Leonardo da Vinci
Born – Vinci, Italy 1452
Died – Amboise, France 1519
Painter, sculpture, draughtsman, writer, architect, inventor, scientist, musician – Leonardo da Vinci was the most accomplished Renaissance artist. The illegitimate son of a Florentine notary, Leonardo’s extraordinary artistic ability allegedly so impressed his master, Verrochio that he gave up painting. Leonardo spent 17 years in Milan from 1482, working mainly for the Duke of Milan. He then returned to Florence where he painted the renowned Mona Lisa between 1503 and 1506. His last years were spent in triumph at the French court of Francis I. One of the most important works in the National Gallery’s collection, Cartoon for Virgin and Child with St Anne is kept in a darkened room to prevent it from fading. Cartoons were preparatory large-scale drawings to be transferred to a wall or canvas as a guide to the final painting. This cartoon was never actually transferred. Covering eight sheets of paper, it is drawn in charcoal with white chalk highlights. The extraordinary features of this work are the intense interplay of emotion within the tightly knit group of figures. Leonardo’s particular skill was to endow his mainly religious subjects with a spirituality and enigmatic beauty unsurpassed in the history of fine art.
Masterpieces:
- Mona Lisa
- Virgin of the Rock
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.
Books About leonardo da vinci
The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci, Complete
Leonardo Da Vinci
Buy on Amazon
Leonardo da Vinci
Maurice Walter Brockwell
Buy on Amazon
Leonardo: The Artist and the Man
Serge Bramly
Buy on Amazon