Leonardo da Vinci is an artist and philosopher. Great paintings and their mysteries

Leonardo da Vinci can safely be considered one of the unique people of our planet... After all, he is known not only as one of the greatest artists and sculptors of Italy, but also as the greatest scientist, researcher, engineer, chemist, anatomist, botanist, philosopher, musician and poet. His creations, discoveries and research were several epochs ahead of their time.

Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 near Florence, in the city of Vinci (Italy). Quite a bit of information is known about da Vinci’s mother, only that she was a peasant woman, was not married to Leonardo’s father, and raised her son in the village until he was 4 years old, after which he was sent to his father’s family. But Leonardo’s father, Piero Vinci, was a fairly wealthy citizen, worked as a notary, and also owned land and the title of Messer.

Leonardo da Vinci received his primary education, which included the ability to write, read, and basic mathematics and Latin, at home. For many, his manner of writing was interesting. mirror image from left to right. Although, if necessary, he could write traditionally without much difficulty. In 1469, the son and his father moved to Florence, where Leonardo began to study the profession of an artist, which was not the most revered at that time, although Piero had a desire for his son to inherit the profession of a notary. But at that time, an illegitimate child could not be a doctor or a lawyer. And already in 1472 Leonardo was accepted into the guild of painters of Florence, and in 1473 the very first dated work of Leonardo da Vinci was written. This landscape depicted a sketch of a river valley.

Already in 1481 - 1482. Leonardo was accepted into the service of the ruler of Milan at that time, Lodovico Moro, where he served as the organizer of court holidays, and part-time as a military engineer and hydraulic engineer. Being engaged in architecture, da Vinci had a huge influence on the architecture of Italy. In his works he developed various options modern ideal city, as well as projects for a central-domed temple.

At this time, Leonardo da Vinci tried himself in various scientific directions and achieved unprecedented results almost everywhere. positive results, but he just couldn’t find the favorable environment he needed so much in Italy at that time. Therefore, with great pleasure, in 1517 he accepted the invitation of the French king Francis I to the position of court painter and arrived in France. During this period, the French court tried to become quite actively involved in culture. Italian Renaissance, therefore, the artist is surrounded by universal veneration, although, according to the testimony of many historians, this veneration was rather ostentatious and of an external nature. The artist’s weakened strength was at its limit and after two years, on May 2, 1519, Leonardo da Vinci died in, near Amboise, in France. But despite the short life path Leonardo da Vinci became a recognized symbol of the Renaissance.

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most talented and mysterious persons of the Renaissance. The Creator left behind a lot of inventions, paintings and secrets, many of which remain unsolved to this day. Da Vinci is called a polymath, or “universal man.” After all, he reached heights in almost all areas of science and art. In this article you will learn the most interesting things from the life of this person.

Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in the settlement of Anchiano in the Utuscan city of Vinci. The parents of the future genius were lawyer Piero, 25 years old, and orphan peasant Katerina, 15 years old. However, Leonardo, like his father, did not have a surname: da Vinci means “from Vinci.”

Until the age of 3, the boy lived with his mother. The father soon married a noble but barren lady. As a result, 3-year-old Leonardo was taken into care in new family, forever separated from his mother.

Pierre da Vinci gave his son a comprehensive education and more than once tried to introduce him to the notary profession, but the boy did not show any interest in the profession. It is worth noting that during the Renaissance, illegitimate children were considered equal to legitimate ones. Therefore, even after the death of his father, Leonardo was helped by many noble people of Florence and the town of Vinci itself.

Verrocchio's workshop

At the age of 14, Leonardo became an apprentice in the workshop of the painter Andrea del Verrocchio. There the teenager drew, sculpted, and learned the basics of the humanities and technical sciences. 6 years later, Leonardo qualified as a master and was accepted into the Guild of St. Luke, where he continued to study the basics of drawing and other significant disciplines.

History includes the incident of Leonardo's victory over his teacher. While working on the painting “The Baptism of Christ,” Verrocchio asked Leonardo to draw an angel. The student created an image that was many times more beautiful than the whole picture. As a result, the amazed Verrochio left painting for the rest of his life.

1472–1516

1472–1513 years are considered the most fruitful in the artist’s life. After all, it was then that the polymath created his most famous creations.

In 1476–1481 Leonardo da Vinci had a personal workshop in Florence. In 1480 the artist became famous and began to receive incredibly expensive orders.

1482–1499 Da Vinci spent a year in Milan. The genius arrived in the city as a messenger of peace. The head of Milan, the Duke of Moro, often ordered da Vinci various inventions for wars and for the amusement of the court. In addition, Leonardo da Vinci began keeping a diary in Milan. Thanks to personal notes, the world learned about many of the creator’s discoveries and inventions, and about his passion for music.

Due to the French invasion of Milan, in 1499 year the artist returned to Florence. In the city, the scientist served Duke Cesare Borgia. On his behalf, da Vinci often visited Romagna, Tuscany and Umbria. There the master was engaged in reconnaissance and preparing fields for battles. After all, Cesare Borgia wanted to seize the Papal States. The entire Christian world considered the Duke a fiend from hell, and da Vinci respected him for his tenacity and talent.

In 1506 Leonardo da Vinci returned to Milan again, where he studied anatomy and the study of the structure of organs with the support of the Medici family. In 1512, the scientist moved to Rome, where he worked under the patronage of Pope Leo X until the latter's death.

In 1516 Leonardo da Vinci became a court advisor to the King of France, Francis I. The ruler allocated the artist the castle of Clos-Lucé and gave him complete freedom of action. In addition to an annual fee of 1000 ecus, the scientist received an estate with vineyards. Da Vinci noted that his French years gave him a comfortable old age and were the calmest and happiest in his life.

Death and grave

Leonardo da Vinci's life was cut short on May 2, 1519, presumably from a stroke. However, signs of the disease appeared long before this. The artist could not move his right hand due to partial paralysis since 1517, and shortly before his death he completely lost the ability to walk. The maestro bequeathed all his property to his students.

Da Vinci's first tomb was destroyed during the Huguenot Wars. The remains of various people were mixed and buried in the garden. Later, archaeologist Arsene Houssay identified the artist's skeleton from the description and transferred it to a reconstructed grave on the grounds of the Castle of Amboise.

In 2010, a group of scientists intended to exhume the body and conduct DNA testing. For comparison, it was planned to take material from the artist’s buried relatives. However, the owners of Watermelon Castle did not allow da Vinci to be exhumed.

Secrets of personal life

Personal life was kept in the strictest confidence. The artist described all love events in his diary using a special code. Scientists put forward 3 opposing versions regarding the personal life of a genius:

Secrets in the life of da Vinci

In 1950, the list of Grand Masters of the Priory of Sion, a Jerusalem order of monks founded in the 11th century, was made public. According to the list, Leonardo da Vinci was a member of a secret organization.

A number of researchers believe that the artist was its leader. The main task of the group was to restore the Merovingian dynasty - the direct descendants of Christ - to the throne of France. Another of the group's missions was to keep the marriage of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene secret.

Historians dispute the existence of the Priory and consider Leonardo's participation in it a hoax. Scientists emphasize that the Priory of Sion was created in 1950 with the participation of Pierre Plantard. In their opinion, documents were forged at the same time.

However, few surviving facts can only speak of the caution of the monks of the order and their desire to hide their activities. Da Vinci's writing style also speaks in favor of the theory. The author wrote from left to right, as if imitating Hebrew writing.

The Priory Mystery formed the basis of Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code. Based on the work, a film of the same name was made in 2006. The plot talks about a cryptex allegedly invented by Da Vinci - an encryption device. When you try to hack the device, everything written is dissolved in vinegar.

Predictions of Leonardo da Vinci

Some historians consider Leonardo da Vinci a seer, others - a time traveler who found himself in the Middle Ages from the future. So, scientists are wondering how the inventor could create a gas mixture for scuba diving without knowledge of biochemistry. However, it is not only da Vinci’s inventions that raise questions, but also his predictions. Many prophecies have already come true.

So, Leonardo da Vinci described Hitler and Stalin in detail, and also predicted the appearance of:

• missiles;
• telephone;
• Skype;
• players;
• electronic money;
• loans;
• paid medicine;
• globalization, etc.

In addition, da Vinci painted the end of the world, depicting an atomic mushroom. Among future cataclysms, scientists have described the collapse of the earth's surface, the activation of volcanoes, the flood and the coming of the Antichrist.

Inventions

He left the world a lot of useful inventions that became prototypes:

• parachute;
• airplane, hang glider and helicopter;
• bicycle and car;
• robot;
• eye glasses;
• telescope;
• spotlights;
• scuba gear and spacesuit;
• lifebuoy;
• military devices: tank, catapult, machine gun, mobile bridges and wheel lock.

Among Da Vinci's great inventions, his "Ideal City". After the plague pandemic, the scientist developed a project for Milan with proper planning and sewerage. It was supposed to divide the city into levels for the upper classes and trade, to ensure constant access of water to houses.

In addition, the master rejected narrow streets, which were a breeding ground for infections, and emphasized the importance of wide squares and roads. However, the Duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza did not accept the bold scheme. Centuries later, a new city, London, was built according to an ingenious project.

Leonardo da Vinci also left his mark on anatomy. The scientist was the first to describe the heart as a muscle and tried to create a prosthetic aortic valve. In addition, da Vinci accurately described and depicted the spine, thyroid gland, tooth structure, muscle structure, location internal organs. Thus, the principles of anatomical drawing were created.

The genius also contributed to the development of art, developing blurred drawing technique and chiaroscuro.

Great paintings and their mysteries

He left behind many paintings, frescoes and drawings. However, 6 works were lost, and the authorship of another 5 is disputed. There are 7 works of Leonardo da Vinci that are most famous in the world:

1. - Da Vinci's first work. The drawing is realistic, neat and done with light pencil strokes. When looking at the landscape, it seems that you are looking at it from a high point.

2. « Turin self-portrait» . The painter created a masterpiece 7 years before his death. The painting is valuable because it gives the world an idea of ​​what Leonardo da Vinci looked like. However, some art historians believe that this is just a sketch for the Mona Lisa, made from another person.

3. . The drawing was created as an illustration for the book. Da Vinci captured a naked man in 2 positions superimposed on each other. The work is considered simultaneously an achievement of art and science. After all, the artist embodied the canonical proportions of the body and golden ratio. Thus, the drawing emphasizes the natural ideality and mathematical proportionality of man.

4. . The painting has a religious plot: it is dedicated to the Mother of God (Madonna) and the Christ Child. Despite its small size, the painting amazes with its purity, depth and beauty. But “Madonna Litta” is also shrouded in mystery and raises a lot of questions. Why does the baby have a chick in his hands? Why is Our Lady's dress torn in the chest area? Why is the picture made in dark colors?

5. . The painting was commissioned by the monks, but due to his move to Milan, the artist never completed the work. The canvas depicts Mary with the newborn Jesus and the Magi. According to one version, 29-year-old Leonardo himself is depicted among the men.

6th masterpiece –

“The Last Supper” is a fresco depicting Christ’s last supper. The work is no less mysterious and mysterious than the Mona Lisa.
The history of the creation of the canvas is shrouded in mysticism. The artist quickly drew portraits of all the characters in the picture.

However, it was impossible to find prototypes for Jesus Christ and Judas. Once da Vinci noticed a bright and spiritual young man in the church choir. The young man became the prototype of Christ. The search for a model for the drawing of Judas dragged on for years.

Later, da Vinci found the most vile person in his opinion. The prototype of Judas was a drunkard found in a sewer. Having already completed the picture, Da Vinci learned that Judas and Christ were drawn by him from the same person.

Among the mysteries of the Last Supper is Mary Magdalene. Da Vinci depicted her at the right hand of Christ, as a lawful wife. The marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is also indicated by the fact that the contours of their bodies form the letter M - “Matrimonio” (marriage).

7th masterpiece – “Mona Lisa”, or “La Gioconda”

“Mona Lisa”, or “La Gioconda” is the most famous and mysterious painting by Leonardo da Vinci. To this day, art historians argue about who is depicted on the canvas. Among the popular versions: Lisa del Giocondo, Constanza d'Avalos, Pacifica Brandano, Isabella of Aragon, an ordinary Italian, da Vinci himself and even his student Salai in a woman's dress.

In 2005, it was proven that the painting depicts Lisa Gerandini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. This was indicated by the notes of da Vinci's friend Agostino Vespucci. Thus, both names become understandable: Mona - short for the Italian Madonna, my mistress and Gioconda - after the surname of Lisa Gerandini’s husband.

Among the secrets of the painting is the demonic and at the same time divine smile of the Mona Lisa, which is capable of enchanting anyone. When you focus on your lips, they seem to smile more. They say that people who look at this detail for a long time go crazy.

A computer study has shown that Mona Lisa's smile simultaneously expresses happiness, anger, fear and disgust. Some scientists are convinced that the effect is caused by the absence of front teeth, eyebrows or the heroine’s pregnancy. Others say that the smile seems to fade away due to the fact that it is in the low frequency range of light.

Researcher Smith-Kettlewell argues that the smile change effect is due to random noise in the human visual system.

The look of the Mona Lisa is also written in a special way. From whatever angle you look at the girl, it seems that she is looking at you.

The technique of writing La Gioconda is also impressive. The portrait, including the eyes and smile, is a series of golden ratios. The face and hands form an isosceles triangle, and some details fit perfectly into the golden rectangle.

Secrets of Da Vinci's paintings: hidden messages and meanings

The paintings of Leonardo da Vinci are shrouded in mysteries that hundreds of scientists from all over the world are struggling with. In particular, Hugo Conti decided to use the mirror method. The scientist was prompted to this idea by da Vinci’s prose. The fact is that the author wrote from left to right, and his manuscripts can only be read with the help of a mirror. Conti applied the same approach to reading paintings.

It turned out that the characters in da Vinci’s paintings point with their eyes and fingers to the places where the mirror should be placed.

A simple trick opens hidden images and figures:

1. In the painting “The Virgin and Child, Saint Anne and John the Baptist” discovered a number of demons. According to one version, this is the Devil, according to another, the Old Testament god Yahweh in the papal tiara. It was believed that this god “protects the soul from the vices of the body.”

Click to enlarge

2. In the painting “John the Baptist”- “tree of life” with an Indian deity. A number of researchers believe that in this way the artist hid mysterious picture"Adam and Eve in Paradise." Da Vinci's contemporaries often mentioned the painting. For a long time it was believed that “Adam and Eve” was a separate picture.

3. On the “Mona Lisa” and “John the Baptist”- the head of a demon, the Devil or the god Yahweh in a helmet, somewhat similar to the hidden image on the canvas “Our Lady”. With this, Conti explains the mystery of the looks in the paintings.

4. On “Madonna of the Rocks”(“Madonna in the Grotto”) depicts the Virgin Mary, Jesus, John the Baptist and an Angel. But if you hold a mirror to the picture, you can see God and a number of biblical characters.

5. In the painting “The Last Supper” a hidden vessel is discovered in the hands of Jesus Christ. Researchers believe this is the Holy Grail. In addition, thanks to the mirror, the two apostles become knights.

6. In the painting “The Annunciation” hidden angelic, and in some versions alien, images.

Ugo Conti believes that finding the hidden mystical drawing possible in every picture. The main thing is to use a mirror for this.

In addition to mirror codes, the Mona Lisa also stores secret messages under layers of paint. Graphic designers noticed that when the canvas is turned on its side, images of a buffalo, lion, monkey and bird become visible. Da Vinci thus told the world about the four Essences of man.

Among interesting facts about da Vinci the following can be noted:

1. The genius was left-handed. Many scientists explain this by the master’s special writing style. Da Vinci always wrote in a mirror manner - from left to right, although he could write with his right hand.
2. The Creator was not constant: he quit one job and jumped to another, never returning to the previous one. Moreover, da Vinci moved to completely unrelated areas. For example, from art to anatomy, from literature to engineering.
3. Da Vinci was a talented musician and played the lyre beautifully.
4. The artist was a zealous vegetarian. Not only did he not eat animal food, but he also did not wear leather or silk. Da Vinci called people who eat meat “walking cemeteries.” But this did not prevent the scientist from being a master of ceremonies at court feasts and from creating a new profession - an “assistant” cook.
5. Da Vinci's passion for drawing knew no bounds. So, the master spent hours sketching the bodies of the hanged in detail.
6. According to one version, the scientist developed colorless and odorless poisons, as well as glass listening devices for Cesare Borgia.

They say that geniuses are born only when the world is ready to accept them. However, Leonardo da Vinci was far ahead of his era. The bulk of his discoveries and creations were appreciated only centuries later. Da Vinci proved by his own example that the human mind knows no boundaries.

Books were written and films were made about the titan of the Renaissance, and monuments were erected in his honor. Minerals, craters on the Moon and asteroids were named after the great scientist. And in 1994, they found a truly beautiful way to perpetuate the memory of the genius.

Breeders have developed a new variety of historical rose, called Rosa Leonardo da Vinci. The plant blooms continuously, does not burn out and does not freeze in the cold, like the memory of the “universal man”.

Share the article with your friends and subscribe to updates - many more interesting things await you.

The scope of his activity covers not only space (Italy-France), but also time. Isn’t it surprising that the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci now cause the same heated debate and admiration as during the years of his life? Such a “formula of immortality” can rightfully be considered the greatest discovery in history. What are its components? Almost every person on the planet would like to have an answer to this question. Some even decided that it was best to ask Leonardo himself about this, “resurrecting” the master with the help of modern scientific developments. However, the main components of the “formula” are visible to the naked eye: potential genius, coupled with incredible curiosity and a large share of humanism. And yet, any genius is a dreamer-practitioner. Judge for yourself, all the work of Leonardo da Vinci (here we include not only sketches, paintings, frescoes, but also all the scientific research of the Master) can be imagined as steps towards the realization of mankind’s long dreams of perfection. Did you want a person to fly like a bird? So we need to make him something like wings! Christ walked on water, so why shouldn’t mere mortals have the same opportunity? Let's build water skis!

The entire life and work of Leonardo da Vinci were filled with attempts to answer numerous questions about the laws of the universe, reveal the secrets of existence and direct them to the service of humanity. After all, do not forget that a Renaissance man is, first of all, a great humanist.

The biography of Leonardo da Vinci is, figuratively speaking, the story of several souls trapped in the body of one person. Indeed, in each of the areas studied, he exhibits very special qualities, which, in the understanding of ordinary people, can hardly belong to one single person. Perhaps this is why some have tried to prove that Leonardo da Vinci is just a pseudonym taken by a group of people. However, the theory was doomed to failure almost before its birth.

Today da Vinci is known to us in to a greater extent as a consummate artist. Unfortunately, no more than 15 of his works have reached us, while the rest either simply did not stand the test of time due to the master’s constant experiments with techniques and materials, or are considered not yet found. However, those works that have come down to us remain the most famous and most copied masterpieces of art in the world.

Biography of Leonardo da Vinci

The baby, subsequently baptized under the name Leonardo, was born, as recorded in the church book, “on Saturday, April 15, 1452 from the Nativity of Christ” from the extramarital affair of the peasant woman Catherine and the notary, ambassador of the Florentine Republic, Messire Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, a descendant rich, respected Italian family. The father, who had no other heirs at that time, wished to take his son into his home and give him a proper education. All that is known for sure about the mother is that she officially married a man from a peasant family and gave him 7 more children. By the way, Leonardo’s father was also subsequently married four times and presented his first-born (whom, by the way, he never made his official heir) with ten more brothers and two sisters.

All further biography da Vinci is closely tied to his work; the events of the master’s life and the people he met naturally left their traces on the development of his worldview. Thus, a meeting with Andrea Verrocchio determined the beginning of his path in art. At the age of 16, Leonardo became a student in the studio of the famous master Verrocchio. It is in Verrocchio's workshop that Leonardo gets the opportunity to express himself as an artist: the teacher allows him to paint the face of an angel for the famous “Baptism of Christ”.

At the age of 20, da Vinci became a member of the Society of St. Luke, guild of artists, still working in the workshop of Verokkil until 1476. One of his first works dates back to the same period. independent work"Madonna of the Carnation" Ten years later, Leonardo was invited to Milan, where he remained to work until 1501. Here Leonardo's talents are widely used not only as an artist, but also as a sculptor, decorator, organizer of all kinds of masquerades and tournaments, and a man who created amazing mechanical devices. Two years later, the master returns to his native Florence, where he paints his legendary fresco “The Battle of Angiani”.

Like most Renaissance masters, da Vinci traveled a lot, leaving a memory of himself in every city he visited. By the end of his life he becomes "first royal artist, engineer and architect" under François I, works on the architectural structure of the castle of Cloux. However, this work remained unfinished: da Vinci died in 1519, at the age of 67. Nowadays, in the castle of Cloux, from the plan originally conceived by the great Leonardo, only a double spiral staircase, the rest of the architecture of the castle was redesigned many times by subsequent dynasties of French kings.

The works of Leonardo da Vinci

Despite Leonardo's numerous scientific studies, his fame as a scientist and inventor somewhat pales in comparison to the glory of Leonardo the artist, whose few surviving works have fascinated and excited the mind and imagination of mankind for almost 400 years. It was in the field of painting that many of da Vinci’s works devoted to the nature of light, chemistry, biology, physiology and anatomy found their application.

His paintings remain the most mysterious works art. They are copied in search of the secret of such mastery, they are discussed and argued about by entire generations of art connoisseurs, critics and even writers. Leonardo considered painting a branch of applied science. Among the many factors that make da Vinci’s works unique, one of the main ones is the innovative techniques and experiments used by the master in his works, as well as deep knowledge of anatomy, botany, geology, optics and even the human soul... Looking at the portraits he created, we we really see not just an artist, but an attentive observer, a psychologist who was able to understand the physical expression of the emotional component human personality. Da Vinci not only managed to understand this himself, but also found techniques that allowed him to transfer this knowledge to canvas with photographic accuracy. An unsurpassed master of sfumato and chiaroscuro, Leonardo da Vinci put all the power of his knowledge into the most famous works- “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper”.

Leonardo believed that best character for the image on canvas is the person whose body movements most closely correspond to the movements of his soul. This belief can be considered da Vinci's creative credo. In his works, it was embodied in the fact that in his entire life he painted only one portrait of a man, preferring women as models, as individuals who were more emotional.

Early period of creativity

The periodization of the creative biography of Leonardo da Vinci is rather arbitrary: some of his works are not dated, and the chronology of the master’s life is also not always accurate. The very beginning creative path da Vinci can be traced to the day when his father, Ser Piero, showed some sketches of his 14-year-old son to his friend Andrea del Verrocchio.

After a year, during which Leonardo was trusted only to clean the canvases, rub the paints and do other preparatory work, Verrocchio began to introduce his student to the traditional techniques of painting, engraving, architecture and sculpture. Here Leonardo gained knowledge of the basics of chemistry, metallurgy, mastered woodworking and even the beginnings of mechanics. Only to him, his best student, does Verrocchio trust the completion of his work. During this period, Leonardo did not create his own works, but greedily absorbed everything related to his chosen profession. Together with his teacher he works on The Baptism of Christ (1472-1475). The play of light and shadow, the facial features of the little angel, which da Vinci was entrusted to paint, amazed Verrocchio so much that he considered himself surpassed by his own student and decided never to take up a brush again. It is also believed that Leonardo became the model for the bronze sculpture of David and the image of the Archangel Michael.

In 1472, Leonardo was included in the “Red Book” of the Guild of St. Luca is the famous union of artists and doctors of Florence. At the same time, da Vinci’s first notable works appeared, which brought him fame: the ink sketch “Landscape of Santa Maria della Neve” and “The Annunciation”. He improves the sfumato technique, bringing it to unprecedented perfection. Now a light haze - sfumato - is not just a thin layer of blurred paint, but a really light veil of living fog. Despite the fact that by 1476. da Vinci opens his own workshop and receives his own orders, he still works closely with Verrocchio, treating his teacher with deep respect and respect. The Madonna of the Carnation, one of the most significant works da Vinci.

Mature period of creativity

At the age of 26, da Vinci began a completely independent career, and also began a more detailed study of various aspects of natural science and became a teacher himself. During this period, even before his departure to Milan, Leonardo began work on “The Adoration of the Magi,” which he never completed. It is quite possible that this was a kind of revenge by da Vinci for the fact that Pope Sixtus IV rejected his candidacy when choosing an artist to paint the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican in Rome. Perhaps the fashion for Neoplatonism that reigned in Florence at that time also played a role in da Vinci’s decision to leave for the rather academic and pragmatic Milan, which was more in line with his spirit. In Milan, Leonardo takes on the creation of the “Madonna in the Grotto” for the altar of the chapel. This work clearly shows that da Vinci already has some knowledge in the field of biology and geodesy, since the plants and the grotto itself are depicted with maximum realism. All proportions and laws of composition are observed. However, despite such stunning performance, this painting became a point of contention between the author and customers for many years. Da Vinci devoted the years of this period to recording his thoughts, drawings, and deeper research. It is quite possible that a certain musician, Migliorotti, was involved in his departure to Milan. Just one letter from this man, which described amazing works the engineering thought of the “senior, who also draws,” was enough for da Vinci to receive an invitation to work under the auspices of Louis Sforza, far from rivals and ill-wishers. Here he gets some freedom for creativity and research. She also organizes performances and celebrations, and provides technical equipment for the stage of the court theater. In addition, Leonardo painted many portraits for the Milanese court.

Late period of creativity

It was during this period that da Vinci thought more about military-technical projects, studied urban planning and proposed his own model of an ideal city.
Also, while staying in one of the monasteries, he receives an order for a sketch for the image of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus, St. Anna and John the Baptist. The work turned out to be so impressive that the viewer felt himself present at the described event, part of the picture.

In 1504, many students who considered themselves followers of da Vinci left Florence, where he stayed to put his numerous notes and drawings in order, and moved with their teacher to Milan. From 1503 to 1506 Leonardo begins work on La Gioconda. The model chosen is Mona Lisa del Giocondo, née Lisa Maria Gherardini. Numerous plot options famous painting still do not leave artists and critics indifferent.

In 1513 Leonardo da Vinci moved to Rome for a while at the invitation of Pope Leon X, or rather to the Vatican, where Raphael and Michelangelo were already working. A year later, Leonardo begins the “Later” series, which is a kind of response to the version proposed by Michelangelo in Sistine Chapel. The master also does not forget his passion for engineering, working on the problem of draining the swamps on the territory of the possessions of Duke Julien de' Medici.

One of the most ambitious architectural projects of this period was for da Vinci the Castle of Cloux in Amboise, where the master was invited to work by the King of France François I himself. Over time, their relationship became much closer than just a business one. Francois often listens to the opinion of the great scientist, treats him like a father, and has a hard time experiencing the death of da Vinci in 1519. Leonardo dies in the spring from a serious illness at the age of 67, bequeathing his manuscripts and brushes to his student, Francesco Melzi.

Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci

It may seem incredible, but some inventions made in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. in fact, they were already described in the works of da Vinci, like some of the things familiar to us. It seems that what the master would not mention in his manuscripts does not exist at all. There's even an alarm clock described there! Of course, its design is significantly different from what we see today, however, the invention deserves attention if only because of its design: scales whose bowls are filled with liquid. Pouring from one bowl to another, the water activates a mechanism that pushes or lifts the legs of a dozing person. It's hard not to wake up in such conditions!

However, the true genius of Leonardo the engineer is evident in his mechanical and architectural innovations. He managed to bring the latter to life almost completely (with the exception of the project for an ideal city). But regarding mechanics, application for it was not immediately found. It is known that da Vinci was preparing to test his flying machine himself, but it was never constructed, despite the detailed plan drawn up on paper. And the bicycle, created by a master from wood, also came into use several centuries later, as did a mechanical self-propelled carriage driven by two levers. However, the very principle of the cart's operation was used to improve the loom during Da Vinci's lifetime.
Being recognized as a genius of painting during his lifetime, Leonardo da Vinci dreamed all his life of a career as a military engineer, and therefore a special place in his activities was given to the study of fortifications, military vehicles, and defensive structures. So, it was he who developed excellent methods of repelling Turkish attacks in Venice, and even created a kind of protective spacesuit. But since the Turks never attacked, the invention was not tested in action. In the same way, only a combat vehicle resembling a tank remained in the drawings.

In general, unlike works of painting, Leonardo’s manuscripts and drawings have survived to this day in greater safety and continue to be studied today. Some drawings were even used to recreate machines that were not destined to appear during Da Vinci’s lifetime.

Painting by Leonardo da Vinci

Most of the works by da Vinci have not survived to this day due to the master’s constant experiments not only with painting techniques, but also with tools: paints, canvases, primers. As a result of such experiments, the composition of paints on some frescoes and canvases did not stand the test of time, light, and moisture.

In the manuscript dedicated to the fine arts, da Vinci mainly focuses not so much on writing technique, but on a detailed presentation of the innovations he invented, which, by the way, had a huge impact on further development art. First of all, these are some practical tips regarding the preparation of tools. So, Leonardo advises covering the canvas with a thin layer of glue, instead of the white primer mixture that was used before. An image applied to a canvas prepared in this way is fixed much better than on the ground, especially if painted in tempera, which was widespread at that time. Oil came into use a little later, and da Vinci preferred to use it specifically for writing on primed canvas.

Also, one of the features of da Vinci’s painting style is a preliminary sketch of the intended painting in transparent dark (brown) tones; these same tones were also used as the top, final layer of the entire work. In both cases, the completed work was given a gloomy tint. It is quite possible that over time the colors darkened even more precisely because of this feature.

Most of da Vinci's theoretical works are devoted to depicting human emotions. He talks a lot about the way of expressing feelings, and cites his own research. There is even a known case when Leonardo decided to experimentally test his guesses about how the facial muscles move during laughter and crying. Having invited a group of friends to dinner, he began to tell funny stories, making his guests laugh, while da Vinci carefully watched the movement of muscles and facial expressions. Possessing a unique memory, he transferred what he saw to the sketches with such accuracy that, according to eyewitnesses, people wanted to laugh along with the portraits.

Mona Lisa.

“Mona Lisa” aka “La Gioconda”, the full name is a portrait of Madame Lisa del Giocondo, perhaps the most famous work painting in the world. Leonardo painted the famous portrait from 1503 to 1506, but even during this period the portrait was not completely completed. Da Vinci did not want to part with his work, so the customer never got it, but it accompanied the master on all his travels until last day. After the artist's death, the portrait was transported to the castle of Fontainebleau.

Mona Lisa has become the most mystical painting of all eras. It became the subject of research into artistic technique for 15th century masters. During the Romantic era, artists and critics admired its mystery. By the way, it is to the figures of this era that we owe such a magnificent aura of mystery accompanying the Mona Lisa. The era of romanticism in art simply could not do without the mystical surroundings inherent in all brilliant masters and their works.

The plot of the picture is known to everyone today: a mysteriously smiling woman against the backdrop of a mountain landscape. However, numerous studies are revealing more and more details that were not previously noticed. So, upon closer examination, it is clear that the lady in the portrait is dressed in full accordance with the fashion of her time, with a dark transparent veil draped over her head. It would seem that there is nothing special about this.

Compliance with fashion can only mean that the woman does not belong to the poorest family. But carried out in 2006. Canadian scientists are more than detailed analysis using modern laser equipment showed that this veil, in fact, envelops the entire body of the model. It is this very thin material that creates the effect of fog, which was previously attributed to the famous sfumato by da Vinci. It is known that similar veils, enveloping the entire body, and not just the head, were worn by pregnant women. It is quite possible that it is precisely this state that is reflected in the smile of Mona Lisa: the peace and tranquility of the expectant mother. Even her hands are arranged in such a way, as if they are ready to rock a baby. By the way, the very name “La Gioconda” also has a double meaning. On the one hand, this is a phonetic variation of the Giocondo surname, to which the model herself belonged. On the other hand, this word is similar to the Italian “giocondo”, i.e. happiness, peace. Doesn't this explain the depth of the gaze, the gentle half-smile, and the whole atmosphere of the picture, where twilight reigns? Quite possible. This is not just a portrait of a woman. This is a depiction of the very idea of ​​peace and serenity. Perhaps this is precisely why she was so dear to the author.

Now the Mona Lisa painting is in the Louvre, belongs to the Renaissance style. The dimensions of the painting are 77 cm x 53 cm.

“The Last Supper” is a fresco created by da Vinci in 1494-1498. for the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Gresi, Milan. The fresco depicts the biblical scene of the last evening spent by Jesus of Nazareth, surrounded by his twelve disciples.

In this fresco, da Vinci tried to embody all his knowledge about the laws of perspective. The hall in which Jesus and the apostles are sitting is painted with exceptional precision in terms of proportions and distance of objects. The background of the room, however, is visible so clearly that it is almost a second picture rather than just a background.

Naturally, the center of the entire work is Christ himself, and it is in relation to his figure that the rest of the composition of the fresco is planned. The arrangement of the students (4 groups of three people) is symmetrical relative to the center - the Teacher, but not among themselves, which creates a feeling of living movement, but at the same time a certain aura of loneliness around Christ is felt. An aura of knowledge that is not yet available to his followers. Being the center of the fresco, the figure around which the whole world seems to revolve, Jesus still remains alone: ​​all other figures seem to be separated from him. The entire work is enclosed in a strict rectilinear framework, limited by the walls and ceiling of the room, and the table at which the participants of the Last Supper sit. If, for clarity, we draw lines along those points that are directly related to the perspective of the fresco, we will get an almost ideal geometric grid, the “threads” of which are aligned at right angles to each other. Such limited precision is not found in any other work by Leonardo.

The Abbey of Tongerlo, Belgium, houses an amazing exact copy“The Last Supper”, made by the masters of da Vinci’s school on his own initiative, since the artist was afraid that the fresco in the Milan monastery would not stand the test of time. It was this copy that the restorers used to recreate the original.

The painting is located in Santa Maria delle Grazie and measures 4.6 m x 8.8 m.

Vitruvian Man

"Vitruvian Man" is the common name for graphic drawing da Vinci, made in 1492. as an illustration for entries in one of the diaries. The drawing depicts a naked male figure. Strictly speaking, these are even two images of the same figure superimposed on each other, but in different poses. A circle and a square are described around the figure. The manuscript containing this drawing is sometimes also called the “Canon of Proportions” or simply “Proportions of Man.” Now this work is kept in one of the museums of Venice, but is exhibited extremely rarely, since this exhibit is truly unique and valuable both as a work of art and as a subject of research.

Leonardo created his “Vitruvian Man” as an illustration of the geometric studies he carried out based on the treatise of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius (hence the name of da Vinci’s work). In the treatise of the philosopher and researcher, proportions human body were taken as the basis for all architectural proportions. Da Vinci applied the research of the ancient Roman architect to painting, which once again clearly illustrates the principle of the unity of art and science put forward by Leonardo. In addition, this work also reflects the master’s attempt to relate man to nature. It is known that da Vinci considered the human body as a reflection of the universe, i.e. was convinced that it functions according to the same laws. The author himself considered the Vitruvian Man as a “cosmography of the microcosm.” In this drawing there is hidden an equally deep symbolic meaning. The square and circle in which the body is inscribed do not simply reflect physical, proportional characteristics. The square can be interpreted as the material existence of a person, and the circle represents its spiritual basis, and the points of contact geometric shapes between themselves and with the body, inserted into them can be considered as a connection between these two foundations of human existence. For many centuries, this drawing was considered as a symbol of the ideal symmetry of the human body and the universe as a whole.

The drawing was made in ink. Dimensions of the picture: 34 cm x 26 cm. Genre: Abstract art. Direction: High Renaissance.

The fate of the manuscripts.

After the death of da Vinci in 1519. all the manuscripts of the great scientist and painter were inherited by Leonardo’s favorite student, Francesco Melzi. Fortunately, the bulk of the drawings and notes left by da Vinci, made by his famous method of mirror writing, have survived to this day, i.e. from right to left. Without a doubt, Leonardo left behind the largest collection of works of the Renaissance, but after his death, the manuscript did not have an easy fate. It’s even surprising that after so many ups and downs, the manuscripts still survived to this day.
Today, da Vinci’s scientific works are far from the same form that the Master gave them, who with special care grouped them according to the principles he knew. After the death of Malzi, the heir and keeper of the manuscripts, his descendants began to mercilessly squander the legacy of the great scientist, apparently not even knowing about its true value. Initially, the manuscripts were simply stored in the attic; later the Malze family gave away some of the manuscripts and sold individual sheets to collectors for a ridiculous price. Thus, all of da Vinci's records found new owners. It’s fortunate that not a single sheet was lost!

However, the government evil rock It didn't end there. The manuscripts came to Pompeo Leoni, the court sculptor of the Spanish royal house. No, they were not lost, everything turned out to be much worse: Leoni undertook to “put in order” Da Vinci’s numerous notes, based, naturally, on his own principles of classification, and completely mixed up all the pages, separating, where possible, texts from sketches, but purely scientific, in his opinion, treatises from notes directly related to painting. Thus, two collections of manuscripts and drawings appeared. After Leoni's death, one part of the collection returned to Italy and until 1796. kept in the library of Milan. Some of the works came to Paris thanks to Napoleon, but the rest was “lost” among Spanish collectors and was discovered only in 1966 in the archives national library in Madrid.

To date, all known da Vinci manuscripts have been collected, and almost all of them are in public museums in Europe, with the exception of one, which miraculously remains in a private collection. From the middle of the 19th century. Art researchers are working to restore the original classification of manuscripts.

Conclusion.

According to da Vinci's last will, sixty beggars accompanied his funeral cortege. The great Renaissance master was buried in the chapel of Saint-Hubert, in the vicinity of the castle of Amboise.
Da Vinci remained lonely all his life. Having neither a wife, nor children, nor even his own home, he devoted himself entirely to scientific research and art. The fate of geniuses is such that during their lifetime and after their death, their works, into each of which a particle of soul was invested, remain the only “family” of their creator. This happened in the case of Leonardo. However, everything that this man did, who managed to fully comprehend and embody the spirit of the Renaissance in his creations, has today become the property of all humanity. Fate itself arranged everything in such a way that without having his own family, da Vinci passed on a huge inheritance to all of humanity. Moreover, this includes not only unique recordings and amazing works, but also the mystery that surrounds them today. There was not a single century in which they did not try to unravel one or another plan of da Vinci, to look for what was considered lost. Even in our century, when many previously unknown things have become commonplace, the manuscripts, drawings and paintings of the great Leonardo do not leave museum visitors, art critics, or even writers indifferent. They still serve as an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Is this not the true secret of immortality?

Vitruvian Man

Madonna Benoit

Madonna Litta

Great Italian artist and inventor of the Renaissance 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 a marriage with a girl of noble origin. 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, the future artist had the opportunity to study the basics of mathematics and mechanics, anatomy, working with metals and plaster, and methods of tanning leather. The young man greedily absorbed knowledge and later used it widely in his activities.

An interesting creative biography of the maestro belongs to the pen of his contemporary Giorgio Vasari. In Vasari's book "Life of Leonardo" there is a brief story about how Andrea del Verrocchio recruited a student to carry out the commission for "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. Leonardo da Vinci spent the next year of 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 “The 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.

Moro commissioned the master to create an equestrian statue of 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 of the 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 in his diaries there is a brief entry about the possibility of “seeing the Moon big.”

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 for an “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.

Existence itself similar 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. He considered studying the structure of the human body to be 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.

↘️🇮🇹 USEFUL ARTICLES AND SITES 🇮🇹↙️ SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS

(Leonardo da Vinci) (1452–1519) - the greatest figure, multifaceted genius of the Renaissance, founder of the High Renaissance. Known as an artist, scientist, engineer, inventor.

Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in the town of Anchiano near the city of Vinci, located near Florence. His father was Piero da Vinci, a notary who came from famous family city ​​of Vinci. According to one version, the mother was a peasant woman, according to another, a tavern owner known as Katerina. At about the age of 4.5 years, Leonardo was taken into his father's house, and in documents of that time he is named as the illegitimate son of Piero. In 1469 he entered the workshop famous artist, sculptor and jeweler Andrea del Verrocchio ( 1435/36–1488). Here Leonardo went through his entire apprenticeship: from rubbing paints to working as an apprentice. According to the stories of contemporaries, he painted the left figure of the angel in Verrocchio's painting Baptism(c. 1476, Uffizi Gallery, Florence), which immediately attracted attention. The naturalness of movement, the smoothness of lines, the softness of chiaroscuro - distinguishes the figure of an angel from Verrocchio’s more rigid writing. Leonardo lived in the master's house even after he was accepted into the Guild of St. Luke, a guild of painters, in 1472.

One of the few dated drawings by Leonardo was created in August 1473. View of the Arno Valley from above, it was made with a pen with quick strokes, conveying vibrations of light and air, which indicates that the drawing was made from life (Uffizi Gallery, Florence).

The first painting attributed to Leonardo, although its authorship is disputed by many experts, is Annunciation(c. 1472, Uffizi Gallery, Florence). Unfortunately, the unknown author made later corrections, which significantly deteriorated the quality of the work.

Portrait of Ginevra de Benci (1473–1474, National Gallery, Washington) is permeated with a melancholy mood. Part of the picture at the bottom is cropped: probably, the hands of the model were depicted there. The contours of the figure are softened using the sfumato effect, created even before Leonardo, but it was he who became the genius of this technique. Sfumato (Italian sfumato - foggy, smoky) is a technique developed in the Renaissance in painting and graphics, which allows you to convey the softness of modeling, the elusiveness of object outlines, and the feeling of an airy environment.

Between 1476 and 1478 Leonardo opens his workshop. This period dates back to Madonna with a flower, so-called Madonna Benoit(c. 1478, State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg). The smiling Madonna addresses the baby Jesus sitting on her lap; the movements of the figures are natural and flexible. This painting exhibits Leonardo's characteristic interest in showing the inner world.

An unfinished painting is also an early work. Adoration of the Magi(1481–1482, Uffizi Gallery, Florence). The central place is occupied by the group of Madonna and Child and the Magi placed in the foreground.

In 1482 Leonardo left for Milan, richest city of that time, under the patronage of Ludovico Sforza (1452–1508), who supported the army, spent huge amounts of money on magnificent festivities and the purchase of works of art. Introducing himself to his future patron, Leonardo talks about himself as a musician, military expert, inventor of weapons, war chariots, cars, and only then talks about himself as an artist. Leonardo lived in Milan until 1498, and this period of his life was the most fruitful.

The first commission Leonardo received was to create an equestrian statue in honor of Francesco Sforza (1401–1466), father of Lodovico Sforza. Working on it for 16 years, Leonardo created many drawings, as well as an eight-meter clay model. In an effort to surpass all existing equestrian statues, Leonardo wanted to make a grandiose sculpture, to show a horse rearing up. But when faced with technical difficulties, Leonardo changed his plan and decided to depict a walking horse. In November 1493 model Horse without a rider was put on public display, and it was this event that made Leonardo da Vinci famous. About 90 tons of bronze were required to cast the sculpture. The collection of metal that had begun was interrupted, and the equestrian statue was never cast. In 1499 Milan was captured by the French, who used the sculpture as a target. After some time it collapsed. Horse- a grandiose, but never completed project - one of the significant works of monumental sculpture of the 16th century. and, according to Vasari, “those who have seen the huge clay model ... claim that they have never seen a more beautiful and majestic work,” called the monument “a great colossus.”

At the Sforza court, Leonardo also worked as a decorative artist for many festivities, creating previously unseen decorations and mechanisms, and making costumes for allegorical figures.

Unfinished canvas Saint Jerome(1481, Vatican Museum, Rome) shows the saint in a moment of penance in an elaborate turn with a lion at his feet. The picture was painted in black and white colors. But after covering it with varnish in the 19th century. the colors turned olive and golden.

Madonna of the Rocks(1483–1484, Louvre, Paris) is a famous painting by Leonardo, painted in Milan. The image of the Madonna, baby Jesus, little John the Baptist and an angel in a landscape is a new motif in Italian painting of that time. In the opening of the rock one can see the landscape, which is given a sublime ideal features, and which shows the achievements of linear and aerial perspective. Although the cave is dimly lit, the picture is not dark, faces and figures softly emerge from the shadows. The finest chiaroscuro (sfumato) creates the impression of dim diffused light, modeling faces and hands. Leonardo connects the figures not only by a common mood, but also by the unity of space.

LADY WITH ERMINE. 1485–1490. Czartoryski Museum

Lady with an ermine(1484, Czartoryski Museum, Krakow) is one of Leonardo’s first works as a court portrait painter. The painting depicts Lodovic's favorite Cecilia Gallerani with the emblem of the Sforza family, an ermine. The complex turn of the head and the exquisite bend of the lady’s hand, the curved pose of the animal - everything speaks of the authorship of Leonardo. The background was rewritten by another artist.

Portrait of a musician(1484, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan). Only the young man's face is completed, the rest of the picture is not painted. The type of face is close to the faces of Leonardo's angels, only executed more courageously.

Another unique work was created by Leonardo in one of the halls of the Sforza Palace, which is called Donkey. On the vaults and walls of this hall he painted crowns of willows, whose branches are intricately intertwined and tied with decorative ropes. Subsequently, part of the paint layer fell off, but a significant part was preserved and restored.

In 1495 Leonardo began work on Last Supper(area 4.5 × 8.6 m). The fresco is located on the wall of the refectory of the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, at a height of 3 m from the floor and occupies the entire end wall of the room. Leonardo oriented the perspective of the fresco towards the viewer, thereby it organically entered into the interior of the refectory: the perspective reduction of the side walls depicted in the fresco continues real space refectory. Thirteen people are sitting at a table parallel to the wall. In the center is Jesus Christ, to the left and right of him are his disciples. The dramatic moment of exposure and condemnation of betrayal is shown, the moment when Christ has just uttered the words: “One of you will betray Me,” and various emotional reaction apostles to these words. The composition is built on a strictly verified mathematical calculation: in the center is Christ, depicted against the background of the middle, largest opening of the rear wall, the vanishing point of perspective coincides with his head. The twelve apostles are divided into four groups of three figures each. Each is given a vivid characterization through expressive gestures and movements. The main task was to show Judas, to separate him from the rest of the apostles. By placing him on the same line of the table as all the apostles, Leonardo psychologically separated him by loneliness. Creation last supper became a significant event in artistic life Italy at that time. As a true innovator and experimenter, Leonardo abandoned the fresco technique. He covered the wall with a special composition of resin and mastic, and painted with tempera. These experiments led to the greatest tragedy: the refectory, which was hastily repaired by order of Sforza, the picturesque innovations of Leonardo, the lowland in which the refectory was located - all this served a sad service to the preservation last supper. The paints began to peel off, as Vasari already mentioned in 1556. Secret supper It was restored several times in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the restorations were unskilled (paint layers were simply reapplied). By the mid-20th century, when last supper fell into a deplorable state, they began scientific restoration: first the entire paint layer was fixed, then later layers were removed, and Leonardo’s tempera painting was revealed. And although the work was severely damaged, these restoration works made it possible to say that this Renaissance masterpiece was saved. Working on the fresco for three years, Leonardo created the greatest creation of the Renaissance.

After the fall of Sforza's power in 1499, Leonardo travels to Florence, stopping at Mantua and Venice along the way. In Mantua he creates cardboard with Portrait of Isabella d'Este(1500, Louvre, Paris), made with black chalk, charcoal and pastel.

In the spring of 1500, Leonardo arrived in Florence, where he soon received an order to paint an altar painting in the Monastery of the Annunciation. The order was never completed, but one of the options is considered to be the so-called. Burlington House Cardboard(1499, National Gallery, London).

One of the significant commissions received by Leonardo in 1502 to decorate the wall of the meeting room of the Signoria in Florence was Battle of Anghiari(not preserved). Another wall for decoration was given to Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), who painted a painting there Battle of Kashin. Leonardo's sketches, now lost, showed a panorama of the battle, in the center of which a fight for the banner took place. Cartons by Leonardo and Michelangelo, exhibited in 1505, were a huge success. As is the case with Last Supper, Leonardo experimented with paints, as a result of which the paint layer gradually crumbled. But they survived preparatory drawings, copies that give some idea of ​​the scale of this work. In particular, a drawing by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) has survived, which shows the central scene of the composition (c. 1615, Louvre, Paris).
For the first time in the history of battle painting, Leonardo showed the drama and fury of battle.

MONA LISA. Louvre, Paris Mona Lisa- the most famous work of Leonardo da Vinci (1503–1506, Louvre, Paris). Mona Lisa (short for Madonna Lisa) was the third wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco di Bartolomeo dele Giocondo. Now the picture has been slightly changed: originally columns were drawn on the left and right, now cut off. The small-sized painting makes a monumental impression: the Mona Lisa is shown against the backdrop of a landscape where the depth of space and airy haze are conveyed with the greatest perfection. Leonardo’s famous sfumato technique is here brought to unprecedented heights: the thinnest, as if melting, haze of chiaroscuro, enveloping the figure, softens the contours and shadows. There is something elusive, bewitching and attractive in a light smile, in the liveliness of facial expression, in the majestic calm of posture, in stillness smooth lines hands

In 1506 Leonardo received an invitation to Milan from Louis XII of France (1462-1515). Having given Leonardo complete freedom of action and regularly paying him, the new patrons did not require specific work from him. Leonardo is interested in scientific research, sometimes turning to painting. Then the second version was written Madonnas of the Rocks(1506–1508, British National Gallery, London).

MADONNA AND CHILD AND ST. ANNA. OK. 1510. Louvre, Paris

St. Anne with Mary and the Christ Child(1500–1510, Louvre, Paris) is one of the themes of Leonardo’s work, to which he repeatedly addressed. The last development of this topic remained unfinished.

In 1513 Leonardo travels to Rome, to the Vatican, to the court of Pope Leo X (1513–1521), but soon loses the pope's favor. He studies plants in the botanical garden, draws up plans for draining the Pontine swamps, and writes notes for a treatise on the design of human voice. At this time he created the only Self-portrait(1514, Bibliotheca Reale, Turin), executed in sanguine, showing a gray-haired old man with a long beard and a gaze.

Leonardo's last painting was also painted in Rome - Saint John the Baptist(1515, Louvre, Paris). St. John is shown as pampered with a seductive smile and feminine gestures.

Leonardo again receives an offer from the French king, this time from Francis I (1494–1547), successor of Louis XII: to move to France, to an estate near the royal castle of Amboise. In 1516 or 1517 Leonardo arrives in France, where he is given apartments at the Cloux estate. Surrounded by the king's respectful admiration, he receives the title "First Artist, Engineer and Architect of the King." Leonardo, despite his age and illness, is engaged in drawing canals in the Loire River valley and takes part in the preparation of court festivities.

Leonardo da Vinci died on May 2, 1519, leaving his drawings and papers in his will to Francesco Melzi, a student who kept them throughout his life. But after his death, all the countless papers were distributed all over the world, some were lost, some are stored in different cities, in museums around the world.

A scientist by vocation, Leonardo even now amazes with the breadth and variety of his scientific interests. His research in the field of aircraft design is unique. He studied the flight, gliding of birds, the structure of their wings, and created the so-called. ornithopter, a flying machine with flapping wings, never realized. He created a pyramidal parachute, a model of a helical propeller (a variant of a modern propeller). Observing nature, he became an expert in the field of botany: he was the first to describe the laws of phyllotaxy (laws governing the arrangement of leaves on the stem), heliotropism and geotropism (laws of the influence of the sun and gravity on plants), and discovered a way to determine the age of trees by annual rings. He was an expert in the field of anatomy: he was the first to describe the valve of the right ventricle of the heart, demonstrated anatomy, etc. He created a system of drawings that now help students understand the structure of the human body: he showed the object in four views to examine it from all sides, created an image system organs and bodies in cross section. His research in the field of geology is interesting: he gave descriptions of sedimentary rocks and explanations of marine deposits in the mountains of Italy. As an optical scientist, he knew that visual images are projected upside down on the cornea of ​​the eye. He was probably the first to use a camera obscura (from Latin camera - room, obscurus - dark) - a closed box with a small hole in one of the walls - for sketching landscapes; rays of light are reflected on the frosted glass on the other side of the box and create an inverted color image, used by 18th century landscape painters. for accurate reproduction of views). In Leonardo's drawings there is a design for an instrument for measuring the intensity of light, a photometer, which was brought to life only three centuries later. He designed canals, locks, and dams. Among his ideas you can see: lightweight shoes for walking on water, a lifebuoy, webbed gloves for swimming, a device for underwater movement, similar to a modern spacesuit, machines for making rope, grinding machines and much more. Talking to mathematician Luca Pacioli, who wrote the textbook About Divine Proportion, Leonardo became interested in this science and created illustrations for this textbook.

Leonardo also acted as an architect, but none of his projects were ever brought to life. He participated in a competition to design the central dome of the Milan Cathedral, created a design for a mausoleum for members of the royal family in the Egyptian style, and a project he proposed to the Turkish Sultan for the construction of a huge bridge across the Bosphorus Strait, under which ships could pass.

Left a large number of Leonardo's drawings made with sanguine, crayons, pastels (Leonardo is credited with the invention of pastels), silver pencil, and chalk.

In Milan Leonardo begins to paint Treatise on Painting, work on which continued throughout his life, but was never completed. In this multi-volume reference book, Leonardo wrote about how to recreate on canvas the world, about linear and aerial perspective, proportions, anatomy, geometry, mechanics, optics, the interaction of colors, reflexes.

John the Baptist. 1513-16

Madonna Litta 1478-1482 Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

Leda with a swan 1508 - 1515 Ufizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

The life and work of Leonardo da Vinci left a colossal mark not only in art, but also in science and technology. Painter, sculptor, architect - he was a natural scientist, mechanic, engineer, mathematician, and made many discoveries for subsequent generations. This was the greatest personality of the Renaissance.

"Vitruvian Man"- the generally accepted name for a graphic drawing by da Vinci made in 1492. as an illustration for entries in one of the diaries. The drawing depicts a naked male figure. Strictly speaking, these are even two images of the same figure superimposed on each other, but in different poses. A circle and a square are described around the figure. The manuscript containing this drawing is sometimes also called the “Canon of Proportions” or simply “Proportions of Man.” Now this work is kept in one of the museums of Venice, but is exhibited extremely rarely, since this exhibit is truly unique and valuable both as a work of art and as a subject of research.

Leonardo created his “Vitruvian Man” as an illustration of the geometric studies he carried out based on the treatise of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius (hence the name of da Vinci’s work). In the treatise of the philosopher and researcher, the proportions of the human body were taken as the basis for all architectural proportions. Da Vinci applied the research of the ancient Roman architect to painting, which once again clearly illustrates the principle of the unity of art and science put forward by Leonardo. In addition, this work also reflects the master’s attempt to relate man to nature. It is known that da Vinci considered the human body as a reflection of the universe, i.e. was convinced that it functions according to the same laws. The author himself considered the Vitruvian Man as a “cosmography of the microcosm.” There is also a deep symbolic meaning hidden in this drawing. The square and circle in which the body is inscribed do not simply reflect physical, proportional characteristics. A square can be interpreted as the material existence of a person, and a circle represents its spiritual basis, and the points of contact of geometric figures with each other and with the body inserted into them can be considered as the connection of these two foundations of human existence. For many centuries, this drawing was considered as a symbol of the ideal symmetry of the human body and the universe as a whole.