Isabella Flores
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most renowned artists of all time, and his surviving body of work is surprisingly small. There are fewer than 20 surviving paintings that can be definitively attributed to him, and several of these are unfinished. Leonardo's fame initially rested on his achievements as a painter, but he has also become known for his notebooks, in which he made drawings and notes on a variety of subjects, including anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and palaeontology.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of surviving paintings that can be definitively attributed to Leonardo da Vinci | Less than 20 |
| Number of universally attributed major works | 8 |
| Number of additional works widely attributed to him | 10 |
| Number of surviving manuscripts of notes and drawings | 11 |
| Examples of universally attributed major works | The Adoration of the Magi, Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, the Louvre Virgin of the Rocks, The Last Supper, the ceiling of the Sala delle Asse, The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist, The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, and the Mona Lisa |
| Examples of additional works widely attributed to him | The Annunciation, Madonna of the Carnation, The Baptism of Christ, Ginevra de' Benci, the Benois Madonna, the Portrait of a Musician |
| Examples of works with disputed attributions | Salvator Mundi, Bacchus, La Scapigliata |
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What You'll Learn
- There are less than 20 surviving paintings that can be definitely attributed to Leonardo da Vinci
- The Mona Lisa is his best-known work and is the world's most famous individual painting
- The Last Supper is the most reproduced religious painting of all time
- Salvator Mundi was sold for $450.3 million in 2017, but its attribution is controversial
- The Battle of Anghiari is one of Leonardo's most important works but only survives in copies
There are less than 20 surviving paintings that can be definitely attributed to Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time. Initially, his fame rested on his achievements as a painter, but he has since become known for his notebooks, in which he made drawings and notes on a variety of subjects, including anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and palaeontology.
Leonardo da Vinci's total output in painting is rather small; there are less than 20 surviving paintings that can be definitively attributed to him, and several of them are unfinished. Two of his most important works—the Battle of Anghiari and the Leda, neither of which were completed—have survived only in copies. The small number of surviving paintings is due in part to Leonardo's habit of disastrous experimentation with new techniques and his chronic procrastination, resulting in many incomplete works. It is thought that he created many more works that are now lost, though records and copies have survived for some.
Some of his universally attributed paintings include The Adoration of the Magi, Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, the Louvre Virgin of the Rocks, The Last Supper, the ceiling of the Sala delle Asse, The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist, The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, and the Mona Lisa. These paintings have aroused little or no controversy in the past.
Ten additional works are now widely attributed to his oeuvre, though most have previously incited considerable controversy or doubt: the Annunciation, Madonna of the Carnation, The Baptism of Christ (with his teacher, Verrocchio), Ginevra de' Benci, the Benois Madonna, the Portrait of a Musician (with possible studio assistance), Bacchus, La Scapigliata, and Salvator Mundi.
The interest in Leonardo's genius has continued unabated; experts study and translate his writings, analyse his paintings using scientific techniques, argue over attributions, and search for works that have been recorded but never found.
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The Mona Lisa is his best-known work and is the world's most famous individual painting
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the founding figures of the High Renaissance, and his influence on subsequent artists is enormous. While he is known to have created many works, there are fewer than 20 surviving paintings that can be definitively attributed to him. Many of these are unfinished, and several others have been lost. This small number of surviving paintings is partly due to Leonardo's experimentation with new techniques and his procrastination, resulting in incomplete works.
Among his surviving paintings, the Mona Lisa is his best-known work and is considered the world's most famous individual painting. It is one of his later works, and its fame has endured for centuries. The painting's iconic status has been enhanced by the mystery surrounding it, including questions about the identity of the woman depicted and the reason for her smile.
The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait of a woman with her hands folded in her lap, set against a landscape of rivers, bridges, and distant mountains. The painting is known for its innovative use of sfumato, a technique of subtle gradients that creates a soft, mysterious atmosphere. The subject's enigmatic smile and serene expression have captivated viewers for generations.
The painting's fame has been further fuelled by its high-profile ownership. It was first commissioned by the Florentine official Francesco del Giocondo for his home, and it later became part of the French royal collection during the reign of Francis I. In 1530, it was installed at the Palace of Fontainebleau, where it hung in the bathroom, of all places, for the king's pleasure!
Today, the Mona Lisa is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, where it has been exhibited since 1797. In 1962, the painting was assessed to be valued at $100 million, but today, it is considered priceless and is no longer covered by insurance. The painting's enduring popularity has made it a symbol of Western art and a must-see attraction for the millions of visitors who flock to the Louvre each year.
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The Last Supper is the most reproduced religious painting of all time
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. He is regarded as a genius who epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal. Only around eight major works are universally attributed to him, including The Last Supper, which is the most reproduced religious painting of all time.
The Last Supper is a mural painting by Leonardo da Vinci, dated to c. 1495–1498. It is housed in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. The painting represents the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus with the Twelve Apostles, as told in the Gospel of John. It captures the moment after Jesus announces that one of his apostles will betray him. The painting's handling of space, mastery of perspective, treatment of motion, and complex display of human emotion have made it one of the Western world's most recognizable paintings and among Leonardo's most celebrated works.
The Last Supper has been the subject of numerous reproductions, interpretations, parodies, conspiracy theories, and works of fiction. Its iconic status has resulted in it being frequently referenced and reproduced in Western culture. The painting's composition and narrative have inspired artists and writers alike.
The painting's enduring popularity can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, Leonardo's skill in depicting a sequential narrative, creating an illusion of space, and representing human psychology in expression, gesture, and posture is remarkable. His use of linear perspective, with the vanishing point at Jesus' right temple, effectively draws the viewer's attention to the main subject. Secondly, the painting's subject matter holds religious and cultural significance, making it a popular choice for reproductions and interpretations.
The Last Supper has also sparked controversy and criticism, particularly regarding its restoration attempts. Despite the painting's fragile state, it remains a masterpiece that continues to capture the imagination and inspire new creations, solidifying its place as the most reproduced religious painting in history.
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Salvator Mundi was sold for $450.3 million in 2017, but its attribution is controversial
The Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci is widely regarded as a genius who epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal. He was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on his achievements as a painter, he has also become known for his notebooks, in which he made drawings and notes on a variety of subjects, including anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and palaeontology.
There are only around eight major works that are universally attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, including The Adoration of the Magi, Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, the Louvre Virgin of the Rocks, The Last Supper, the ceiling of the Sala delle Asse, The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist, The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, and the Mona Lisa. These works have aroused little or no controversy in the past.
However, the attribution of the painting Salvator Mundi, which sold for $450.3 million in 2017, remains extremely controversial. The extensive nature of the restoration may prevent a definitive resolution to this debate. The painting depicts Jesus Christ in an anachronistic blue Renaissance outfit, making a gesture of blessing with his right hand while holding a transparent, non-refracting crystal orb in his left hand, signalling his role as Salvator Mundi (Latin for 'Saviour of the World') and representing the 'celestial sphere' of the heavens.
The controversy surrounding the attribution of Salvator Mundi centres around two main issues. Firstly, the painting had to undergo very extensive restoration, which makes it extremely difficult to assess its original quality. Secondly, the painting exhibits a strongly developed sfumato technique that corresponds more closely to the manner of a talented Leonardo pupil active in the 1520s than to the style of Leonardo himself. Critics have also noted the unconvincing representation of the glass globe in Jesus' hand, arguing that Leonardo, with his extensive scientific knowledge, would have known that a solid glass globe would have distorted the view of its holder.
Despite the controversy, the auction house Christie's, which sold the painting in 2017, asserted that there was a "'broad consensus' among scholars that the work was by Leonardo. They noted that the painting was made of the same materials that Leonardo would have used, including ultramarine, a high-quality blue pigment often reserved for virtuosos. Additionally, at least thirty copies and variations of the painting by Leonardo's pupils and followers have been identified, suggesting that there must have been an original by Leonardo from which they were copied.
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The Battle of Anghiari is one of Leonardo's most important works but only survives in copies
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most renowned artists of all time, with his works admired and revered by experts and the public alike. However, only around eight major works are universally attributed to him, including the iconic Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. There are a small number of surviving paintings due to Leonardo's experimentation with new techniques and his procrastination, resulting in many incomplete works.
One of Leonardo's most important commissions was The Battle of Anghiari, which he began working on around October 1503. The painting was to be a mural in the Sala del Gran Consiglio (Hall of the Grand Council) of the Palazzo della Signoria (Palazzo Vecchio) in Florence. It was to commemorate the Florentine Republic's decisive military victory over the Milanese at Anghiari in 1440.
The Battle of Anghiari was an ambitious project for Leonardo, and he encountered several challenges during its creation. He chose to use a type of plaster described in a book by Pliny, but the work was ruined when sudden humidity liquefied the paste holding the cartoon in place, causing it to slide and tear. Leonardo persevered and decided to use an encaustic technique, which involves fixing the artwork with heat. Unfortunately, this attempt also proved unsuccessful. When Leonardo applied the colours using oil paints, the paint began to drip, and he was only able to save the lower part of the painting.
Despite these setbacks, the centerpiece of The Battle of Anghiari was greatly admired, and numerous copies were made. The original work no longer survives, but its legacy endures through these copies and Leonardo's sketches. In March 2012, a team led by Maurizio Seracini, an Italian expert in high-technology art analysis, announced that they had found evidence that the painting still exists on a hidden inner wall behind a cavity in the chamber. However, the search was discontinued later that year due to conflicts among the involved parties.
The Battle of Anghiari holds significant importance in Leonardo's oeuvre, even though it was never completed. It showcases his innovative techniques and experimental approach to art, demonstrating his relentless pursuit of knowledge and creativity.
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Frequently asked questions
There are less than 20 surviving paintings that can be definitively attributed to Leonardo.
Some of the paintings definitively attributed to Leonardo include the "Mona Lisa", "The Last Supper", "The Virgin of the Rocks", "Adoration of the Magi", and "Saint Jerome in the Wilderness".
Yes, there are several paintings with disputed attributions to Leonardo. Some of these include "Salvator Mundi", "Bacchus", and "La Scapigliata".
