Which painting is not by Leonardo da Vinci? Legacy of Leonardo da Vinci in Rome

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 - May 2, 1519) - was famous Italian architect Renaissance 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 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 data is also amazing: high growth, 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 yourself. 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 Benoit", "Annunciation". 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 of Leonardo

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

Ginevra de Benci (~1475) - National Gallery Arts, 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

Leonardo Da Vinci painted the Madonna with a Flower at a young age. At this time, his paintings were influenced by the works of Verrocchio, who was his teacher. This is the artist's first independent creation. A contemporary noticed the expressive [...]

“Madonna with a Pomegranate” is the earliest, quite touching and spontaneous Madonna, which was created by the great painter and master Leonardo. Each of the subsequent images with Madonna will be very close in composition and […]

Numerous studies of Leonardo da Vinci's paintings indicate that a separate theme in the artist's work was the theme of a mother and her child. Often in his paintings there are images of a young woman expressing care and […]

Enough for a long time Disputes continued over the authorship of this painting. Some experts believed that the Annunciation was painted by Ghirlandaio, while others believed that the painting belonged to the brush of the young Leonardo Da Vinci. However, after some […]

The Madonna of the Flower is one of Leonardo's first works of art. Da Vinci depicted the Madonna in a darkened room, in which single source light is the image in the depths of the double window. […]

"Self-Portrait" by Leonardo Da Vinci is one of famous works artist, which perhaps gives viewers an idea of ​​what it looked like famous artist Renaissance. However, some experts believe that this is a completely different […]

10.04.2017 Oksana Kopenkina

Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa (fragment). 1503-1519 Louvre, Paris

Leonardo da Vinci is the most famous artist in the world. Which in itself is amazing. There are only 19 surviving paintings by the master. How is this possible? Does two dozen works make an artist the greatest?

It's all about Leonardo himself. He is one of the most unusual people ever born. Inventor of various mechanisms. Discoverer of many phenomena. Virtuoso musician. And also a cartographer, botanist and anatomist.

In his notes we find descriptions of a bicycle, a submarine, a helicopter and a tanker. Not to mention scissors, a life jacket and contact lenses.

His innovations in painting were also incredible. He was one of the first to use oil paints. Sfumato effect and cut-off modulation. He was the first to incorporate figures into the landscape. His models in portraits became living people, not painted mannequins.

Here are just 5 masterpieces of the master. Which demonstrate the genius of this man.

1. Madonna of the Rocks. 1483-1486

Young Virgin Mary. Pretty Angel in a red cloak. And two well-fed children. Holy family were returning from Egypt with the baby Jesus. Along the way we met little John the Baptist.

This is the first picture in the history of painting when people are depicted not in front of the landscape, but inside it. The heroes are sitting by the water. Behind the rock. So old that they look more like stalactites.

The “Madonna of the Rocks” was commissioned by the monks of the Brotherhood of St. Francis for one of the Milan churches. But the customers were not happy. Leonardo was late with deadlines. They also didn't like the lack of halos. The angel's gesture also confused them. Why is it his forefinger directed at John the Baptist? After all, baby Jesus is more important.

Leonardo sold the painting on the side. The monks got angry and filed a lawsuit. The artist was obliged to write new picture for monks. Only with halos and without the angel's pointing gesture.

By official version This is how the second “Madonna of the Rocks” appeared. Almost identical to the first one. But there is something strange about her.

Leonardo carefully studied the plants. He even made a number of discoveries in the field of botany. It was he who realized that tree sap plays the same role as blood in human veins. I also figured out how to determine the age of trees by their rings.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the vegetation in the Louvre painting is realistic. These are the plants that grow in a damp, dark place. But in the second picture the flora is fictitious.

How did Leonardo, so truthful in his depiction of nature, suddenly decide to fantasize? In a single picture? Unthinkable.

I think Leonardo was not interested in painting a second painting. And he instructed his student to make a copy. Who obviously didn’t understand botany.

2. Lady with an ermine. 1489-1490

Before us is young Cecilia Gallerani. She was the mistress of the ruler of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. At whose court Leonardo also served.

Smiling, good-natured and a smart girl. She was an interesting conversationalist. He and Leonardo talked often and for a long time.

The portrait is very unusual. Leonardo's contemporaries painted people's profiles. Here Cecilia stands in three quarters. Turning your head in the opposite direction. It was as if she was looking back at someone's words. This spread makes the shoulder line and neck especially beautiful.

Alas, we see the portrait in an altered form. One of the owners of the portrait darkened the background. Leonardo's was lighter. With a window behind the girl's left shoulder. The two lower fingers of her hand are also rewritten. That's why they are curved unnaturally.

It is worth talking about the ermine. Such an animal seems like a curiosity to us. To modern man it would be more common to see a fluffy cat in a girl’s hands.

But for the 15th century, it was the ermine that was an ordinary animal. They were kept to catch mice. And cats were just exotic.

3. Last Supper. 1495-1598

The fresco “The Last Supper” was commissioned by the same Ludovico Sforza at the request of his wife Beatrice d’Este. Alas, she died very young during childbirth. Never saw the painting completed.

The Duke was beside himself with grief. Realizing how dear his cheerful and beautiful wife was to him. The more he was grateful to Leonardo for the work done.

He paid the artist generously. Handing him 2,000 ducats (about 800 thousand dollars in our money), and also giving him ownership of a large plot of land.

When the residents of Milan were able to see the fresco, amazement knew no bounds. The apostles differed not only in appearance, but also in their emotions and gestures. Each of them reacted in their own way to the words of Christ, “One of you will betray me.” Never before has the individuality of the characters been as clearly expressed as in Leonardo.

The painting has another amazing detail. Restorers found that Leonardo painted the shadows not in gray or black, but in blue! This was unthinkable until the mid-19th century. When they began to write colored shadows.

This is not so clearly visible in the reproduction, but the composition of the paint speaks for itself (blue crystals of copper acetate).

Read about other unusual details of the painting in the article

4. Mona Lisa. 1503-1519

In the portrait we see Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine silk merchant. This version is official, but doubtful.

One curious description of this portrait has reached us. It was left by Leonardo's student, Francesco Melzi. And the Louvre lady does not fit this description at all. I wrote about this in detail in the article .

Now another version of the woman’s identity is being considered. This could be a portrait of a lover Giuliano Medici from Florence. She bore him a son. And soon after giving birth she died.

Giuliano ordered a portrait from Leonardo especially for the boy. In the image of the ideal mother Madonna. Leonardo painted the portrait according to the customer's words. Mixing into them the features of his student Salai.

That is why the Florentine Lady is so similar to “John the Baptist” (see next picture). For which the same Salai posed.

In this portrait, the sfumato method is revealed to the maximum. A barely perceptible haze, shading the lines, makes the Mona Lisa almost alive. It seems that her lips are about to part. She will sigh. The chest will rise.

The portrait was never given to the customer. Since Giuliano died in 1516. Leonardo took him to France, where he was invited by King Francis I. He last day continued to work on it. Why did it take so long?

Leonardo perceived time completely differently. He was the first to argue that the Earth is much older than commonly thought. He did not believe that the biblical flood brought shells to the mountains. Realizing that in place of the mountains there was once a sea.

Therefore, it was common for him to paint a picture for decades. What is 15-20 years compared to the age of the Earth!

5. John the Baptist. 1514-1516

“John the Baptist” caused bewilderment among Leonardo’s contemporaries. Deaf dark background. While even Leonardo himself loved to place figures against the backdrop of nature.

The figure of a saint emerges from the darkness. But it’s difficult to call him a saint. Everyone got used to the elderly John. And then the pretty young man bowed his head meaningfully. A gentle touch of a hand to the chest. Well-groomed curls of hair.

The last thing you think about is holiness when you look at this effeminate man in leopard skin.

Don't you think that this painting doesn't seem to belong at all? It's more like the 17th century. The hero's mannerisms. Theatrical gestures. Contrast of light and shadow. All this comes from the Baroque Age.

Did Leonardo look into the future? Predicting the style and manner of painting of the next century.

Who was Leonardo? Most know him as an artist. But his genius is not limited to this calling.

After all, he was the first to explain why the sky is blue. He believed in the unity of all life in the world. Anticipating theorists quantum physics with their “butterfly effect”. He realized such a phenomenon as turbulence. 400 years before its official opening.

In contact with

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, 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 Bible, religious thinker, 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. 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. On foreground we see the lion that, 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 the future role of the innocent victim, 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, right hand holding mother's chest. 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 lit 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 Leonardo da Vinci - 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. On the lips of this woman there is a frozen look that gives her face charm and mystery. famous smile. 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's paintings are beautiful and full of mysteries. They have been brought to an unimaginable degree of perfection, because the master worked on each of his creations for several years.

Our rating lists all greatest paintings Leonardo da Vinci, with photos, names and detailed information about each of them. The list did not include drawings of inventions, caricatures, or paintings about which art critics have doubts that they belonged to Leonardo. Also not included in the selection are copies of paintings that have not survived to this day.

Years written: 1490.
Where is: Academy Gallery, Venice.
Materials: paper, pen, ink, watercolor.
Dimensions: 34.3 x 24.5 cm.

If you say that this is not painting, but drawing, then you will be absolutely right. Indeed, the Vitruvian Man is a drawing, an illustration made by Leonardo for the book of the great ancient Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius and placed in one of his diaries.

However, this drawing is no less famous than the paintings listed on our list. It is considered not only a work of art, but also scientific work. And demonstrates perfect proportions human body.

After studying mathematics and geometry, in particular the work of Vitruvius, Leonardo's thirst for knowledge reached its peak. In The Vitruvian Man he applied the idea of ​​universal symmetry, the golden ratio or " divine proportion"not only to size and shape, but also to weight.

• 6 palms = 1 cubit;
• length from tip of longest to lowest base of 4 fingers = 1 palm;
• 4 palms = 1 foot;
• arm span = height;
• 4 palms = 1 step;
• 4 cubits or 24 palms = height of a person.

Other world-famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci that incorporate the golden ratio are the Mona Lisa, the Annunciation and the Last Supper.

Years written: 1478 — 1480.
Where is: Old Pinakothek, Munich.
Materials: oil painting On the desk.
Dimensions: 42 x 67 cm.

Many art historians attribute this work to the young Leonardo, when he was still serving as an apprentice in Verrocchio's painting workshop. There are a number of details that support this version, for example, the detailing of the Madonna's face, the pattern of her hair, the landscape outside the window, as well as the characteristic Italian artist soft and diffused light.

Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to the painting, and due to improper restoration, the surface of the paint layer has become uneven.

Years written: 1472 — 1476.
Where is: Uffizi, Florence.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 98 x 217 cm.

It was with “The Annunciation” that Leonardo da Vinci began as an artist. This painting was supposedly created in collaboration with Andrea del Verrocchio, to whose workshop he was sent at the age of 14. In favor of the authorship of the future famous Italian master speaks of the amazing anatomical accuracy characteristic of all Leonardo’s works, as well as a number of sketches in the diaries that have survived to our time. In favor of the authorship of another person is the nature of the strokes and the composition of the colors with which Mary was painted; they contain lead, which is uncharacteristic for da Vinci.

It is interesting that if you look at the painting while standing directly in front of it, you will notice some flaws in the anatomy. For example, Mary’s hand seems somewhat longer than is typical for ordinary inhabitants of planet Earth. However, if you move to the right side of the picture and look from there, then Mary’s hand magically shortens, she herself becomes larger and the center of gravity of the plot is transferred to her figure - as prescribed by the plot. Most likely, the supposed irregularity in physique is the result of a carefully designed optical illusion: The painting was supposed to hang at an angle towards the viewer.

Years written: 1476
Where is: Uffizi, Florence.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 177 x 151 cm.

And Leonardo wrote this work in collaboration with his teacher. According to Giorgio Vasari, who compiled the artist’s biography, Verrocchio instructed a young apprentice (at the time of painting Leonardo was 24 years old) to paint the figure of a white-haired angel in the left corner of the picture. The teacher was so impressed by the student’s skill that he, disgraced, no longer studied painting.

Years written: 1474 — 1478.
Where is: National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 38.8 x 36.7 cm.

The wreath of laurel and palm branches on the back of the picture hints that it depicts a difficult woman. The first wreath indicates her poetic pursuits, and the second - that she is not alien to mercy and compassion. This impression is supported by the strict and somewhat stern beauty of the model, her pale alabaster skin, and lowered eyelids, as if in thought. On intellectual pursuits it is indicated by the almost complete absence of jewelry and emphatically modest clothing. And that’s right – the painting depicts the poetess Ginevra de Benci.

The manner of the image (especially the shading with the fingers - Leonardo had only just begun to master this technique, so the paint layer is uneven in places) already speaks volumes about the skill of the creator. Particularly characteristic are the soft lighting and the landscape in the background, as if shrouded in a luminous haze.

Years written: 1479 — 1481.
Where is: Hermitage, St. Petersburg.
Materials: oil painting on canvas.
Dimensions: 48 x 31.5 cm.

“The ghost of an old woman” with a “wrinkled neck”, “a bloated body” and a “toothless grin” - these were the unflattering words used by the American art critic who was tasked by the owners - the Benois family - to establish the authorship. Despite all the colorful epithets, he still attributed it as belonging to the brush of Leonardo da Vinci - this is supported by both the brushwork style and the artist’s soft diffused light, which easily creates the volume of two figures.

One of the symbolic details is a cruciferous plant, hinting at what fate awaits the child. However, neither the mother nor the baby knows about this yet. He plays carefree, and she looks at him with a smile.

Years written: 1479 — 1482.
Where is: Uffizi, Florence.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 246 x 243.

One of the paintings of the great artist, sculptor, scientist and engineer of the Renaissance, unfortunately, remained unfinished. Leonardo moved to Milan and had no intention of returning. Fortunately, the customers kept the unfinished painting. It is distinguished by its non-standard composition and rich symbolic meaning.

For example, Mary sits under an oak tree, which is a symbol of eternity, a palm tree grows in the distance - a sign of Jerusalem, and the ruins of a pagan temple on the horizon - the destruction of the pagan religion, which was supplanted by Christianity.

Years written: 1480 — 1490.
Where is: Vatican Pinakothek.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 103 x 75 cm.

Despite the fact that the painting remained unfinished, it had an impact on its contemporaries. strong impression. This is primarily due to the amazing anatomical accuracy of the depiction of the human body, for which Leonardo was famous.

I was expecting the picture difficult fate- the work was sawn up after some time, and the boards were used for the most base purposes. It is alleged that one of the art lovers found part of the painting in the form of a chest lid.

Years written: 1478 — 1482.
Where is: Hermitage Museum.
Materials: tempera, board.
Dimensions: 42 x 33.

The skill of the great Italian artist was also evident in the details, which tell a kind of story. For example, a woman's red dress is equipped with special slits for feeding, one of which is sewn up. Apparently, she decided that it was time to stop breast-feeding. But one of them was cut open in a hurry - stitches and hanging ends of the thread are visible.

Years written: 1483 – 1490 and 1495 – 1508.
Where is: Louvre and London National Gallery.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 199 x 122 cm

There are two almost identical works by Leonardo with the same title in the world. One of them is in Paris, and the other is in London. Da Vinci's first version was commissioned for the altar door, with a clearly defined plot. However, the artist apparently considered that his talent and skill gave him the right to take some liberties. As a result, there were so many of them that the customers refused to pay for the work. A long-term lawsuit began, which, however, ended relatively successfully. The second version began to hang in the church, and the first disappeared from art history radars for about a hundred and fifty years, until it turned up in the treasury of the French kings.

Like many other paintings by Leonardo, this one is full of encrypted messages. Cyclamen next to Jesus symbolizes love, primrose - virtue, acanthus - the coming resurrection, and St. John's wort - the blood shed by Christian martyrs. It was this picture that the author of the sensational “Da Vinci Code” tried to use as an illustration of his constructions, where he stated that in fact the meaning of the traditional plot is completely different.

Years written: 1485 — 1487.
Where is: Ambrosian Library, Milan.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 43 x 31.

The only portrait of a man among famous paintings da Vinci. Initially, art historians believed that the painting depicted the Duke of Milan himself, the patron and friend of Leonardo da Vinci (as far as a person holding such a position is concerned) social status, in general, can be someone’s friend). Until it was subsequently discovered that the young man was clutching a scroll in his hands, beginning with the words “angelic song.” Therefore, the painting was renamed “Portrait of a Musician.” And a number of art historians make a bold assumption that it is Leonardo himself, because music was also part of his area of ​​interest.

Years written: 1488 — 1490.
Where is: Czartoryski Museum, Krakow.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 54.8 x 40.3 cm.

Although the authorship of the brilliant Italian artist was sometimes questioned, currently art critics agreed: this is one of the best paintings Leonardo da Vinci, if not the most perfect from a picturesque point of view. It is believed that the artist, who loved riddles and codes, encrypted her name in the image of a white animal in the hands of the model. In Latin, the mustelid family is called gale, and the girl's name is Caecilia Gallerani.

The snow-white skin of an ermine (and this is most likely what is depicted in the portrait) is a daring challenge to the somewhat dubious status of the kept woman of the Duke of Milan. By folk beliefs, this animal values ​​​​its immaculate white fur so much that it is ready to die rather than stain it with dirt.

Years written: 1495 — 1498.
Where is: Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan.
Materials: fresco.
Dimensions: 460 x 880 cm.

One of the most famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci is essentially not that. This is kind of the largest and most unsuccessful experiment of the great Italian scientist. At the end of the 15th century, the Duke of Milan ordered the famous artist to paint the wall of the monastery for an amount the equivalent of which would now be 700 thousand dollars.

It was assumed that the artist, like many before him, would paint on wet plaster - after final polishing, such painting would be strong and durable. However, the fresco imposes its own limitations - in addition to the specific manner of applying paints (you need to paint immediately and completely, further corrections are impossible), only certain pigments are suitable for it. And then their brightness decreases, “eaten up” by the well-absorbing surface.

For Leonardo, who was skeptical of authorities, achieved everything on his own and, apparently, was quite proud of this circumstance, such restrictions were unbearable. With true Renaissance spirit, he decided to reject the legacy of the past and rework the entire process anew - from the composition of the plaster to the paints used. The result was predictable. The paint layer of the fresco began to deteriorate two decades after the completion of the work. In addition to unsuccessful technical decisions, the picture also suffered from time.

First, the inhabitants of the monastery decided to saw off Christ’s feet, making a door in this place, and then mediocre painters, trying to update the painting, shamelessly distorted its plot (for example, the hand of one of the apostles turned into... a loaf). The building was flooded, then it was turned into a hayloft, and during World War II the temple was hit by a bomb. Fortunately, the fresco was not damaged. It is not surprising that barely 20% of the original painting has survived to our time.

It is interesting that it is this image that is crumbling and occasionally touched up long years was the most famous painting by da Vinci - and what’s more, the only one accessible to the common viewer. The rest were all in the custody of the rich of this world. The status quo changed only with the transfer of the Mona Lisa from Napoleon's bedchamber to the Louvre.

From the other two frescoes created by da Vinci, only fragments have survived to this day.

Years written: 1493 — 1497.
Where is: Louvre, Paris.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 62 x 44 cm.

With one of the most famous paintings Leonardo da Vinci related interesting legend. When the painting arrived in France, one of the owners wrote on it the inscription “ferroniere.” This mysterious word (like the undoubted beauty of a woman) has excited the imagination of people close to art for many years.

The gallant “historian of love,” Guy Breton, who already lived in our time, composed a whole story. Allegedly, the nameless beauty was the mistress of Francis the First, and she began to wear her jewelry to hide the bruise received during the night with the king.

Most likely, the painting by Leonardo da Vinci entitled “La Belle Ferroniere” depicts Lucrezia Crivelli. She was one of the mistresses of Leonardo's patron, the Duke of Milan. And the name comes from her decoration on her forehead - ferroniere.

Years written: 1500 — 1505.
Where is: National Gallery, Parma.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 24.6 x 21 cm.

An unfinished image of a young woman with a careless hairstyle (hence the other name of the painting - La Scapigliata, disheveled) painted in a similar manner to the others unfinished work manner - oil paints with a small addition of pigment. Art critics, however, believe that the contrast between the barely outlined hair and the superbly executed face was part of the artist’s plans.

Leonardo was probably inspired by a passage from the ancient writer Pliny the Elder, popular during the Renaissance. He said that great artist Apelles deliberately left his last image of the Venus of Cos unfinished, and that admirers admired it more than his other works.

Years written: 1501 — 1517.
Where is: Louvre, Paris.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 168 x 112 cm.

Contemporaries deeply appreciated the liveliness and naturalness of the facial expressions of all three participants in the scene - especially Leonard's signature mysterious half-smile with which Anna looks at her daughter and grandson.

2. Mona Lisa (La Gioconda)

Years written: 1502 — 1516.
Where is: Louvre, Paris.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 76.8 x 53.

Perhaps difficult to find globe a person who would not know La Gioconda. This is definitely the most famous work talented Italian. Many mysteries and secrets of this painting by Leonardo da Vinci have not yet been solved:

"Mona Lisa" had special meaning In the life of an artist, it is no secret that sometimes, carried away by something new, he was very reluctant to return to the interrupted work. However, he worked on La Gioconda with passion and enthusiasm. Why?

It is unclear exactly who is depicted in the portrait. Was this the wife of the merchant del Giocondo? Or the same woman who posed for Lady with an Ermine? There is even a version that the model for the Mona Lisa was Salai, one of the artist’s apprentices, who was depicted by him in at least two more paintings.

What color was Gioconda's dress originally? Apparently, Leonardo again experimented with paints, and again unsuccessfully, so that nothing remained of the original color of the sleeves. Contemporaries, by the way, admired the luxurious coloring of the painting.

And finally, a mysterious half-smile - is she smiling at all, or is it just an illusion skillfully created by the artist using shadows in the corners of the lips?

Years written: 1508 — 1516.
Where is: Louvre, Paris.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 69 x 57 cm.

The artist's last painting, which supposedly depicts Salai, one of the artist's apprentices, who for unknown reasons enjoyed Leonardo's special favor. The master forgave the student a lot. Even to the point of stealing money for a cloak purchased in advance, in which Salai was draped for “Bacchus” - a painting that has survived to this day only in the form of a copy. The pampered face, carefully curled curls and especially the immodest half-smile gave rise to certain doubts about the nature of the relationship between master and apprentice.

However, it is difficult to understand anything from the artist’s diaries - after being accused of sodomy at a young age, he carefully avoided mentioning his personal life anywhere. In his will, he left his estate and money, by the way, to Leonardo to the same Salai and another of his assistants.

Turin self-portrait by Leonardo da Vinci

Years written: after 1512.
Where is: Royal Library, Turin.
Materials: sanguine, paper.
Dimensions: 33.3 x 21.6 cm.

It is considered a self-portrait of the artist, painted at the age of 60. The portrait was made with a drawing stick made of kaolin and iron oxides, which is why the painting has a yellowish tint. Currently not on display due to fragility.

There is still controversy surrounding the authorship of the popular work, despite the fact that the shading goes from left to right, as Leonardo was accustomed to, but some art historians consider it a fake. According to some reports, during an X-ray survey, a painting was found under the image of the elder, presumably dating back to the 17th century.

The most expensive painting by Leonardo da Vinci in a private collection: Salvator Mundi

Price:$400 000 000
Years written: 1499 — 1507.
Where is: private collection.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 66 x 47 cm.

At Christie's auction in November 2017, the painting was sold for an impressive $400 million. It is now stored in private collection one of the Saudi princes and may be exhibited at the Louvre in that country.