Leo Martínez
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer. He left behind many notebooks filled with jottings and sketches and only a few finished works. Two of his most famous paintings, the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, took a combined 17 years to finish. The Last Supper was completed in 1498 and is housed in Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan. The Mona Lisa, which is considered the world's most famous artwork, is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Other famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci include Lady with an Ermine, The Virgin of the Rocks, and Salvator Mundi.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Most famous paintings | The Last Supper, The Mona Lisa, Saint Anne, the Virgin, and the Child Playing with a Lamb, Salvator Mundi, Ginevra de’ Benci, Madonna of the Carnation, Madonna of the Rocks, Saint John the Baptist, The Virgin of the Rocks, The Burlington House Cartoon, St Jerome in the Wilderness |
| Technique | Sfumato, oil on wood panel, oil on poplar, pen and ink, oil colours |
| Style | Realism, Renaissance |
| Period | Italian Renaissance, 15th and 16th centuries |
| Location | The Louvre Museum, Paris, France, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy, National Gallery, London, UK, Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy, Vatican Museums, Rome, Italy |
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What You'll Learn
The Mona Lisa
The painting's global fame and popularity are partly due to its theft by Vincenzo Peruggia in 1911, which generated unprecedented publicity for an art theft. The painting holds the Guinness World Record for the highest known painting insurance valuation in history at US$100 million in 1962, equivalent to $1 billion as of 2023. The Louvre Museum considers the Mona Lisa irreplaceable and has made it a priority to maintain the portrait rather than insure it.
The allure of the Mona Lisa stems from the mysterious nature of the painting, including the enigmatic smile and gaze of the subject, as well as the subject's unproven identity. The painting's simplicity belies Leonardo's talent for realism and his ability to create a three-dimensional effect. The horizon line is placed at the level of the eyes, linking the figure with the landscape and adding to the sense of mystery.
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The Last Supper
Leonardo's painting is renowned for its handling of space, mastery of perspective, treatment of motion, and complex display of human emotion. Each apostle is depicted with a unique reaction to Jesus's declaration, with postures that rise, fall, extend, and intertwine as they whisper, yell, grieve, and debate around Jesus, who sits serenely in the centre. Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, is identified as he reaches towards a plate beside Christ and clutches a purse containing his reward for identifying Christ to the authorities.
The conservation of The Last Supper has been a significant challenge due to various factors, including early restoration efforts, its location in an area prone to flooding, the materials and techniques used by Leonardo, and the impact of humidity, dust, and air pollution. Despite these challenges, the painting remains a masterpiece of Western art and a testament to Leonardo's genius and inexhaustible curiosity.
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Saint John the Baptist
The painting is notable for its innovative depiction of Saint John, who had traditionally been portrayed as a gaunt ascetic. Leonardo's interpretation showed a youthful saint emerging from darkness, with a strong contrast between the dark background and the illumination of the figure. This use of chiaroscuro, along with the mystery and grace emanating from the figure, has fascinated viewers for centuries.
The dating of the painting is disputed, with some experts suggesting it began around 1508-1509, while others date it to 1513-1516 or even 1517-1518 based on similar works from that time. The painting is believed to have been part of the French king Francis I's collection at Fontainebleau in 1542, and later passed through the hands of several prestigious owners, including King Charles I of England and King Louis XIV of France, before joining the Louvre's collection.
The model for the painting was Salaì, and Leonardo's depiction of him as Saint John has been described as having a "disturbingly erotic charge" while still conveying a spiritual meaning. This ambiguity between spirit and flesh, as well as the sense of "'uneasiness' that the painting evokes, adds to its intriguing nature.
Overall, Saint John the Baptist is a masterpiece that showcases Leonardo da Vinci's genius and experimental approach to art, and it continues to be a source of fascination and inspiration for artists alike.
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Ginevra de' Benci
Leonardo da Vinci's 'Ginevra de Benci' is a portrait of the 15th-century Florentine aristocrat, Ginevra de' Benci, painted between 1474 and 1478. It is the only painting by Leonardo on public view in the Americas and is housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The painting was acquired by the museum in 1967 for a record price of between $5 and $6 million.
The painting is believed to have been created when Leonardo was in his twenties and is considered an early experiment with a new medium—oil paint. Leonardo used a technique called pouncing to transfer his drawing of Ginevra to a wood panel. He pricked holes along the lines of the drawing and then rubbed black chalk through the holes onto the wood. The painting was originally larger, but at some point, the bottom of the panel was cut down. A surviving drawing by Leonardo suggests that Ginevra's hands were lightly cradled at her waist, and she may have held a small flower, perhaps a dianthus (known as a pink), which in Renaissance portraits commonly symbolised devotion or virtue.
Infrared reflectography images of the painting reveal the dots from the pouncing process, as well as Bembo's motto, "Virtus et honor" ("virtue and honour"), beneath Ginevra's portrait, suggesting that he may have commissioned the work. However, this remains unproven.
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Madonna of the Carnation
Leonardo da Vinci was a talented inventor, scientist, architect, and painter during the Italian Renaissance. He is known for his innovative compositions, investigations into anatomy, and experiments with methods of representing space and three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface.
One of his famous paintings is the "Madonna of the Carnation", also known as the "Madonna with Vase", "Madonna with Child", or "Virgin with Flower". This Renaissance oil painting was created around 1478-1480 and is permanently displayed at the Alte Pinakothek gallery in Munich, Germany. The painting depicts the young Virgin Mary seated with Baby Jesus on her lap, dressed in sumptuous clothes and jewellery. Mary holds a carnation in her left hand, with its red petals suggesting blood and the Passion. The child Jesus reaches out for the flower, his movements still awkward as he attempts to grasp the symbol of his future sacrifice. The faces of Mary and Jesus are illuminated, while all other objects are in shadow. The mother and child do not make eye contact, with Mary's gaze lowered and Jesus looking up. The setting of the portrait is a room with two windows on each side of the figures.
The "Madonna of the Carnation" is believed to be one of Leonardo's first autonomous works, although some scholars disagree. There are several elements in the painting that are typical of Leonardo's style, including the use of chiaroscuro (light and dark) modelling, the softness of the forms, and the sweet sentiment of the figures. The painting also shows strong similarities to "Madonna with the Carnation" by Bernardino Luini, a leading painter from the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Luini's painting depicts the Virgin with the Christ child seated in her lap as he turns to grasp a carnation growing in a pot nearby. The carnation symbolized either the Crucifixion or the Virgin's pure love, suggesting Christ's embrace of his future sacrifice even as an infant.
Unfortunately, "Madonna of the Carnation" has deteriorated badly due to improper restoration, giving the surface, especially the Madonna's face, a leathery appearance. Despite this, the painting remains a significant work in Leonardo da Vinci's oeuvre, showcasing his skill in creating divine and natural art.
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Frequently asked questions
Some of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous paintings include the *Mona Lisa*, *The Last Supper*, *Saint Anne, the Virgin, and the Child Playing with a Lamb*, *The Virgin of the Rocks*, and *Salvator Mundi*.
The *Mona Lisa* is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
The *Mona Lisa* is considered a cultural icon. It is renowned for its realism and use of sfumato, and the mysterious gaze and smile of its subject.
*The Last Supper* is located in Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan.
*The Last Supper* depicts a sequential narrative of several closely connected moments in the Gospels, including Matthew 26:21–28, in which Jesus reveals that one of his disciples will betray him. Leonardo illustrates each disciple's unique reaction to the declaration.
