Collection of Leonardo da Vinci. Selected works. Briefly about the work of Leonardo da Vinci

Great Italian artist and Renaissance inventor Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in the small village of Anchiano LU, located near the town of Vinci FI. He was the illegitimate son of a wealthy notary, Piero da Vinci, and a beautiful village woman, Katarina. Soon after this event, the notary entered into marriage with the girl noble birth. They had no children, and Piero and his wife took their three-year-old child with them.

The Birth of an Artist

The brief time of childhood in the village is over. Notary Piero moved to Florence, where he apprenticed his son to Andrea del Veroccio, a famous Tuscan master. There, in addition to painting and sculpture, future artist got the opportunity to study the basics of mathematics and mechanics, anatomy, working with metals and plaster, and methods of leather dressing. The young man greedily absorbed knowledge and later used it widely in his activities.

Interesting creative biography The maestro was written by his contemporary Giorgio Vasari. In Vasari's book "Life of Leonardo" there is Short story about how Andrea del Verrocchio recruited a student to carry out the order “The Baptism of Christ” (Battesimo di Cristo). The angel painted by Leonardo so clearly demonstrated his superiority over his teacher that the latter threw down his brush in frustration and never painted again.

The qualification of a master was awarded to him by the Guild of St. Luke. Next year Leonardo da Vinci spent his life in Florence. His first mature painting is “The Adoration of the Magi” (Adorazione dei Magi), commissioned for the monastery of San Donato.

Milanese period (1482 - 1499)

Leonardo came to Milan as a peace envoy from Lorenzo di Medici to Lodovico Sforza, nicknamed Moro. Here his work received a new direction. He was enrolled in the court staff first as an engineer and only later as an artist.

The Duke of Milan, a cruel and narrow-minded man, had little interest in the creative component of Leonardo’s personality. The master was even less worried about the duke's indifference. Interests converged in one thing. Moreau needed engineering devices for military operations and mechanical structures for the entertainment of the court. Leonardo understood this like no one else. His mind did not sleep, the master was sure that human capabilities are limitless. His ideas were close to the humanists of the New Age, but in many ways incomprehensible to his contemporaries.

Two important works belong to the same period - (Il Cenacolo) for the refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie (Chiesa e Convento Domenicano di Santa Maria delle Grazie) and the painting “Lady with an Ermine” (Dama con l’ermellino).

The second is a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, the favorite of the Duke of Sforza. The biography of this woman is unusual. One of the most beautiful and learned ladies of the Renaissance, she was simple and kind, and knew how to get along with people. An affair with the Duke saved one of her brothers from prison. She had the most tender relationship with Leonardo, but, according to contemporaries and the opinion of most researchers, their brief relationship remained platonic.

A more common (and also not confirmed) version is about the master’s intimate relationship with his students Francesco Melzi and Salai. The artist preferred to keep the details of his personal life a deep secret.

Moreau ordered the master equestrian statue Francesco Sforza. The necessary sketches were completed and a clay model of the future monument was made. Further work was prevented by the French invasion of Milan. The artist left for Florence. He will return here again, but to another master - the French king Louis XII.

Again in Florence (1499 - 1506)

Later years (1506 - 1519)

The second Milanese period lasted until 1512. The Maestro studied the structure human eye, worked on the monument to Gian Giacomo Trivulzio and his own self-portrait. In 1512 the artist moved to Rome. Giovanni di Medici, the son of Giovanni di Medici, was elected pope and was ordained under the name of Leo X. The pope's brother, Duke Giuliano di Medici, highly appreciated the work of his compatriot. After his death, the master accepted the invitation of King Francis I (François I) and left for France in 1516.

Francis turned out to be the most generous and grateful patron. The maestro settled in the picturesque castle of Clos Lucé in Touraine, where he had every opportunity to do what was interesting to him. By royal commission, he designed a lion from whose chest a bouquet of lilies opened. French period was the happiest in his life. The king assigned his engineer an annual annuity of 1000 ecus and donated land with vineyards, ensuring him a peaceful old age. The maestro's life was cut short in 1519. He bequeathed his notes, instruments and estates to his students.

Paintings

Inventions and works

Most of the master's inventions were not created during his lifetime, remaining only in notes and drawings. An airplane, a bicycle, a parachute, a tank... He was possessed by the dream of flight, the scientist believed that a person can and should fly. Studied bird behavior and sketched wings different forms. His design for a two-lens telescope is surprisingly accurate, and his diaries contain short note about the opportunity to “see the big moon.”

As a military engineer he was always in demand; the lightweight saddle bridges he invented and the wheel lock for a pistol were used everywhere. He dealt with the problems of urban planning and land reclamation, and in 1509 he built the St. Christopher, as well as the Martesana irrigation canal. The Duke of Moreau rejected his project " ideal city" Several centuries later, the development of London was carried out according to this project. In Norway there is a bridge built according to his drawing. In France, already an old man, he designed a canal between the Loire and Saône.

The secret of genius

There were plenty of secrets in the life of the Renaissance titan. The main one opened relatively recently. But has it opened? In 1950, a list of Grand Masters of the Priory of Sion (Prieuré de Sion), a secret organization created in 1090 in Jerusalem, was published. According to the list, Leonardo da Vinci was the ninth of the Grand Masters of the Priory. His predecessor in this amazing post was Sandro Botticelli, and his successor was Constable Charles III de Bourbon. The main goal of the organization was to restore the Merovingian dynasty to the throne of France. The Priory considered the offspring of this family to be the descendants of Jesus Christ.

The very existence of such an organization raises doubts among most historians. But such doubts could have been sown by members of the Priory who wished to continue their activities in secret.

If we accept this version as the truth, the master’s habit of complete independence and the strange attraction to France for a Florentine become clear. Even Leonardo's writing style - left hand and right to left - can be interpreted as an imitation of Hebrew writing. This seems unlikely, but the scale of his personality allows us to make the most daring assumptions.

Stories about the Priory make scientists distrustful, but enriching artistic creativity. Most shining example– Dan Brown’s book “The Da Vinci Code” and the film of the same name.

• At the age of 24, together with three Florentine youths was accused of sodomy. The company was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
• Maestro was a vegetarian. People who consume animal food were called “walking cemeteries.”
• He shocked his contemporaries with his habit of carefully examining and sketching the hanged in detail. Exploring the device human body considered it the most important activity.
• There is an opinion that the maestro developed tasteless and odorless poisons for Cesare Borgia and wiretapping devices made of glass tubes.
• Television mini-series "The Life of Leonardo da Vinci"(La vita di Leonardo da Vinci), directed by Renato Castellani, received a Golden Globe award.
• named after Leonardo da Vinci and is decorated with a huge statue depicting a master with a model of a helicopter in his hands.

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Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452, on April 15th. He died in 1519, on May 2. This person can certainly be considered one of the unique talents of our planet. He is known not only as one of the greatest sculptors and artists in Italy, but also as a poet, musician, philosopher, botanist, anatomist, chemist, engineer, explorer, and scientist. His discoveries and creations were ahead of their time by more than one era. We will describe the main paintings by Leonardo da Vinci with titles in this article.

"Portrait of Ginevra de Benci"

Done this work approximately from 1474 to 1478. This early work depicts a Florentine poetess who lived in the 15th century. From there we will begin to present you with paintings by Leonardo da Vinci with names and descriptions.

Probably this work can be considered the first psychological portrait in the history of painting. It clearly expresses a mood of sadness, possibly associated with the breakdown of this girl’s relationship with Bernardo Bembo, the Venetian ambassador, her lover. Ginevra's pale face with narrow eyes and wide cheekbones stands out in contrast against the background of nature - the evening landscape. In the picture we see a juniper bush called jinepro. This is a subtle hint to the girl's name. The canvas demonstrates the artist's undoubted technical skill. With the help of sfumato, black and white modeling, the contours of the figure are softened. At the same time, the author violated the Renaissance tradition in the depiction of portraits that existed at that time. The model is turned to the right, not to the left, and the light source is positioned accordingly.

The emblem is on the back of this piece - a juniper branch placed inside a wreath of palm and laurel branches. “Beauty is the adornment of virtue,” says the Latin inscription on the ribbon entwining them.

"Saint Jerome"

We continue to describe Leonardo da Vinci's paintings with names. The following work was completed by the artist in 1482. It is kept in Unfortunately, some of the paintings of this great artist, thinker, and scientist of the Renaissance were not completed. The canvas that interests us also belongs to them. However, it is a work in which the entire author’s intention is already visible. The painting "Saint Jerome" was done at the underpainting level.

Description of the picture

It depicts Saint Jerome - translator of Latin language Bibles, religious thinker, an ascetic and ascetic who retired to the desert, where he spent several years. This man is depicted as repentant. His eyes are full of prayer. He pushes aside his cloak over his shoulder with one hand and swings the other back, swinging to hit himself in the chest with a stone. The muscles of the ascetic, thin face, arms and shoulders are tense, the foot stands firmly on a large stone. Jerome is a continuous cry for forgiveness. In the foreground we see a lion, which, according to legend, has accompanied this saint since he met him in the desert and cured the beast. This wild animal submitted to the goodness and love with which God filled Jerome’s soul.

"Madonna and Child with Saint Anne"

This work, kept today in the Louvre, was completed around 1510 on a popular subject. It depicts the infant Christ with the Holy Virgin and Anna, her mother. The arrangement of the figures in this group differs from earlier compositions, which were static. Leonardo da Vinci spent the first years of the 16th century working on various options of this plot. For example, a drawing has been preserved that shows a slightly different interpretation, including John the Baptist in his infancy.

Although St. Anna in her usual place, that is, behind the Holy Virgin, all three figures are very realistic and alive. Leonardo da Vinci, moving away from the then-existing tradition of depicting Anna as an elderly matron, painted her as unexpectedly attractive and young. She can hardly contain her glee at the sight of the baby. An allusion to future role the innocent sacrifice, the lamb of God for the atonement of sins, is the lamb in the arms of Christ.

"Madonna and Child"

This painting is exhibited in the Hermitage. The years of its creation are 1490-1491. It also has a second name - “Madonna Lita”, named after one of the owners of this painting, Leonardo da Vinci. The title of the painting “Madonna and Child” tells us the plot. Every person who looks at the canvas has a feeling of sublime peace, contemplative spiritual silence. In the image of the Madonna, da Vinci combined the earthly, sensual, spiritual and sublime into one unshakable harmonious image of beauty. Her face is serene, and, despite the fact that there is no smile on her lips, her posture and tilt of her head express endless tenderness towards the child. Madonna breastfeeds her baby. He looks absentmindedly at the viewer, holding his mother's chest with his right hand. On the left is the goldfinch bird, which is a symbol of the Christian soul.

"Madonna Benois" ("Madonna and Child")

There are two paintings by Leonardo da Vinci with titles (a photo of one of them was presented above), similar friend on a friend. - this is both “Madonna Benois” and “Madonna Lita”. We have already met the last one. Let's tell you about the first one. This work is also kept in the Hermitage. It was completed by the artist in 1478.

This painting is one of the iconic ones in his work. The center of the composition is a flower in the hands of Mary, to which Jesus is drawn. The master places the Madonna, dressed in the Florentine fashion that existed in the 15th century, and the baby in a room illuminated only by a window located in the back of the room. But a soft, different light pours from above. He brings the canvas to life with the play of chiaroscuro. This gives volume to the figures and reveals the modeling of the form. The picture has a slightly muted, dim color.

"Mona Lisa"

We continue to describe the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci with names and year. The next work that interests us is now in the Louvre. It was written between 1503 and 1505. There is not a single mention of this work in the artist’s own notes. It's about, perhaps, about the most famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci - the painting "Mona Lisa".

Who is depicted in this picture?

There are many versions of who is actually depicted in the painting. It has been suggested that this is a self-portrait of the artist himself or his student, an image of his mother, or simply a collective female image. According to official opinion, the picture shows the wife of a Florentine merchant. The famous smile that gives her face charm and mystery is frozen on this woman’s lips. It seems that it is not the viewer who is looking at her, but she is watching him with an understanding, deep gaze.

The painting is made in unusually thin, almost transparent layers. It seems that she is alive, and not painted. The strokes are so small that neither X-rays nor a microscope detect traces of the artist’s work and cannot determine the number of layers in the painting. “La Gioconda” is unusually airy. The space of the picture is filled with a light haze. It allows diffused light to pass through.

"Annunciation"

The main paintings by Leonardo da Vinci with the titles that we presented in this article conclude with a description of the next painting. You can admire this work in It was written in 1472.

The master worked on the canvas while he was still in Verrocchio’s workshop. The artist had to complete this painting, begun by other students, and also correct their mistakes. Leonardo completed several sketches that depicted Mary's cloak, as well as the robes of the Archangel Gabriel. He rewrote the draperies based on these drawings. As a result, they lay in voluminous folds. After this, the master painted Gabriel’s head again, tilting it slightly, but did not have time to make changes to the image of Mary. Her pose does not look entirely natural. Probably, the one who worked on the canvas before Leonardo did not know the laws of perspective very well. However, in an unexpected way, all these mistakes show how difficult it was to master realistic painting.

These are the main paintings of Leonardo da Vinci with names and descriptions. We tried to briefly talk about them. Of course, the title of Leonardo da Vinci's paintings is English language sounds different, just like in Italian, the artist’s own language. However, every person, regardless of nationality, is able to be imbued with these great works. Many English people, for example, do not necessarily need to see the titles of Leonardo da Vinci's paintings in English. They already know what kind of work it is. The works of the great artist are so popular that they often do not need introduction.

Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in the village of Anchiato near the city of Vinci (hence the prefix to his surname). The boy's father and mother were not married, so Leonardo spent his first years with his mother. Soon his father, who served as a notary, took him into his family.

In 1466, da Vinci entered as an apprentice in the studio of the artist Verrocchio in Florence, where Perugino, Agnolo di Polo, Lorenzo di Credi also studied, Botticelli worked, Ghirlandaio and others visited. At this time, Leonardo became interested in drawing, sculpture and modeling, studied metallurgy, chemistry , drawing, mastered working with plaster, leather, and metal. In 1473, da Vinci qualified as a master at the Guild of St. Luke.

Early creativity and scientific activity

At first creative path Leonardo devoted almost all his time to working on paintings. In 1472 - 1477 the artist created the paintings “The Baptism of Christ”, “The Annunciation”, “Madonna with a Vase”. At the end of the 70s he completed Madonna with a Flower (Benois Madonna). In 1481, the first major work in the work of Leonardo da Vinci was created - “The Adoration of the Magi”.

In 1482 Leonardo moved to Milan. Since 1487, da Vinci has been developing a flying machine that was based on bird flight. Leonardo first created a simple apparatus based on wings, and then developed an airplane mechanism with full control. However, it was not possible to bring the idea to life, since the researcher did not have a motor. In addition, Leonardo studied anatomy and architecture, and discovered botany as an independent discipline.

Mature period of creativity

In 1490, da Vinci created the painting “Lady with an Ermine”, as well as the famous drawing “Vitruvian Man”, which is sometimes called “ canonical proportions" In 1495 - 1498 Leonardo worked on one of his most important works - the fresco "The Last Supper" in Milan in the monastery of Santa Maria del Grazie.

In 1502, da Vinci entered the service of Cesare Borgia as a military engineer and architect. In 1503, the artist created the painting “Mona Lisa” (“La Gioconda”). Since 1506, Leonardo has served under King Louis XII of France.

Last years

In 1512, the artist, under the patronage of Pope Leo X, moved to Rome.

From 1513 to 1516 Leonardo da Vinci lived in the Belvedere, working on the painting “John the Baptist.” In 1516, Leonardo, at the invitation of the French king, settled in the castle of Clos Lucé. Two years before his death, the artist became numb right hand, it was difficult for him to move independently. Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his short biography in bed.

Died great artist and the scientist Leonardo da Vinci on May 2, 1519 at the castle of Clos Luce near the city of Amboise in France.

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Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 - May 2, 1519) was a famous Italian Renaissance architect, musician, inventor, engineer, sculptor and a brilliant artist. He has been described as the archetype of the "Renaissance man" and universal genius. Leonardo is widely known for his unique paintings such as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. He is also famous for his many inventions. In addition, he helped in the development of anatomy, astronomy and urban planning.

During the Renaissance there were many brilliant sculptors, artists, musicians, and inventors. Leonardo da Vinci stands out against their background. He created musical instruments, he owned many engineering inventions, painted paintings, sculptures and much more.
His external characteristics are also striking: tall, angelic appearance and extraordinary strength. Let's meet the genius Leonardo da Vinci, short biography will tell you his main achievements.

Biography facts
He was born near Florence in the small town of Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci was the illegitimate son of a famous and wealthy notary. His mother is an ordinary peasant woman. Since the father had no other children, at the age of 4 he took little Leonardo to live with him. The boy demonstrated his extraordinary intelligence and friendly character from the very beginning. early age, and he quickly became a favorite in the family.
To understand how the genius of Leonardo da Vinci developed, a brief biography can be presented as follows:
At the age of 14 he entered Verrocchio's workshop, where he studied drawing and sculpture.
In 1480 he moved to Milan, where he founded the Academy of Arts.
In 1499, he left Milan and began moving from city to city, where he built defensive structures. During this same period, his famous rivalry with Michelangelo began.
Since 1513 he has been working in Rome. Under Francis I, he becomes a court sage.
Leonardo died in 1519. As he believed, nothing he started was ever completed.

Creative path
The work of Leonardo da Vinci, whose brief biography was outlined above, can be divided into three stages.
Early period. Many works of the great painter were unfinished, such as the “Adoration of the Magi” for the monastery of San Donato. During this period, the paintings “Madonna Benois” and “The Annunciation” were painted. Despite his young age, the painter already demonstrated high skill in his paintings.
Mature period Leonardo's creativity took place in Milan, where he planned to make a career as an engineer. Most popular work, written at this time, was “The Last Supper”, at the same time he began work on “Mona Lisa”.
IN late period creativity, the painting “John the Baptist” and a series of drawings “The Flood” were created.

Painting always complemented science for Leonardo da Vinci, as he sought to capture reality.

The most famous paintings Leonardo

Annunciation (1475-1480) - Uffizi, Florence, Italy

Ginevra de Benci (~1475) - National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA.

Benois Madonna (1478-1480) - Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

Adoration of the Magi (1481) - Uffizi, Florence, Italy

Cecilia Gallerani with Ermine (1488-90) - Czartoryski Museum, Krakow, Poland

Musician (~1490) - Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan, Italy

Madonna Litta, (1490-91) - Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

La Belle Ferroniere, (1495-1498) - Louvre, Paris, France

Last Supper (1498) - Convent Maria Delle Grazie Station, Milan, Italy

Madonna of the Grotto (1483-86) - Louvre, Paris, France

Madonna in the Grotto or Virgin in the Grotto (1508) - National Gallery, London, England

Leda and the Swan (1508) - Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy

Mona Lisa or Gioconda - Louvre, Paris, France

Madonna and Child with St. Anne (~1510) - Louvre, Paris, France

John the Baptist (~1514) - Louvre, Paris, France

Bacchus, (1515) - Louvre, Paris, France.

Madonna with carnation

Anonymous 17th century (based on a lost original) - Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci

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 entire 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 marrying 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 will instantly appear before you brilliant masters arts 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

Portraits attributed to Leonardo contain common features: their background is darkened, a semi-figured image of the model, usually in a three-quarter turn, helps to present it to the viewer in all its 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 art of that time. this genre art – with works by 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 the 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 Leonardo's only portrait of a man - if indeed it is by the artist himself - depicts a man with an intelligent and strong gaze. Without being carried away by the rhetorical glorification of personality, Leonardo conveys in the inner light of the face and gaze of the person being portrayed his inherent moral strength.

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 Melpomene’s servants suggested that the local muses-fan and the city’s richest merchant, 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 a successful architect and future president Academy of Arts Leonty Benois (the son of an even more famous architect) and if his younger brother had not been the 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 history European art, Director of State Berlin museums). He was absent, but several world-famous specialists were in the museum. Their verdict was harsh: the painting is not the 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 didn’t even have time to agree to accept him,” said Alexander Benois, - as his own person flew at me with a cry: “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 of the 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 the National Gallery in London, 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" on the subject ancient myth about 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 a true personification of noble learning, which the druid Hermes and the ancient Prometheus had already been.”
Ancient biographers of Leonardo da Vinci paint in the most attractive features his appearance:
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