dynamic composition with a galloping horse.
In 1511 troops Pope JuliaII in alliance with the Venetian Republic and Spain, they expelled the French. During 1511-1512 Leonardo lived for a long time with his friend, the nobleman Girolamo Melzi, on his estate in Vaprio. Girolamo's son, Francesco, became a student and passionate admirer of the aging master. In 1513, Leo X de' Medici was elected to the papal throne, with whose brother, Giuliano, who was interested in alchemy, Leonardo da Vinci was friendly. On September 14, 1513 Leonardo left for Rome. Giuliano assigned him a salary and allocated premises for work. In Rome, the master drew up projects for the refurbishment of the papal mint and the drainage of the Pontic swamps. Vasari noted that for the papal datarius (chief of the chancellery) Baldassare Turini of Pescia, Leonardo da Vinci completed two paintings - “Madonna” and an image of “a child of amazing beauty and grace” (not traced).
On December 31, 1514, Louis XII died, and Francis I, who succeeded him, recaptured Milan in September 1515. It is believed that Leonardo met with the king in Bologna, where the pope negotiated with him. But perhaps the artist had met him earlier - in Pavia, at the celebrations in honor of his entry into the city, and then he made the famous mechanical lion, from whose opening chest lilies poured out. In this case, in Bologna, Leonardo da Vinci was in the retinue of Francis, and not Leo X. Having received an offer to go to the king’s service, the master left for France in the fall of 1516 with Francesco Melzi. The last years of Leonardo da Vinci's life were spent in the small castle of Cloux, not far from Amboise. He was given a pension of 700 ecus. In the spring of 1517, in Amboise, where the king loved to be, they celebrated the baptism of the Dauphin, and then the wedding of the Duke of Urbino Lorenzo de' Medici and the daughter of the Duke of Bourbon. The celebrations were designed by Leonardo. In addition, he was involved in the design of canals and locks to improve the area, and created architectural projects, in particular a project for the reconstruction of the Romorantin castle. Perhaps the ideas of Leonardo da Vinci served as the basis for the construction of Chambord (begun in 1519). On October 18, 1516, Leonardo was visited by the secretary of Cardinal Louis of Aragon. According to him, due to the paralysis of his right hand, the artist “can no longer write with his usual tenderness... but he can still make drawings and teach others.” On April 23, 1519, the artist made a will, according to which manuscripts, drawings and paintings became the property of Melzi. The master died on May 2, 1519, according to legend - in the arms of the King of France. Melzi transported Leonardo da Vinci's manuscripts to Italy and kept them on his estate in Vaprio until the end of his days. The now widely known “Treatise on Painting,” which had a huge influence on European art, was compiled by Melzi based on the teacher’s notes. About seven thousand sheets of Leonardo da Vinci's manuscripts have survived. Their largest collections are in the collection of the Institute of France in Paris; in Milan - in the Ambrosian Library (Codex Atlanticus) and in the Castello Sforzesco (Codex Trivulzio); in Turin (Bird Flight Code); Windsor and Madrid. Their publication began in the 19th century. and still one of the best critical editions of Leonardo's manuscripts are two volumes of texts with commentaries published by Richter in 1883 (Richter J.P. The literary works of Leonardo da Vinci. London, 1883. Vol. 1-2). Supplemented and commented by K. Pedretti, they were published a second time in Los Angeles in 1977.
Literature:Leonardo da Vinci. A book about painting. M., 1934; Leonardo da Vinci. Selected works. L., 1935; Leonardo da Vinci. Anatomy. Ideas and drawings. M., 1965; Vasari 2001. T. 3; Seail G. Leonardo da Vinci as an artist and scientist. St. Petersburg, 1898; Volynsky A. Life of Leonardo da Vinci. St. Petersburg, 1900 (republished: St. Petersburg, 1997); Benoit A. N. History of painting of all times and peoples. St. Petersburg, 1912; Wrangel N."Benois Madonna" by Leonardo da Vinci. St. Petersburg, 1914; Lipgart E.K. Leonardo and his school. L., 1928; Dzhivelegov A.K. Leonardo da Vinci. M., 1935 (republished: M., 1969); Lazarev V.N. Leonardo da Vinci. L., 1936; Ainalov D. V. Sketches about Leonardo da Vinci. M., 1939; Gukovsky M. A. Mechanics of Leonardo da Vinci. M., 1947; Lazarev V.N. Leonardo da Vinci. M., 1952; Alpatov M. V. Leonardo da Vinci. M., 1952; Gabrichevsky A. G. Leonardo the Architect // Soviet Architecture. M., 1952. Issue. 3; Zhdanov D. A. Leonardo da Vinci - anatomist. L., 1955; Gukovsky M. A. Leonardo da Vinci: Creative biography. M.; L., 1958; Gukovsky M. A. Madonna Litta: Painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Hermitage. L.; M., 1959; Guber A. Leonardo da Vinci. M., 1960; Zubov V. P. Leonardo da Vinci. 1452-1519. M., 1961; Gukovsky M. A. Columbine. L., 1963; Rutenburg V. I. Titans of the Renaissance. L., 1976; Vipper 1977. T. 2; Nardini B. Life of Leonardo da Vinci. M., 1978; Kustodieva T.K."Benois Madonna" by Leonardo da Vinci. L., 1979; Rzepinska M. What do we know about the “Lady with an Ermine” from the Czartoryski Museum. Krakow, 1980; Gastev A. A. Leonardo da Vinci. M., 1982; Codex Leonardo from the private collection of Armand Hammer: Ext. L., 1984; Pedretti K. Leonardo. M., 1986; Smirnova I. A. Monumental painting Italian Renaissance. M., 1987; Batkin L. M. Leonardo da Vinci and the features of Renaissance creative thinking. M., 1990; Santi B. Leonardo da Vinci. M., 1995; Wallace R. World of Leonardo, 1452-1519. M., 1997; Kustodieva 1998; Chunky M. Leonardo da Vinci. M., 1998; Sonina T.V.“Madonna Benois” by Leonardo da Vinci // Italian collection. St. Petersburg, 1999. Issue. 3; Sonina T.V.“Madonna of the Rocks” by Leonardo da Vinci: Semantics of the image // Decree. op. St. Petersburg, 2003. Issue. 7; Leonardo da Vinci and the culture of the Renaissance: Sat. Art. M., 2004; Herzfeld M. About one sheet of Leonardo's sketches. Contribution to the characterization of the master’s image // Italian collection. St. Petersburg, 2006. Issue. 9; Clark K. Leonardo da Vinci: Creative biography. St. Petersburg, 2009.
Richter J.P. (ed.) The Literary Works of Leonardo da Vinci: In 2 vols. London, 1883 (rev.: 1970); Beltrami L.(ed.) Il codice di Leonardo da Vinci della Biblioteca del Principe Trivulzio in Milano. Milano, 1891; Sabachnikoff T., Piumati G., Ravaisson-Mollien C. (eds.) I manoscritti di Leonardo da Vinci: Codice sul volo degli uccelli e varie altre materie. Paris, 1893; Piumati G. (ed.) Il Codice Atlantico di Leonardo da Vinci nella Biblioteca Ambrosiana di Milano: 35 voi. Milano, 1894-1904; Fonahn D.C.L., Hopstock H. (eds.) Quaderni d'anatomia: 6 voi. Kristiania, 1911-1916; II Codice Forster I, etc. // Reale Commissione Vinciana: 5 voi. Roma, 1930-1936; I manoscritti e i disegni di Leonardo da Vinci: II Codice A. / / Reale Commissione Vinciana. Rome, 1938; MacCurdy E. (ed.) The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci: 2 vols. London, 1938; I manoscritti e i disegni di Leonardo da Vinci: II Codice B. // Reale Commissione Vinciana. Rome, 1941; Brizio A. M. (ed.) Scritti scelti di Leonardo da Vinci. Torino, 1952; Courbeau A., De Toni N.(ed.) The Manuscripts in the Bibliotheque de l'Institut de France, Paris. Firenze, 1972; Reti L. (ed.) The Madrid Codices: 5 vols. New York, 1974.
Pacioli L. De divina proportione. Venezia, 1509; Alberimi E Memoriale di molte statue e picture che sono nella inclyta cipta di Florentia. Firenze, 1510; Giovio P. Elogia virorum illustrum (MS.; e. 1527) // Gli elogi degli uomini illustri / Ed. R. Meregazzi. Rome, 1972; II Codice Magliabechiano (MS.; e. 1540) / Ed. C. Frey. Berlin, 1892. Amoretti C. Memorie storiche su la vita, gli studi e le opere di Leonardo da Vinci. Milano, 1804; Pater W. Leonardo da Vinci (1869) // Studies in this History of this Renaissance. London, 1873; HerzfeldM. Leonardo da Vinci. Der Denker, Forscher und Poet. Jena, 1906; Solmi E. Le fonti dei manoscritti di Leonardo da Vinci. Torino, 1908; Malaguzzi Valeri E La corte di Ludovico il Moro. Milano, 1915. Voi. II: Bramante e Leonardo; Beltrami L. Documenti e memorie riguardanti la vita e le opere di Leonardo da Vinci. Milano, 1919; Calvi G. I manoscritti di Leonardo da Vinci del punto di visto cronologico, storico e biografico. Bologna, 1925; Heydenreich L. Leonardo da Vinci: 2 vols. Basel, 1954; Pomilio M., Della Chiesa A. O. L "Opera pittorica completa di Leonardo. Milano, 1967; Gould C. Leonardo: The Artist and Non-artist. London, 1975; Wasserman J. Leonardo da Vinci. New York, 1975; Chastel A. The Genius of Leonardo da Vinci: Leonardo da Vinci and their Art of the Artist. New York, 1981; Kemp M. Leonardo da Vinci: The Marvelous Works of Nature and Man. London, 1981; MaraniP. Leonardo: Cat. compi. Firenze, 1989; Turner A.R. Inventing Leonardo. New York, 1993; Lo sguardo degli angeli: Verrocchio, Leonardo e il Battesimo di Cristo / A cura di A. Natali. Firenze, 1998; Kustodieva T, PaolucciA., Pedretti C., Strinati C. Leonardo. La Madonna Litta dall "Ermitage di San Pietroburgo. Roma, 2003; Kemp M. Leonardo da Vinci. Experience, Experiment and Design. London, 2006.
By 1514 - 1515 refers to the creation of the great master’s masterpiece - “La Gioconda”.
Until recently, they thought that this portrait was painted much earlier, in Florence, around 1503. They believed the story of Vasari, who wrote: “Leonardo undertook to make for Francesco del Gioconda a portrait of Monna Lisa, his wife, and, having worked on it for four years, left it unfinished. This work is now in the possession of the French king in Fontainebleau. By the way, Leonardo resorted to the following technique: since Madonna Lisa was very beautiful, while painting the portrait he held people who played the lyre or sang, and there were always jesters who kept her cheerful and removed the melancholy that she usually conveys. painting for portraits."
This whole story is wrong from beginning to end. According to Venturi, “Monna Lisa, later Gioconda, was the creation of the fantasy of the short story writer, Aretina biographer, Giorgio Vasari.” Venturi in 1925 suggested that “La Gioconda” is a portrait of the Duchess Costanza d’Avalos, the widow of Federigo del Balzo, glorified in a small poem by Eneo Irpino, which also mentions her portrait painted by Leonardo. Costanza was the mistress of Giuliano de’ Medici, who, after her marriage to Philibertia of Savoy gave the portrait back to Leonardo.
At the very lately Pedretti put forward a new hypothesis: the Louvre portrait depicts the widow of Giovanni Antonio Brandano, named Pacifica, who was also the mistress of Giuliano de' Medici and bore him a son, Ippolito, in 1511.
Be that as it may, Vasari's version is questionable simply because it does not explain in any way why the portrait of Francesco del Giocondo's wife remained in Leonardo's hands and was taken by him to France.
2. Lady with an ermine ca. 1488-1490
Oil on the panel.
54.8 x 40.3 cm
Czartor Museum, Krakow, Poland
“The Lady with an Ermine” is the immortal seventeen-year-old Cecilia Gallerani, the favorite of Lodovico Sforza. Daughter of the 15th century. Crafty enchantress. Favorite of the Milan Palace. Tender and wise, bashful and frivolous, she appears before us. Simple and complex. Mysteriously attractive, with an almost static face, she still possesses the magnetism of extraordinary, hidden movement. But what gives the young lady’s appearance this magical liveliness? Smile. She barely touched the corners of her chaste lips. It lurked in the slightly swollen girlish dimples near the mouth and, like lightning, flashed in response in the dark, dilated pupils, covered with rounded, onion-shaped eyelids. Take a closer look at the subtle, spiritual features of the “Lady with an Ermine”, at her dignified posture, at her strict but elegant clothes, and the Renaissance with its magnificent creations of brilliant masters of art will instantly appear before you. Cecilia Gallerani. She, like a small planet, reflected the radiance of the cruel, ugly and beautiful, unique 15th century.
3. Fresco The Last Supper 1494 -1498
Oil and tempera on plaster.
460 x 880 cm
Santa Maria del Grazia, Milan, Italy
From left to right, a table with food stretches across the entire width of the picture. Twelve characters sit at the table facing us in groups of three with Christ in the center. The apostles are chatting animatedly. What are they talking about and what is the picture about? From Ammoreti's testimony it should be concluded that the painting " Last Supper"was completed in 1497. Unfortunately, Leonardo da Vinci painted it with paints, some of which turned out to be very fragile. Fifty years after completion, the painting, according to Vasari, was in the most pitiful condition. However, if at that time It was possible to fulfill the desire of King Francis I, expressed sixteen years after the completion of the painting, and, having broken down the wall, transfer the painting to France, then perhaps it would have been preserved. But this could not be done. In 1500, the water that flooded the meal. completely ruined the wall. In addition, in 1652, the door in the wall under the face of the Savior was broken, destroying the legs of this figure. The painting was unsuccessfully restored several times. In 1796, after the French crossed the Alps, Napoleon gave strict orders to spare the meal. The generals who followed him, not paying attention to his order, turned this place into a stable, and subsequently into a storage area for hay.
4. Portrait of Ginevra de Benci c. 1475 - 1478
Tempera and oil on panel
38.1 x 37 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington
This painting, now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, depicts a young lady against the backdrop of a mountainous landscape, with reflexes from the river playing on it. There are different points of view regarding the identification of the person being portrayed; Experts' opinions about the dating of this work are also divided. Some attribute it to the first Florentine period of Leonardo’s work, others, on the contrary, to the Milanese period. Most researchers adhere to the hypothesis that the portrait represents Ginevra Benci (her name is hinted at by the branches of the juniper, ginepro, which are visible in the background of the composition). It was made during the period when Leonardo freed himself from his apprenticeship to the art of Verrocchio, that is, around 1475.
5. Portrait of a musician 1485-1490
Oil on the panel.
43 x 31 cm
Ambrosiano Library, Milan, Italy
The portraits attributed to Leonardo contain common features: their background is darkened, the semi-figured image of the model, usually in a three-quarter turn, helps to present her to the viewer in all her individual character. The names of those portrayed are unknown, despite all the efforts of art historians to reveal them, and documentary evidence of the master’s activities. A number of Leonardo's portraits are associated with the atmosphere of the Sforza court, where the glorification of the individual, reflecting the glory of the court, played a decisive role. The purity of forms, the dignity of poses, combined with a keen insight into the character of the model, bring the artist’s portraits closer to the most advanced achievements in this genre of art for that time - with the works of Antonello da Messina. They go far beyond the memorial formalism of the masters of the 15th century, developing a type of portrait that embodies the character’s state of mind and allows one to significantly deepen the characterization of the image. In the so-called Portrait of a Musician from the Ambrosiana in Milan, his model is sometimes identified with the regent of Milan Cathedral, Franchino Gaffurio, but in fact it shows simply a young man with a sheet of music paper. We can also discern some geometricism in the rendering of plastic volumes, revealing the Tuscan influence. The cap on the head and the mass of curly hair form two hemispheres on the sides of the face; The sharpness of the contours and chiaroscuro already indicate the master’s familiarity with Lombard traditions and portraits of Antonello da Messina. Heavily restored, rewritten and perhaps even left unfinished, although at a fairly advanced stage of work, this is the only one by Leonardo male portrait- if it is truly made by the artist himself - depicts a person with an intelligent and firm look. Without getting carried away with the rhetorical glorification of personality, Leonardo conveys inner light the face and look of the person being portrayed, the moral strength inherent in him.
6. Madonna with a Flower (Benois Madonna) 1478 - 1480
Oil transferred from board to canvas
48x31.5 cm
Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia
The young artist Leonardo da Vinci, who had just completed his studies, painted this picture in Florence in the late seventies of the fifteenth century. It was received with enthusiasm, many copies were made, and at the beginning of the sixteenth century... it was lost.
Three hundred years later, a troupe of traveling actors toured in Astrakhan. One of the servants of Melpomene suggested that the local muses admirer and the richest merchant of the city, Alexander Sapozhnikov, buy a painting, darkened with age, written on a board. The deal was completed.
Many years later, his granddaughter Maria got married. Attached to the luxurious addition was the creation of an unknown Italian, which at first few people paid attention to. It is unknown what would have happened to him if Maria Alexandrovna’s husband had not become the successful architect and future president of the Academy of Arts Leonty Benois (the son of an even more famous architect) and if his younger brother had not been a famous artist, art critic and organizer of the World of Art association. Alexander. “Heeding the persistent requests of brother Leonty and his wife,” he recalls, “I had to stay in Berlin. The fact is that they instructed me to show a painting they owned to the famous Bode." (In parentheses, we note that Bode is one of the main authorities on the history of European art, director of the State Berlin Museums). He was absent, but several world-famous specialists were in the museum "Their verdict was harsh: the painting is not a work of Leonardo; rather, it was painted by one of his fellow students in Verrocchio's workshop. Later, Bode himself confirmed this conclusion."
The “Madonna” lay for a whole year from the Sapozhnikovs’ house in Alexander Nikolaevich’s Parisian apartment, and then was taken by him back to St. Petersburg and returned to the owners. However, after eight years (this was already in 1914), when he was in the bustle and troubles associated with preparing the Russian exhibition in Paris, he was given business card with the name of one of the Berlin specialists: “Professor Moller Walde.”
“I barely had time to agree to accept him,” said Alexander Benois, “when his own person came at me shouting: “Now I am firmly convinced that your Madonna is Leonardo!” Immediately, without sitting down, without letting me come to my senses, red with excitement, he began to pull out from a huge, tightly stuffed briefcase a pile of photographs of those undoubted drawings by Leonardo, which were in his eyes (and in reality) confirmation of his confidence in the authorship of the great master.
Benois refused the proposal to sell the masterpiece to Berlin museums, transferring it to the collection Imperial Hermitage. There the painting remains to this day, known throughout the world under the name “Benois Madonna.”
7. Madonna in the Grotto 1483-1486
Oil on panel (transferred to canvas)
199 x 122 cm
Louvre, Paris, France
The painting was intended to decorate the altar (the frame for the painting was a carved wooden altar) in the Immacolata Chapel of the Church of San Francesco Grande in Milan. On April 25, 1483, members of the Brotherhood of the Holy Conception ordered paintings (the central composition is the Madonna and Child, the side compositions are Angels Playing Music) by Leonardo, who was entrusted with the execution of the most important part of the altar, as well as by the brothers Ambrogio and Evangelista de Predis. Currently, art historians are of the opinion that both canvases on an identical subject, one of which is kept in the Louvre, and the other in London's National Gallery, are versions of the painting, executed for the same purpose. The signed Madonna of the Rocks from Paris (Louvre) originally decorated the altar of the Church of San Francesco Grande; perhaps it was given by Leonardo himself to the French king Louis XII as a sign of gratitude for mediation in the conflict between customers and artists over payment for paintings. It was replaced in the altar by a composition now located in London. For the first time, Leonardo was able to solve the problem of merging human figures with landscape, which gradually occupied leading place in his art program.
8. John the Baptist 1512
Oil on panel
69 x 57 cm
Louvre, Paris
One might think that the artist's first idea was to depict an angel of the gospel, if only this is consistent with a strange figure that evokes in the viewer a feeling of awkwardness rather than ecstatic amazement. In it we can discern the same spirit of irony that is characteristic of Gioconda, but there is no landscape onto which this irony could be projected, reflecting more complex connections between man and nature. Because of this, John the Baptist makes a strange, even ambiguous impression on the viewer. Meanwhile, the painting certainly belongs to the circle of Leonardo’s works, and in its design it is one of the most innovative, since in the figure of St. John the master synthesized his search for means of expressing feelings and the nature of man in general. Loaded with symbolism and illusion, this image seems to exist on the edge of mystery and reality.
9. Leda with a swan 1508 - 1515
Oil on the panel.
130 x 77.5
Ufizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
The Mona Lisa was created at a time when Leonardo Vinci was so absorbed in studying the structure of the female body, anatomy and problems associated with childbirth that it was almost impossible to separate his artistic and scientific interests. During these years, he sketched a human embryo in the uterus and created the last of several versions of the painting “Leda” based on the ancient myth of the birth of Castor and Pollux from the union of the mortal girl Leda and Zeus, who took the form of a swan. Leonardo was studying comparative anatomy and was interested in the analogies between all organic forms.
10. Self-portrait 1514 - 1516
Red sanguine (chalk).
33.3 x 21.3 cm
National Gallery in Turin, Italy
TO recent years life includes Leonardo's Turin self-portrait.
And Lomazzo’s description apparently also applies to this self-portrait: “His head was covered long hair, his eyebrows were so thick and his beard so long that he seemed to be a true personification of noble learning, which the druid Hermes and the ancient Prometheus had already been.”
Ancient biographers of Leonardo da Vinci paint his most attractive features:
According to Vasari:
“With the brilliance of his appearance, which revealed the highest beauty, he restored clarity to every saddened soul.”
According to Anonymous:
“He was handsome, proportionally built, graceful, with an attractive face. He wore a red cloak that reached to his knees, although long clothes were in fashion then. A beautiful beard, curly and well combed, fell to the middle of the chest.”
BES Brockhaus and Efron:
“Vinci was handsome, beautifully built, possessed enormous physical strength, was knowledgeable in the arts of chivalry, horse riding, dancing, fencing, etc.”
Based on materials from abc-people.com
Leonardo gained worldwide fame thanks to his comprehensively developed intellect. This unique man made several discoveries in the field of medicine, science, and engineering that changed the world.
And although the genius himself considered himself a scientist, and painting was just a hobby, his descendants put his contribution to art on the same level as other merits, because the artist’s paintings are truly masterpieces. However, see for yourself the photos of the original paintings posted on this page. good quality with an increase in significant areas and with a description of each masterpiece of the artist.
The title of the canvas, painted in 1503-1505, is translated as “Portrait of Madame Lisa Gioconda.”
The identity of the woman depicted remains a mystery to this day, although according to the most plausible version, she is the wife of a silk merchant with whom da Vinci was friends in Florence.
Mona Lisa is a girl in dark robes, half-turned towards the viewer. Every detail of the image is described in incredible detail, and the light smile that touched her lips pleasantly surprises. The portrait is considered one of the best in its genre and conveys the most sublime thoughts of the Italian Renaissance. On at the moment it adorns the Parisian Louvre.
Da Vinci's painting entitled "Isleworth Mona Lisa"
The portrait is still the same Mrs. Lisa, but with a different background, the presence of columns and less careful drawing of details. There are disputes regarding the time of its writing.
Some historians claim that this is a later version of La Gioconda, while others are sure that this is its first version.
The painting was sold to the collector Blaker, who placed it in his own studio, located in Isleworth - west London. This area gave the “name” to the legendary portrait.
Artwork - “Madonna Litta”
The Littas are a Milanese family that kept the Madonna together with other paintings in their collection throughout the 19th century. Today the painting belongs to the State Hermitage Museum. It was painted in 1490-1491 and depicts a woman feeding a baby.
The girl’s gaze, thoughtful and full of tenderness, is fixed on the child. The baby looks at the viewer, holding his mother’s chest with one hand and holding the goldfinch in the other.
"Madonna Benoit"
The painting was painted in 1478-1480 and was not completed. Today it belongs to the Imperial Hermitage.
Da Vinci placed the Madonna and baby Jesus in a dimly lit room illuminated by light from an open window.
There is a special play of light and shapes in the work. The girl smiles sincerely, and the well-fed, serious kid looks at the cruciferous flower with enthusiasm.
"Madonna of the Rocks"
Under this title there are two almost identical paintings. The Louvre exhibits a version painted around 1483-1486, and the National Gallery in London displays a slightly later version.
The canvas depicts the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, an angel and the baby Jesus. Overall, it has a peaceful atmosphere, imbued with tenderness. The steep cliffs that form the landscape backdrop create an exclusive contrast.
"Madonna and Child and Saint Anne"
This painting is often confused with Da Vinci's painting "St. Anne with the Madonna and Child Christ." “Madonna and Child with Saint Anne” is by the German artist Albrecht Durer. It was written in 1519 and has nothing to do with the world famous genius.
"Madonna of the Carnation"
The painting was not known until 1889, when it ended up in the Alte Pinakothek museum.
It depicts a calm Madonna with the baby Jesus in her arms, looking at the child with undisguised tenderness. The child is active, as if he is playing, stretching out his hands to the invisible butterfly.
“Saint Anne with the Madonna and Child Christ” unfinished painting
This unfinished masterpiece is today in the Louvre in Paris. To create it, da Vinci used a well-known plot in Italy, in which the Madonna is on the lap of her mother Anna, holding her own son Jesus in her arms.
The effect is called mise en abyme. The estimated date of writing is 1508-1510.
"Lady with an Ermine"
The painting, created in 1489-1490, is stored in Poland. It is believed that the portrait depicts Cecilia Gallerani, the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan.
The girl is described in detail and realistically. The presence of ermine has many versions. According to the most common theory, this animal symbolizes purity and chastity. It is placed in the picture to convey these features of Cecilia, to point out her extramarital relationship with the Duke, which does not stain the beauty’s reputation, but is a manifestation of sincere love.
“Ginevra de Benci” - an artistic depiction of the poetess
She was a famous poet and platonic lover of Bernardo Bembo, who, according to historians, is the person who commissioned the portrait.
Da Vinci worked on it from 1474 to 1476.
The girl on the canvas does not smile, she is thoughtful and calm, dressed in a simple, no-frills dress. She is decorated only with a scarf and a small pearl on her neck. The painting is currently on view at the Washington National Gallery of Art.
"Ginevra de Benci" (reverse side)
On the back of the portrait of Ginevra de Benci, an emblem is painted by Leonardo da Vinci: a vertical branch of juniper, framed by a wreath of laurel and palm branches, which are intertwined with a ribbon with Latin phrase: “Virtutem forma decorat.”
Translated, the saying sounds no less luxurious: “Beauty is the adornment of virtue.”
The palm branch and laurel represent virtue, and the juniper represents the poetic component. The background imitates a slab of porphyry, symbolizing rare and unchanging perfection.
“Leda and the Swan” - a copy of the artist’s painting
This painting is now lost, but copies of it painted by other artists, preliminary sketches by da Vinci, and mentions in historical documents have been preserved. The estimated time of writing is 1508.
The canvas depicted Leda standing at full height and hugging the neck of a swan. The girl looked at the children playing in the grass. Judging by the shells lying nearby, the babies were born from large eggs.
"Isabella d'Este"
Isabella d'Este is called the "diva of the Renaissance."
She was a great connoisseur of art and one of the most famous girls in Italy. Isabella was friends with da Vinci and repeatedly asked to create her portrait, but the genius took it on only once.
Alas, after creating a pencil sketch, which the artist completed in 1499, he abandoned his creation.
“The Baptism of Christ” - painting by da Vinci and Andrei Verrocchio
This painting was painted by da Vinci in collaboration with his teacher Andrea Verrocchio in 1475.
It was ordered by the Benedictine Vallombrosian monastery of San Salvia, which kept the painting until 1530, after which it transferred it to the Florentine Uffizi Gallery.
A fragment of the painting “The Baptism of Christ” - a personal work by Leonardo
Connoisseurs of da Vinci's work can enjoy a fragment of the "Baptism of Christ" made personally by Leonardo.
Part of the painting depicts individual elements of a landscape and two angels - the one on the left is the work of a genius. According to legend, Verrocchio was so impressed by the student’s skill that he abandoned art, considering himself unworthy of it.
"Adoration of the Magi"
The painting was begun by order of the Augustinian monks from the monastery of San Donato in 1481, but was not completed due to the fact that the artist had to leave for Milan. Today the work is kept in the Uffizi Gallery.
In the background you can see the ruins of a palace or, presumably, a pagan temple, riders on horses, and rocks. In the center of the canvas is Mary with the newborn Jesus. She was surrounded by pilgrims who wanted to worship the son of God.
Historians believe that da Vinci painted the guy on the far right from his own life.
"John the Baptist"
The painting in the classical style, distinguished from others by the absence of a landscape and a blank background, was created in 1514-1516. Today it can be seen in the Louvre in Paris.
The figure of John the Baptist is equipped with traditional symbols:
- thin reed cross;
- woolen clothes;
- long hair.
The raised finger of the right hand is also a traditional gesture that often appears in Da Vinci's paintings. Perhaps in this way the artist wanted to convey something important. The image of John is gentle, he has a soft smile and an amazing look, as if penetrating the viewer’s soul.
“Saint Jerome” - an unfinished painting by the author
The painting was commissioned by the church authorities in Florence in 1481, but da Vinci had to leave for Milan, so it was not completed. The condition in which it has survived to this day is critical - it was assembled almost piece by piece, so it is kept in the Vatican Pinacoteca under careful and careful supervision.
The sketch shows Saint Jerome, whose pose indicates that the man is repenting. A lion, Jerome’s eternal companion, is resting nearby.
Painting entitled - “The Last Supper”
The painting was commissioned by Duke Lodovico Sforza and his wife Beatrice d'Este in 1495. The painting, depicting the scene of Christ's last meal with his disciples, was completed in 1498. The Sforza family coat of arms can be seen on the lunettes formed by the three-arched ceiling. Today the work is kept in the monastery of Milan.
“Annunciation” - an angelic work by the artist
Leonardo da Vinci painted this painting in 1475. The plot was chosen from the part of the Gospel that tells about the announcement of the future birth of the Savior.
The winged archangel Gabriel is kneeling, holding in his left hand a white lily, personifying purity. With his right hand he blesses Mary. Near the girl there is a marble stand, decorated with relief, on which lies the Bible. The work is exhibited at the Uffizi Museum.
"Annunciation - landscape"
The landscape of the Annunciation, located in the background of the picture, is worth special attention. Leonardo da Vinci placed on it a river receding into the distance with visible masts of ships, carved silhouettes of trees, walls and towers of a port city, which is shrouded in the pale haze of a mountain top.
"Musician"
This portrait was rewritten by the great Italian artist almost beyond recognition in 1490-1492. He then left his work unfinished. Today the painting is kept in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan.
In the 19th century it was generally accepted that the painting depicted Duke Lodovico Sforzo. But in XX, during restoration work, it was possible to make out the words on the paper held in the hands of the guy depicted. They turned out to be the initial letters of the words Cantum Angelicum, which in translation sounds like “angelic song”. Notes are drawn nearby. Thanks to this discovery, they began to look at the work differently, giving it an appropriate name.
Leonardo da Vinci's last painting is on display at the Louvre
In front of you in the photograph is Leonardo’s latest creation - “Saint Anne and Mary with the Child.” The painter worked on this painting for 20 years. It is currently on display in the Louvre.
Continuation of the exhibition. . .
Leonardo da Vinci can safely be attributed to unique people of our planet... After all, he is known not only as one of greatest artists and sculptors of Italy, as well as the greatest scientist, explorer, engineer, chemist, anatomist, botanist, philosopher, musician and poet. His creations, discoveries and research were several epochs ahead of their time.
Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 near Florence, in the city of Vinci (Italy). Quite a bit of information is known about da Vinci’s mother, only that she was a peasant, was not married to Leonardo’s father, and raised her son in the village until he was 4 years old, after which he was sent to his father’s family. But Leonardo’s father, Piero Vinci, was a fairly wealthy citizen, worked as a notary, and also owned land and the title of Messer.
Leonardo da Vinci received his primary education, which included the ability to write, read, and basic mathematics and Latin, at home. For many, his manner of writing in mirror image from left to right was interesting. Although, if necessary, he could write traditionally without much difficulty. In 1469, the son and his father moved to Florence, where Leonardo began to study the profession of an artist, which was not the most revered at that time, although Piero had a desire for his son to inherit the profession of a notary. But at that time, an illegitimate child could not be a doctor or a lawyer. And already in 1472 Leonardo was accepted into the guild of painters of Florence, and in 1473 the very first dated work of Leonardo da Vinci was written. This landscape depicted a sketch of a river valley.
Already in 1481 - 1482. Leonardo was accepted into the service of the ruler of Milan at that time, Lodovico Moro, where he served as the organizer of court holidays, and part-time as a military engineer and hydraulic engineer. Being engaged in architecture, da Vinci had a huge influence on the architecture of Italy. In his works he developed various options modern ideal city, as well as projects for a central-domed temple.
At this time, Leonardo da Vinci tried himself in various scientific directions and achieved unprecedented positive results almost everywhere, but could not find the favorable environment he needed so much in Italy at that time. Therefore, with great pleasure, in 1517 he accepted the invitation of the French king Francis I to the position of court painter and arrived in France. During this period, the French court tried to actively join the culture of the Italian Renaissance, so the artist was surrounded by universal veneration, although, according to the testimony of many historians, this veneration was rather ostentatious and of an external nature. The artist’s weakened strength was at its limit and after two years, on May 2, 1519, Leonardo da Vinci died in, near Amboise, in France. But despite the short life path Leonardo da Vinci became a recognized symbol of the Renaissance.