by Dukgyu | Jun 2, 2022 | Leonardo da Vinci Paintings
Leonardo da Vinci Annunciation
The Annunciation (click for large image)
Title: Annunciation
Year: c. 1472-1476
Size: 98 x 217 cm
Medium: Oil and tempera on panel
Location: Uffizi, Florence, Italy
The Annunciation by Leonardo Da Vinci was painted with oil and tempera on a poplar panel. The subject content of Leonardo da Vinci the Annunciation is taken from Luke 1.26 to 39. It depicts the angel Gabriel declaring to Mary that she will miraculously conceive and give birth to a boy named Jesus and referred to as “the Son of God,” whose dominion would never end.
The annunciation was a popular topic for contemporaneous paintings in Christian countries such as Italy, and it had been shown numerous times in Florentine art, including many samples by the Early Renaissance painter Fra Angelico. Details about the painting’s commission and early history are unknown.
The marble table in front of Mary is most likely based on the tomb of Piero and Giovanni De’ Medici in Florence’s Basilica of San Lorenzo, which Verrocchio sculpted around the same time period. The angel is holding a Madonna flower, which represents Mary’s virginity as well as the city of Florence.
It is assumed that Leonardo, a skilled observer of nature, painted the angel’s wings to resemble those of a bird in flight, but the wings were later substantially stretched by another artist.
Why is the Annunciation important?
The Annunciation picture, dated c. 1472-1476, is usually attributed to the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is Leonardo’s earliest existing major work, completed in Florence while he was an apprentice in Andrea del Verrocchio’s studio.
The Annunciation (Leonardo da Vinci), a popular biblical subject in 15th-century Florence, was painted in oil and tempera on a huge poplar panel. It has been housed in the Uffizi in Florence. Though the piece has been critiqued for compositional faults, it is one of the most well-known depictions of the Annunciation in Christian art.
In his left hand, the angel carries a Madonna lily. Mary is distinguished by her predominantly blue outfit. The enclosed garden in which Gabriel kneels represents Mary’s virginity. The marble desk or sarcophagus in the center was inspired by Verrocchio’s carving of Piero and Giovanni De’ Medici’s tomb.
Since the fourth century, artists have been depicting the ‘Annunciation.’ It was a common motif in Florentine art. It depicts the moment when the Archangel Gabriel informs the Virgin Mary that she would bear the Son of God.
How old was Leonardo da Vinci when he painted the Annunciation?
Leonardo’s Annunciation painting is one of his foremost works, most likely completed while the artist was still an apprentice at Verrocchio’s workshop. The brightness of the countryside, which softly slopes to the backdrop, blurs the outlines of the mountains and the city visible among the trees.
Painting is a mental act for Leonardo, a method to understand reality and nature. Leonardo’s Annunciation artwork, painted when the artist was probably in his early twenties, shows his fascination with nature and curiosity about global occurrences that Renaissance man was attempting to understand.
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by Dukgyu | Jun 1, 2022 | Leonardo da Vinci Paintings
Leonardo da Vinci Madonna Litta
Madonna Litta (click for large image)
Title: Madonna Litta
Year: c. 1490
Size: 42 x 33 cm
Medium: Tempera on canvas
Location: Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
The Madonna Litta by Leonardo da Vinci has its figures positioned in a dark room with two arched arches, similar to his earlier Madonna of the Carnation, and a mountainous scene in aerial view can be seen beyond. Christ holds a goldfinch in his left hand as a symbol of his impending Passion.
The Virgin Mary is breastfeeding Baby Jesus. While breastfeeding, Mary appears respectable. She is looking at Jesus with her eyelashes dropped. She is dressed in a brilliant red gown with an orange-copper border and a light blue mantle. She covers her head with a transparent veil, which extends under her robe to her right and left hands.
Baby Jesus has curly hair and appears to be a healthy, fat infant. He resembles, albeit slightly younger, Baby Jesus in Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks in the National Gallery. Jesus enthusiastically takes his mother’s breast while glancing around to ensure he is not missing anything in his surroundings. He clutches Mary’s breast in his right hand and a goldfinch in his left.
Interestingly, Mary and Jesus do not have a halo around their heads, which is unusual for Leonardo but not uncommon in his work. In the background, two symmetrical arched windows show a mountain panorama and a blue sky with clouds.
History of the Madonna Litta
The Madonna Litta painting could be one of the Madonna and Child paintings recorded in Leonardo’s studio prior to or during his first Milanese period 1481 to 1483. Leonardo stated on a drawing in the Uffizi that he had begun “two Virgin Maries” in late 1478, and an inventory of his workshop written in 1482 (part of the Codex Atlanticus) cites two paintings of “Our Lady” once more.
According to several readings, the second of them is either “nearly finished, in profile” or “finished, almost in profile.” The Virgin’s head in the Madonna Litta might be described in either way, hence it has been suggested that the painting was started during Leonardo’s first Florentine era and then abandoned until it was completed by a pupil in Milan.
However, scientific investigation of the picture has revealed that it was created by only one person. Scholars disagree on the piece’s attribution, with some claiming it is the work of a Leonardo disciple such as Marco d’Oggiono or Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio; however, the Hermitage Museum believes it is an autograph work by Leonardo. The picture was named after the House of Litta, a Milanese noble family that owned it for much of the nineteenth century.
Madonna Litta meaning
The Virgin Mary breastfeeding Baby Jesus exemplifies motherhood and maternal love. Mary’s blue mantle represents the Church, while her scarlet garment represents Christ’s passion. The goldfinch represents Jesus’ future crucifixion. The mountain backdrop in the background shows God’s majesty in creating the world.
The plain countryside, Mary’s fairly boring attire, the shadows in this painting, and the absence of details in her face (compare this to Leonardo’s drawing in the Louvre above) are the primary reasons why people wonder if this painting is totally made by Leonardo. Some believe that these elements are not of the standard we’d expect from Leonardo.
Experts agree, however, that the design of the picture, particularly the difficult posture of Mary and Baby Jesus, could be by Leonardo. So it is not unlikely that Leonardo began this painting but that it was completed by an assistant, possibly Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio.
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by Dukgyu | Jun 1, 2022 | Leonardo da Vinci Paintings
Leonardo da Vinci Leda and the Swan
Leda and the Swan (click for large image)
Title: Leda and the Swan
Year: 1505-1510
Size: 69.5 x 73.7 cm
Medium: Oil on panel
Location: Wilton House, Salisbury, UK
In The Leda and the Swan painting, the naked woman who is Leda looks down compassionately on her babies, while the curves of her body contrast with the sinuous lines of the swan, its head resting on her shoulder. The artwork is also metaphorical; the branch of white blossom in Leda’s hand represents purity. Her slightly awkward attitude, with the infants on one side and the swan on the other, implies that she is torn between the human world and the magical event that has just occurred to her.
The setting is naturalistic, in contrast to the mythological quality of the plot. A granite block with carvings may be seen over Leda’s left shoulder. A little medieval village can be seen above her right shoulder. The sky above and the ground below are both realistic. This realism is explained by Leonardo’s evolution as an artist. Leonardo was preoccupied with the idea of Leda while working on the Mona Lisa, and while in Milan, he drew numerous sketches of the swans in the moat around the Castello. Cassiano del Pozzo described the painting in 1625; at the time, it was in the royal collection in Fontainebleau.
Leda and Zeus
The Leda with the Swan painting by Leonardo da Vinci depicts the Greek story of Leda, the daughter of King Aetolia. When Zeus, King of the Gods, saw Leda, he was so taken with her beauty that he transformed into a swan and married her. Leda gave birth to two eggs, each of which birthed twins.
It has been suggested that Leonardo’s Chatsworth drawing for Leda and the Swan was influenced by the Laocoön Group, an antique sculpture found in 1506: The subject’s body has a similar twist; the curve of the swan’s neck recalls the snake’s lithe form in Laocoön’s palm; Zeus’ rape recalls the serpents’ aggressive attack; and The infant next to Leda’s knee resembles Laocoön’s son on the right, who likewise has a sheer break at the wrist.
Leda and the Swan analysis
Many artists have attempted to depict Leda and the Swan throughout history. Artists such as Correggio, Michelangelo, and Paul Cezanne have created interpretations of the story.
Leonardo’s original painting has been lost; it was purportedly seen in Fontainebleau in 1625 and was described as being in horrible condition, having been done on three large panels that had split and fallen apart. Some academics question whether Leonardo actually finished the picture; we only know it from many replicas made by Leonardo’s pupils and from the master’s preliminary drawings.
Leda Greek Mythology
Since the classical period, this Greek myth has influenced artists. The connection between Leda and Zeus is depicted in a variety of ways, including violent and seductive. The majority of the artwork concentrates on the story’s enticing component.
The majority of the artworks depict specific themes that depict various aspects of the myth of Leda and the Swan. The setting of the story, the facial emotions of persons depicted in the painting, and the clothing objects depicted in the painting, as well as their color.
Many painters throughout history have explored the subject of Leda and the Swan. Among the painters who have created interpretations of the story are Correggio, Michelangelo, and Paul Cezanne.
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by Dukgyu | Jun 1, 2022 | Leonardo da Vinci Drawings
Leonardo da Vinci Lady with an Ermine
Lady with an Ermine (click for large image)
Title: Lady with an Ermine (Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani)
Year: 1489-1491
Size: 54 x 39 cm
Medium: Oil on wood
Location: Czartoryski Museum, Cracow, Poland
The Lady with an Ermine painting is a portrait painting generally ascribed to Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian Renaissance artist. Da Vinci Lady with an Ermine, which dates from 1489 to 1491, is painted in oils on a walnut wood panel. It represents a half-height woman rotated three-quarters to the right, but with her face turned to the left. The animal in her arms twists similarly, resulting in significant contrapposto with the lady, a technique Leonardo had previously explored with the angel in the Virgin of the Rocks.
What is the meaning of Lady with an Ermine?
A layer of white gesso and a layer of brownish underpaint are used to prepare the painting. The paint is applied evenly in general, similar to the Mona Lisa, while particular portions of the lady’s skin are more layered. Its subject is Cecilia Gallerani, an enticing young woman from the Milanese court who was the favorite mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan at the time of its execution; Leonardo was a painter to the Sforza court in Milan at the time of its execution.
For 18 years, the duke was da Vinci’s patron and champion, earning him the moniker “the white ermine.” It is the second of Leonardo’s only four surviving portraits of women, the others being La Belle Ferronnière, Ginevra de’ Benci, and the Mona Lisa.
What is an Ermine?
The Lady with an Ermine painting was purchased by the youthful Prince Adam Czartoryski (a hero in the war for Polish independence) on his trip to Italy in 1800. Leonardo da Vinci Lady with an Ermine was commissioned by his mother, an avid collector and the founder of the Czartoryski Museum.
Art experts first assumed that the animal in the picture was merely a decorative element. They later discovered that ermine is an allusion to Lodovico Sforza. Why is this so? He was also known as Ermellino Bianco at times (white ermine). Leonardo was unable to paint a couple together due to the upcoming wedding of Ludovico and Beatrice d’Este. That is why he was portrayed allegorically as an ermine, which also covers Cecilia’s pregnancy, Cesare, his son, was born soon after.
The image vanished for generations after Cecilia’s death until resurfacing in Poland around 1800. For many years, it was mistakenly thought to be the likeness of the so-called “Belle Ferronière,” a rumored mistress of King Francis I. The inscription LA BELE FERONIERE / LEONARD D’AWINCI in the upper left corner alongside the artist’s surname, which is spelled in Polish, attests to this. However, given Polish history in the twentieth century, it is remarkable that the Lady with an Ermine painting has survived.
What is the price of Lady with an Ermine?
There is substantial debate over whether the Lady with an Ermine picture was created by da Vinci, Boltraffio, or da Predis. During one of his visits, Prince Adam Czartoryski purchased the picture of Lady with an Ermine in Italy. In 1800, he added the artwork to the Czartoryski Family collection. The picture is now housed in the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland, but it is currently traveling to museums across the world because the Czartoryski Museum is undergoing renovations, which began in 2010.
On December 29, 2016, the Princes Czartoryski Foundation, represented by Adam Karol Czartoryski, the last direct offspring of Izabela Czartoryska Flemming and Adam George Czartoryski, who brought the painting to Poland from Italy in 1798, sold it to the Polish government for a sum of €100 million.
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by Dukgyu | Jun 1, 2022 | Leonardo da Vinci Paintings
Leonardo da Vinci Baptism of Christ
The Baptism of Christ
Title: The Baptism of Christ
Year: 1472-1475
Size: 177 x 151 cm
Medium: Oil on wood
Location: Uffizi, Florence, Italy
The Baptism of Christ Painting is a painting completed around 1475 in the art studio of the Italian Renaissance painter Andrea del Verrocchio and his apprentice Leonardo da Vinci. Verrochio used tempera on wood for the majority of the painting. Other members of Verrocchio’s workshop can be seen in the artwork, according to certain art historians.
Who baptized Jesus?
The painting represents the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, as described in the Biblical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Leonardo da Vinci the Baptism of Christ depicts a scenario that features God’s extended arms painted with golden rays and a dove with its wings widely spread, a cruciform halo painted on top of Jesus’ head, and another halo painted on top of Saint John the Baptist. The robes of Jesus are being held by two angels.
The angel on the left is documented as having been painted by the young Leonardo, a fact that has sparked so much special comment and mythology that the significance and value of the painting as a whole, and Verrocchio’s work are sometimes disregarded. Leonardo is also credited with much of the countryside in the background, according to modern critics.
The Baptism of Christ painting was commissioned by monks from the San Salvi Church close to Florence. Verrocchio and his disciple, Leonardo Da Vinci, created the artwork. Verrochio was an artist whose paintings, metals, and sculptures demonstrated his artistic abilities. He was running his own workshop with his apprentices, who turned out to be outstanding Renaissance artists like da Vinci. According to legend, The Baptism of Christ was Verrochio’s final painting before turning his attention to sculpting and metalwork.
It was because of those rumors spread that Verrochio was embarrassed as Leonardo’s angel painting was superior to his parts. He claimed that a boy’s comprehension of colors was far superior to his own and vowed never to touch color again.
What river was Jesus baptized in?
Da Vinci Baptism of Christ shows a significant incident in Jesus Christ’s life. It represents one of Christianity’s most important events, the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. This occurred on the banks of the Jordan River, a 251-kilometer-long river in the Middle East that runs through the Sea of Galilee.
The two men are joined in the river by two angels, one of whom is holding Jesus’ dress. The painting’s metaphorical aspects are fairly evident, and they include: John the Baptist is holding a stick with a gold cross atop it. The Holy Spirit is represented by a dove with light beams. The palm tree represents salvation and life. God’s hands appear on top of the artwork.
Giorgio Vasari, who analyzed the Baptism of Crist, stated that Leonardo’s angel and understanding of colors impressed Verrocchio so much that he stopped painting. Vasari did not personally meet Leonardo; thus, the authenticity of these allegations is unknown; however, Verrocchio’s painting productivity appears to have abruptly halted, with his last known painted piece being the Virgin and Child with Two Angels, which he passed on to his helper Lorenzo di Credi to complete.
The artwork of the Baptism of Christ was eventually moved from the Church of San Salvi to the Vallombrosan Sisterhood in Santa Verdiana. It was purchased by the Accademia in 1810 and moved to the Uffizi in 1959. Leonardo da Vinci Baptism of Christ is now on display at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
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