Popular painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci

Today everyone knows, even schoolchildren, who the legendary Leonardo da Vinci is. He became famous thanks to many interesting inventions and projects, but most of all, he is known as best artist Renaissance.

Who is Da Vinci?

Each of his works evokes admiration and a lot of discussion, because each of his pictures is full of mysteries that his contemporaries are still puzzling over.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that he was born on April 15, 1452, and died on May 2, 1519, and in such a short time, he managed to create many masterpieces that are worth looking at at least once in his life.

Let's see best works this legendary man?

"Mona Lisa" (La Gioconda)

It is difficult to imagine a person who is not familiar with the image of the famous Mona Lisa.

To date, the painting "Mona Lisa" is considered the most famous work art in the world.

The full title of the painting is “Portrait of Mrs. Lisa Giocondo.” Da Vinci worked on the order of the silk merchant from Florence Francesco del Giocondo for 4 years and it remained unfinished. The artist did not hand over the painting to the customer and carried it with him until the end of his life.

The Mona Lisa gained incredible popularity due to its theft in 1911.

last supper

The Last Supper fresco is slowly but rapidly being destroyed due to Da Vinci's experiments with materials. The monumental painting depicts the scene of Christ's last meal with his disciples.

Created in the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

Vitruvian Man

This is a drawing created as an illustration for a book about the works of Vitruvius (Roman encyclopedist). This drawing clearly shows the image of a man in two positions, one on top of the other.

What's special about this drawing? It is called the canonical proportion.

"Vitruvian Man" received the status of a work of art and scientific work.

Self-portrait

The most reliable source of our knowledge about what he looked like great artist- This is his Turin self-portrait.

It was made with sanguine on paper, but over time it was quite damaged, and this moment not exhibited.

There are a lot of speculations around the drawing: in particular, some studies have found that it is a sketch for the painting “Mona Lisa”!

Madonna Litta

The Littas are a Milanese family that kept the Madonna together with other paintings in their collection throughout the 19th century. Today the canvas belongs State Hermitage Museum. It was painted in 1490-1491 and depicts a woman feeding a baby.

The girl’s gaze, thoughtful and full of tenderness, is fixed on the child. The baby looks at the viewer, holding his mother’s chest with one hand and holding the goldfinch in the other.

Annunciation

One of early paintings Leonardo da Vinci. There is no perspective in it yet (it was simply not used before Leonardo), but carefully drawn folds on the clothes and the expressive hands of the Virgin Mary are already visible.

By the way, the wings of the Archangel Gabriel were initially more proportional, but later some famous artist I finished drawing them, and the wings turned out to be somewhat bulky.

Madonna with pomegranate

The earliest, most touching and spontaneous of all Madonnas by Leonardo da Vinci. All the works he created later (including the aforementioned Litta) are close to it in style and composition. The image of a young mother conveys gentleness and tranquility.
Some researchers explain a certain disproportion of the child’s body by the absence of a baby sitter for the artist, and yet it is strange to suspect the great master of drawing “at random”! Most likely, he wanted to emphasize the unearthly origin of this child.

Woman's head

This is just a sketch made with pencil and chalk, but it amazes art connoisseurs with the careful depiction of details (for example, curls of hair) and the accurate transmission of emotions manifested in the eyes of a young woman, the curve of her lips...

Lady with an ermine

The painting was painted towards the end of the 15th century. The girl in the picture is presumably Cecilia Galleroni, the favorite of Duke Ludovico Sforzi, because at the time the picture was painted, da Vinci was in the service of this nobleman.

But this painting is not at all like a standard portrait of a beautiful grande dame. The figure is depicted in three-quarter view, and the gaze is directed to the side (da Vinci's innovation).

By the way, the girl herself is not such an “air nymph” at all: despite her attractiveness, the hard fold of her lips betrays her imperious character. Just like the hand that holds the animal - supposedly carefully, but at the same time tenaciously (and da Vinci’s hands always turned out to be very expressive).

Well, in order to become the favorite of such a noble man, an iron character was indeed required...

John the Baptist

A figure often depicted in painting, but how was the Baptist usually depicted? A middle-aged man, with a beard and a stern look... But not a sweet smiling young man, as Leonardo portrayed him!

The picture belongs to late period artist's creativity. It's surprising that there's nothing familiar in the background picturesque landscape: John’s light body stands out against the gloomy monotonous background.

The figure of John the Baptist is equipped with traditional symbols:

• thin reed cross;
• woolen clothes;
• long hair.

The raised finger of the right hand is also a traditional gesture that often appears in Da Vinci's paintings. Perhaps in this way the artist wanted to convey something important.

The image of John is gentle, he has a soft smile and an amazing look, as if penetrating the viewer’s soul.

Publications in the Museums section

Adventures of da Vinci in Russia: details about our Leonardos

It is read that about 15 paintings by Leonardo da Vinci have survived (in addition to frescoes and drawings). Five of them are kept in the Louvre, one each in the Uffizi (Florence), Alte Pinakothek(Munich), the Czartoryski Museum (Krakow), the London and Washington National Galleries, as well as in other less famous museums. However, some scientists argue that there are actually more paintings, but disputes over the attribution of Leonardo’s works are an endless task. In any case, Russia holds a solid second place after France. Let's take a look at the Hermitage and remember the history of our Leonardos together with Sofia Bagdasarova.

"Madonna Litta"

Angelo Bronzino. Competition between Apollo and Marsyas. 1531–1532. State Hermitage Museum

There are so many paintings depicting the Virgin Mary that the most famous ones are usually given nicknames. Often the name of one of the previous owners sticks to them, as happened with the “Madonna Litta”.

The painting, painted in the 1490s, remained in Italy for many centuries. Since 1813, it was owned by the Milanese Litta family, whose representatives knew very well how rich Russia was. It was from this family that the Maltese knight Count Giulio Renato Litta came, who was in great favor with Paul I and, having left the order, married Potemkin’s niece, becoming a millionaire. However, it has nothing to do with Leonardo’s painting. A quarter of a century after his death, in 1864, Duke Antonio Litta approached the Hermitage, which had recently become public museum, with an offer to buy several paintings from the family collection.

Antonio Litta wanted to please the Russians so much that he sent a list of 44 works offered for sale and asked a museum representative to come to Milan to see the gallery. The director of the Hermitage, Stepan Gedeonov, went to Italy and selected four paintings, paying 100 thousand francs for them. In addition to Leonardo, the museum acquired “The Contest of Apollo and Marsyas” by Bronzino, “Venus Feeding Cupid” by Lavinia Fontana and “The Praying Madonna” by Sassoferrato.

The painting arrived in Russia in very poor condition; it had to not only be cleaned, but also immediately transferred from board to canvas. This is how the first Leonardo appeared in the Hermitage.

By the way, here is an example of disputes over attribution: did Leonardo create the “Madonna Litta” himself or with an assistant? Who was this co-author - his student Boltraffio? Or maybe Boltraffio wrote it entirely, based on Leonardo’s sketch? This issue has not yet been finally resolved, and the Madonna Litta is considered a little dubious.

Leonardo da Vinci had many students and followers - they are called "Leonardeschi". Sometimes they interpreted the master’s legacy in a very strange way. This is how the type of nude “Mona Lisa” appeared. There is one of these paintings in the Hermitage unknown author- “Donna nuda” (“Naked woman”). It appeared in Zimny ​​during the reign of Catherine the Great: in 1779, the Empress acquired it as part of the collection of Richard Walpole. In addition to her, the Hermitage also contains large collection other Leonardesques, including a copy of the dressed Mona Lisa.

Lavinia Fontana. Venus feeding Cupid. 1610s. State Hermitage Museum

Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna Litta. 1490–1491. State Hermitage Museum

Leonardo da Vinci, school. Donna is boring. State Hermitage Museum

"Madonna Benoit"

This painting, painted in 1478–1480, also received its nickname in honor of its owner. Moreover, she could well be called “Sapozhnikov’s Madonna,” but “Benoit,” of course, sounds more beautiful. The Hermitage acquired it from the wife of the architect Leonty Nikolaevich Benois(brother of the famous Alexander) - Mary Alexandrovna Benois. She was born Sapozhnikova (and, by the way, was a distant relative of the artist Maria Bashkirtseva, of which she was proud).

Previously, the painting was owned by her father, the Astrakhan merchant-millionaire Alexander Aleksandrovich Sapozhnikov, and before him, by her grandfather Alexander Petrovich (grandson of Semyon Sapozhnikov, who was hanged in the village of Malykovka by one young lieutenant named Gavrila Derzhavin for participating in the Pugachev riot). The family said that “Madonna” was sold to the Sapozhnikovs by wandering Italian musicians who somehow ended up in Astrakhan.

But in fact, Sapozhnikov’s grandfather purchased it in 1824 for 1,400 rubles at an auction after the death of the senator, president of the Berg College and director of the Mining School Alexei Korsakov (who apparently brought it from Italy in the 1790s). Surprisingly, when after Korsakov’s death his collection, which included Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt and other authors, was put up for auction, the Hermitage bought several works (in particular, Millet, Mignard), but neglected this modest “Madonna”. New owner began restoring the painting; at his request, it was immediately transferred from board to canvas.

The Russian public learned about this painting in 1908, when the court architect Leonty Benois exhibited a work from the collection of his father-in-law, and the chief curator of the Hermitage, Ernst Lipgart, confirmed the hand of the master. This happened at the Exhibition Western European art from the collections of collectors and antiquarians of St. Petersburg,” which opened on December 1, 1908 in the halls of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts.

In 1912, the Benois couple decided to sell the painting; the painting was sent abroad, where experts examined it and confirmed its authenticity. London antique dealer Duveen offered 500 thousand francs (about 200 thousand rubles), but in Russia a campaign began for the state to purchase the work. The director of the Hermitage, Count Dmitry Tolstoy, addressed Nicholas II. The Benois couple also wanted “Madonna” to remain in Russia, and eventually lost it to the Hermitage in 1914 for 150 thousand rubles, which were paid in installments.

It’s curious: the great futurist poet Velimir Khlebnikov, an Astrakhan resident and compatriot of the Sapozhnikovs, in December 1918, in his article “Astrakhan Gioconda” (the newspaper “Red Warrior”) exclaimed: “Can’t this picture be considered as a national treasure of the city of Astrakhan? If so, then this priceless painting should be placed in its second home. Petrograd has enough artistic treasures, and to take the “Madonna” from Astrakhan - doesn’t this mean taking away the last sheep from the poor?” But it didn’t work out - the painting did not return to Astrakhan.

Orest Kiprensky. Portrait of Alexey Korsakov. 1808. State Russian Museum

Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna Benoit. 1478. State Hermitage Museum

Vasily Tropinin. Portrait of A.P. Sapozhnikova. 1826. State Hermitage Museum

"Savior of the World"

There are no more works by Leonardo in Russian museums, only “demoted” ones, for example, “Saint Sebastian” by the already mentioned Boltraffio (in Pushkin Museum since 1930). IN mid-19th centuries, as a work by da Vinci, it was bought by Count Sergei Stroganov, and only in 1896 the researcher Fritz Hark suggested that in fact it was a painting by his student.

However, the Russian trace is clearly visible in the fate of another painting by Leonardo da Vinci - “Savior of the World”. However, it was only decided in the 21st century that this painting was the work of a genius.

The fact is that many of da Vinci’s works, although not preserved, are known from his sketches, copies of students and descriptions of contemporaries. Thus, we know that he wrote Leda and the Swan, Madonna of the Spindle and The Battle of Anghiari. Even if their originals are lost, the Leonardeschi Boltraffio, Francesco Melzi, Giampetrino and even Rubens left enough copies and variations for us to be sure that similar works really existed, and could imagine what they looked like.

The same story with “Savior of the World”: it was believed that the original was lost, but versions of the disciples exist - about twenty. One of these copies was bought by the British collector Frederick Cook in 1900, and in 1958 his heirs sold it to Sotheby's for just 45 pounds as a work by Boltraffio. In 2004, this image of Christ was acquired by a consortium of New York art dealers, cleaned of late entries (for example, a painted mustache), restored and sent for examination. And many experts agreed with the hypothesis of the owners of the painting: it was painted not by a follower, but by the master himself. The press was filled with loud headlines - “The lost painting of Leonardo da Vinci has been found!”

In 2011, “Salvator Mundi” was exhibited at the prestigious London National Gallery exhibition dedicated to Leonardo, where for the first time the maximum number of masterpieces was collected, including those from the Louvre (except for the Mona Lisa) and the Hermitage. The final legitimation of the find has occurred - all that remains is to sell it.

And indeed, two years later the image of Christ was bought by Russian millionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. And in 2017, through the mediation of Christie’s, the collector sold it to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, for $400 million. "Savior of the World" became the most expensive work art throughout world history.

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 surprising. 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. The Holy Family with the baby Jesus were returning from Egypt. 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 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 found worldwide fame, thanks to everyone developed intelligence. This unique person made several discoveries in the field of medicine, science, engineering that changed the world.

And although the genius himself considered himself a scientist, and painting was just a hobby, his descendants put his contribution to art on the same level as other merits, because the artist’s paintings are truly masterpieces. However, see for yourself the photos of the original paintings posted on this page. good quality with an increase in significant areas and with a description of each masterpiece of the artist.

The title of the painting, painted in 1503-1505, is translated as “Portrait of Madame Lisa Gioconda.”

The identity of the woman depicted remains a mystery to this day, although according to the most plausible version, she is the wife of a silk merchant with whom da Vinci was friends in Florence.

Mona Lisa is a girl in dark robes, half-turned towards the viewer. Every detail of the image is described in incredible detail, and the light smile that touched her lips pleasantly surprises. The portrait is considered one of the best in its genre and conveys the most sublime thoughts Italian Renaissance. Currently it adorns the Louvre in Paris.

Da Vinci's painting entitled "Isleworth Mona Lisa"

The portrait is still the same Mrs. Lisa, but with a different background, the presence of columns and less careful drawing of details. There are disputes regarding the time of its writing.

Some historians claim that this is a later version of La Gioconda, while others are sure that this is its first version.

The painting was sold to the collector Blaker, who placed it in his own studio, located in Isleworth - west London. This area gave the “name” to the legendary portrait.

Artwork - “Madonna Litta”

The Littas are a Milanese family that kept the Madonna together with other paintings in their collection throughout the 19th century. Today the painting belongs to the State Hermitage Museum. It was painted in 1490-1491 and depicts a woman feeding a baby.

The girl’s gaze, thoughtful and full of tenderness, is fixed on the child. The baby looks at the viewer, holding his mother’s chest with one hand and holding the goldfinch in the other.

"Madonna Benoit"

The painting was painted in 1478-1480 and was not completed. Today it belongs to the Imperial Hermitage.

Da Vinci placed the Madonna and baby Jesus in a dimly lit room illuminated by light from an open window.

There is a special play of light and shapes in the work. The girl smiles sincerely, and the well-fed, serious kid looks at the cruciferous flower with enthusiasm.

"Madonna of the Rocks"

Under this title there are two almost identical paintings. The Louvre exhibits a version written around 1483-1486, and in National Gallery London - created a little later.

The canvas depicts the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, an angel and the baby Jesus. Overall, it has a peaceful atmosphere, imbued with tenderness. The steep cliffs that form the landscape backdrop create an exclusive contrast.

"Madonna and Child and Saint Anne"

This painting is often confused with Da Vinci's painting "St. Anne with the Madonna and Child Christ." “Madonna and Child and Saint Anne” belongs to the brush German artist Albrecht Durer. It was written in 1519 and has nothing to do with the world famous genius.

"Madonna of the Carnation"

The painting was not known until 1889, when it ended up in the Alte Pinakothek museum.

It depicts a calm Madonna with the baby Jesus in her arms, looking at the child with undisguised tenderness. The child is active, as if he is playing, stretching out his hands to the invisible butterfly.

“Saint Anne with the Madonna and Child Christ” unfinished painting

This unfinished masterpiece is today in the Louvre in Paris. To create it, da Vinci used a well-known plot in Italy, in which the Madonna is on the lap of her mother Anna, holding her own son Jesus in her arms.

The effect is called mise en abyme. The estimated date of writing is 1508-1510.

"Lady with an Ermine"

The painting, created in 1489-1490, is stored in Poland. It is believed that the portrait depicts Cecilia Gallerani, the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan.

The girl is described in detail and realistically. The presence of ermine has many versions. According to the most common theory, this animal symbolizes purity and chastity. It is placed in the picture to convey these features of Cecilia, to point out her extramarital relationship with the Duke, which does not stain the beauty’s reputation, but is a manifestation of sincere love.

“Ginevra de Benci” - an artistic depiction of the poetess

She was a famous poet and platonic lover of Bernardo Bembo, who, according to historians, is the person who commissioned the portrait.

Da Vinci worked on it from 1474 to 1476.

The girl on the canvas does not smile, she is thoughtful and calm, dressed in a simple, no-frills dress. She is decorated only with a scarf and a small pearl on her neck. The painting is currently on view at the Washington National Gallery of Art.

"Ginevra de Benci" (reverse side)

On the back of the portrait of Ginevra de Benci, an emblem is painted by Leonardo da Vinci: a vertical branch of juniper, framed by a wreath of laurel and palm branches, which are intertwined with a ribbon with Latin phrase: “Virtutem forma decorat.”

Translated, the saying sounds no less luxurious: “Beauty is the adornment of virtue.”

The palm branch and laurel represent virtue, and the juniper represents the poetic component. The background imitates a slab of porphyry, symbolizing rare and unchanging perfection.

“Leda and the Swan” - a copy of the artist’s painting

This painting is now lost, but copies of it, painted by other artists, preliminary sketches by da Vinci, and mentions in historical documents. The estimated time of writing is 1508.

The canvas depicted Leda standing in full height and hugging the neck of a swan. The girl looked at the children playing in the grass. Judging by the shells lying nearby, the babies were born from large eggs.

"Isabella d'Este"

Isabella d'Este is called the "diva of the Renaissance."

She was a great connoisseur of art and one of famous girls Italy. Isabella was friends with da Vinci and repeatedly asked to create her portrait, but the genius took it on only once.

Alas, after creating a pencil sketch, which the artist completed in 1499, he abandoned his creation.

“The Baptism of Christ” - painting by da Vinci and Andrei Verrocchio

This painting was painted by da Vinci in collaboration with his teacher Andrea Verrocchio in 1475.

It was ordered by the Benedictine Vallombrosian monastery of San Salvia, which kept the painting until 1530, after which it transferred it to the Florentine Uffizi Gallery.

A fragment of the painting “The Baptism of Christ” - a personal work by Leonardo

Connoisseurs of da Vinci's work can enjoy a fragment of the "Baptism of Christ" made personally by Leonardo.

Part of the painting depicts individual elements of a landscape and two angels - the one on the left is the work of a genius. According to legend, Verrocchio was so impressed by the student’s skill that he abandoned art, considering himself unworthy of it.

"Adoration of the Magi"

The painting was begun by order of the Augustinian monks from the monastery of San Donato in 1481, but was not completed due to the fact that the artist had to leave for Milan. Today the work is kept in the Uffizi Gallery.

In the background you can see the ruins of a palace or, presumably, a pagan temple, riders on horses, and rocks. In the center of the canvas is Mary with the newborn Jesus. She was surrounded by pilgrims who wanted to worship the son of God.

Historians believe that da Vinci painted the guy on the far right from his own life.

"John the Baptist"

Picture in classic style, distinguished from others by the absence of a landscape and a blank background, was created in 1514-1516. Today it can be seen in the Louvre in Paris.

The figure of John the Baptist is equipped with traditional symbols:

• thin reed cross;
• woolen clothes;
• long hair.

The raised finger of the right hand is also a traditional gesture that often appears in Da Vinci's paintings. Perhaps in this way the artist wanted to convey something important. The image of John is gentle, he has a soft smile and an amazing look, as if penetrating the viewer’s soul.

“Saint Jerome” - an unfinished painting by the author

The painting was commissioned by the church authorities in Florence in 1481, but da Vinci had to leave for Milan, so it was not completed. The condition in which it has survived to this day is critical - it was assembled practically in pieces, so it is kept in the Vatican Pinacoteca under careful and careful supervision.

The sketch shows Saint Jerome, whose pose indicates that the man is repenting. A lion is resting nearby - eternal companion Jerome.

Painting entitled - “The Last Supper”

The painting was commissioned by Duke Lodovico Sforza and his wife Beatrice d'Este in 1495. The painting, depicting the scene of Christ's last meal with his disciples, was completed in 1498. The Sforza family coat of arms can be seen on the lunettes formed by the three-arched ceiling. Today the work is kept in the monastery of Milan.

“Annunciation” - an angelic work by the artist

Leonardo da Vinci painted this painting in 1475. The part of the Gospel that tells about the announcement of the future birth of the Savior was chosen as the plot.

The winged archangel Gabriel is kneeling, holding in his left hand a white lily, personifying purity. Right hand he blesses Mary. Near the girl there is a marble stand, decorated with relief, on which lies the Bible. The work is exhibited at the Uffizi Museum.

"Annunciation - landscape"

The landscape of the Annunciation, located in the background of the picture, is worth special attention. Leonardo da Vinci placed on it a river receding into the distance with visible masts of ships, carved silhouettes of trees, walls and towers of a port city, which is shrouded in the pale haze of a mountain top.

"Musician"

This portrait was rewritten by the great Italian artist almost beyond recognition in 1490-1492. He then left his work unfinished. Today the painting is kept in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan.

In the 19th century it was generally accepted that the painting depicted Duke Lodovico Sforzo. But in XX, during restoration work, it was possible to make out the words on the paper held in the hands of the guy depicted. They turned out to be the initial letters of the words Cantum Angelicum, which in translation sounds like “angelic song.” Notes are drawn nearby. Thanks to this discovery, they began to look at the work differently, giving it an appropriate name.

Leonardo da Vinci's last painting is on display at the Louvre

In front of you in the photograph is Leonardo’s latest creation - “Saint Anne and Mary with the Child.” The painter worked on this painting for 20 years. It is currently on display in the Louvre.

Continuation of the exhibition. . .

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci is one of the greatest scientists, artists and inventors in human history. He is called the most a prominent representative the era of the High Renaissance.

Turin self-portrait

Of course, Leonardo da Vinci is the most famous artist in the world. Leonardo da Vinci painted many paintings during his life, but about 20 paintings have survived to this day. And all these works of the great master today are rightfully considered masterpieces of world painting, which had a significant impact on further development visual arts in the world.

What is the value of the sfumato technique invented by Leonardo alone? Having realized that in real world no lines, he argued that there should be no lines in paintings. And he began to shade the outlines of faces and hands, creating soft transitions from light to shadow. The famous "Mona Lisa" was painted using the sfumato technique.

Among huge amount paintings and drawings of the great master are world famous, which almost everyone knows cultured person. These paintings are even more than masterpieces and standards of great world art. These are original icons of painting.

Here you can recall the “Mona Lisa (La Gioconda), and “The Lady with an Ermine,” “The Last Supper,” “Madonna Litta,” “The Annunciation” and many other paintings by the great Renaissance master.

Paintings by Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci

Last Supper

This famous fresco ordered by Duke Ludovico Sforza at the request of his young wife Beatrice d'Este. However, the wife of the great Sforza never saw “ Last Supper"completed - she died during childbirth.

And the inconsolable Duke was eternally grateful to da Vinci for the work done - it was a very vivid and strong reminder of his deceased wife. Sforza paid the artist generously. The citizens of Milan who saw the fresco were amazed... The apostles had different faces, emotions and gestures - no one had painted like that before. Each of the apostles responded to Christ’s words “One of you will betray me” in his own way. Like real people.

The next feature of the fresco that amazed the Milanese was the blue shadows. Not black or gray, but blue. Colored shadow - this was impossible in painting until the mid-nineteenth century, when the Impressionists remembered Leonardo’s colored shadow.

Madonna of the Rocks

The painting “Madonna of the Rocks” was commissioned from Leonardo da Vinci by the monks of the Brotherhood of St. Francis for one of the temples in Milan. But subsequently the monks refused to buy the painting. The artist took too long to paint the canvas, there are no halos above the heads of the saints, and the angel also points his finger at John the Baptist, and not at Christ. And Christ is in charge!

Leonardo da Vinci refused to rewrite the painting and sold the finished painting on the side.

The painting depicts the young Virgin Mary in a scarlet cloak with two children - this Holy Family returns to Egypt with little Jesus. And along the way they meet little John the Baptist.

For the first time in human history the people were depicted not in front of the landscape, but as if inscribed in the landscape, in the rocks. And another one interesting feature of this canvas - the plants in the picture are painted with great care. These are real plants. As a botanist, Leonardo argued that the sap in plants plays the same role as blood in human veins. Hence such careful work with the flora in the picture.

The monks sued the artist and the court ordered da Vinci to paint a new painting for the temple. With halos and without the pointing finger of an angel.

But the second version of the Madonna of the Rocks differs not only in these court-ordered details. Plants have lost their realism. There is an opinion that the artist was not interested in writing a copy - he wrote the most important details canvases, and secondary ones, in particular plants, he entrusted to students who were not strong in botany. And they wrote a fantasy on a plant theme, which suited the monks quite well.

John the Baptist

The canvas “John the Baptist” puzzled Leonardo’s contemporaries - the saint is depicted against a dark, blank background (the artist usually painted against the backdrop of nature) and from this thick darkness the figure of John emerges, but is this John the Baptist? In those days, artists painted a very elderly saint, but here he is almost a young man, smiling, and somehow bowed his head ambiguously... And his hair is so well-groomed...

And where is the holiness here? Some kind of effeminate, frivolous saint in leopard skin. Such a saint could have appeared in the mid-17th century: theatrical gestures, mannerisms, play of light and shadow. This saint comes from the Baroque, which would appear several centuries later.

This is the prediction of a genius. The same as the prediction of turbulence 400 years before its discovery by physicists.

Madonna Litta

The painting “Madonna Litta” depicts a mother and child - the Virgin Mary is breastfeeding the baby. The canvas is small, only 42 X 33 centimeters, but this work by Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci simply emanates monumentality - the master managed to show the Madonna and Child in such a way that the viewer gets the feeling of being present at some very important event. An event that is not subject to time.

Art critics pay attention to some important details of the painting. This is a bird in the baby's hand, and what is especially important is that the nursing cutouts on the Madonna's dress are sewn up. And one of the cutouts was ripped open. The opening is clearly in a hurry. Why and for what purpose did the artist show the ripped seam?

Isn't it possible that the mother rips her dress before each feeding?

Madonna planned to wean the child, but could not resist the tears of the child who wanted to eat. And she tore the seam.

Why did Leonardo paint the Madonna this way? Why this drama with the ripped seam?

By the beginning of the 14th century, first noble ladies and then commoners began to refuse to breastfeed their children. It was then that the fashion for firm, non-nursing breasts appeared. Being a scientist, Leonardo could not help but understand that this fashion was detrimental to the health of the child. And first da Vinci, and then other artists, began to deify the image of a nursing mother.

Lady with an ermine

The painting “Lady with an Ermine” depicts the mistress of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza. This young woman's name was Cecilia Gallerani.

Cecilia was nice and smart girl. So smart that she often talked for many hours with Leonardo, and the famous sage of the Renaissance found these conversations meaningful and interesting.

Da Vinci wrote very original portrait- in those days, people were depicted in profile in portraits, and the lady in the master’s portrait stands at “three quarters.” Moreover, her head is turned in the other direction. As if at that moment someone called Cecilia. Such original technique showed and emphasized the beauty of the woman’s neck and shoulders, making the image come alive.

It is also noteworthy that there is an ermine in the picture. In those days, a cat would have been an exotic animal, and an ermine would have been a common domestic animal that caught mice in rich houses.

Unfortunately, the painting “Lady with an Ermine” was rewritten several times in subsequent years. unknown artists. The background of the picture was replaced - previously the background was lighter. And there was a window behind the beauty’s left shoulder. For some unknown reason, the two lower fingers on Cecilia’s left hand were rewritten. And now the fingers are unnaturally twisted.

Mona Lisa or Gioconda

According to the official version, the painting depicts the wife of a Florentine silk merchant, Lisa Gherardini. However, this version is now actively refuted by experts.

There is an assumption that the picture shows the mistress of the Florentine Duke Giuliano Medici. This woman gave birth to a son for the Duke and soon died. And Giuliano ordered a portrait for his little son– the late mother was supposed to be depicted as the Madonna.

Da Vinci painted a posthumous portrait based on the Duke's words. And since he was writing the image, he endowed this image with the features of one of his students named Salai (for this reason, many critics note some similarities between the “Mona Lisa” (Jacoda) and “John the Baptist.”

Da Vinci, when painting this portrait, used the sfumato method to the maximum and this “shading” made the image very alive. One gets the feeling that Mona Lisa is breathing, her lips are moving subtly and the next moment they will open... In reproductions, this unsteadiness and this feeling of hidden movement is often difficult to see. But the original amazes everyone who saw it.

The painting was never transferred to the customer, who died in 1516. The artist went to France and took the painting with him, and worked on this image until the last day of his life.

More paintings by Leonardo da Vinci