As Leonardo da Vinci wrote. Leonardo da Vinci - biography, interesting facts. Secrets of da Vinci paintings

Other scientists believe that the point is in the peculiarities of the author's artistic manner. Allegedly, Leonardo applied paint in such a special way that the face of Mona Lisa is constantly changing.

Many insist that the artist depicted himself in a female form on the canvas, which is why such a strange effect turned out. One scientist even found symptoms of idiocy in Mona Lisa, motivating them with disproportionate fingers and lack of flexibility in the hand. But, according to the British doctor Kenneth Keel, the peaceful state of a pregnant woman is conveyed in the portrait.

There is also a version that the artist, who was allegedly bisexual, painted his student and assistant Gian Giacomo Caprotti, who was next to him for 26 years. This version is supported by the fact that Leonardo da Vinci left this painting to him as a legacy when he died in 1519.

They say ... ... that it is the Mona Lisa models great artist owes his death. That many hours of exhausting sessions with her exhausted the great master, since the model herself turned out to be a biovampire. This is still talked about today. As soon as the picture was painted, the great artist was gone.

6) Creating a fresco " The Last Supper» Leonardo da Vinci searched for ideal models for a very long time. Jesus must embody Good, and Judas, who decided to betray him at this meal, is Evil.

Leonardo da Vinci interrupted work many times, going in search of sitters. Once, while listening to the church choir, he saw in one of the young choristers the perfect image of Christ and, inviting him to his studio, made several sketches and sketches from him.

Three years have passed. The Last Supper was almost completed, but Leonardo never found a suitable sitter for Judas. The cardinal, who was in charge of painting the cathedral, hurried the artist, demanding that the fresco be completed as soon as possible.

And after a long search, the artist saw a man lying in the gutter - young, but prematurely decrepit, dirty, drunk and ragged. There was no time for studies, and Leonardo ordered his assistants to deliver him directly to the cathedral. With great difficulty they dragged him there and put him on his feet. The man did not really understand what was happening and where he was, and Leonardo da Vinci captured on canvas the face of a man mired in sins. When he finished the work, the beggar, who by this time had already recovered a little, went up to the canvas and shouted:

I have seen this picture before!

- When? Leonardo was surprised. “Three years ago, before I lost everything. At that time, when I sang in the choir, and my life was full of dreams, some artist painted Christ from me ...

7) Leonardo had the gift of foresight. In 1494, he made a series of notes that paint pictures of the world to come, many of which have already come true, and others are coming true now.

"People will talk to each other from the most distant countries and answer each other" - we are talking here, of course, about the telephone.

"People will walk and not move, they will talk to those who are not, they will hear those who do not speak" - television, tape recording, sound reproduction.

"You will see yourself falling from great heights without any harm to you" - obviously skydiving.

8) But Leonardo da Vinci also has such riddles that baffle researchers. Maybe you can figure them out?

"People will throw out of their own homes those supplies that were meant to sustain their lives."

"Most of the male race will not be allowed to breed, because their testes will be taken away."

Want to learn more about Da Vinci and bring his ideas to life?

The personality of this genius excites the minds of mankind for more than one century. And today people continue to wonder who Leonardo da Vinci was. Known for his paintings and the latest developments in engineering, he was ahead of the times in which he lived. More than 500 years have passed since the death of the great creator, but his name always arouses keen interest even today. Scientists studying the biography and activities of the inventor say that it is impossible to capture the scale of the Renaissance titanium. Having become a legend during his lifetime, da Vinci remains an unattainable ideal in our world.

Biography of a genius

To begin with, let's get acquainted with the brilliant master, who left behind a lot of mysteries. To understand the nature of the hero of all time, let's get acquainted with it will be described in this article.

This unique person was born in 1452. It is still unknown who his mother was, and the father, who recognized his son, did not take him to him for four years.

The boy had a good education, although, as Leonardo himself mentioned, it was unsystematic. From childhood, he surprised everyone with his talent, and the painting of a wooden shield is known, on which the teenager depicted the formidable Gorgon Medusa, which struck those around him with its realism. Now a copy of this work, made by Caravaggio, is stored in a museum in France. The father, who noticed the excellent data of his son, decides that they need to be developed, and sends the child to study in Florence to his friend, famous artist Verrocchio. From this moment begins a new stage in the life of Leonardo da Vinci, whose work left a noticeable mark in art and science. I must say that the young man's talent was appreciated, and after the teacher saw the image of an angel made by the student, he no longer picked up a brush.

New period in life

True, not everyone noticed the skillful creations of the young master, who was very upset because he was not invited to work in the Vatican, like other artists. Thus ends the Florentine period and begins a new one.

Frustrated, da Vinci moves to Milan, an industrial city where not creative people lived, but artisans who stood firmly on their feet. The young man finds the business executive L. Sforza and asks for his patronage, mentioning first of all his engineering ideas, and not his artistic merits. Lodovico does not refuse a pleasant young man, whose work at that time proved that he was a brilliant designer.

In the Milan period, projects of aircraft, machine tools, locks, canals, mills, surprising everyone with their novelty, appeared, however, no one undertook to implement them. And even enlightened minds, sincerely admiring the undoubted talent of the painter, did not understand his inventions, which looked absurd for that time.

Genius that influenced culture

At the end of the 15th century, the master returned to Florence, where one of the most mysterious works, causing controversy among scientists, appeared - "La Gioconda". The main masterpiece, which has not left indifferent viewers and art critics for several centuries, has had a great influence on the world artistic culture. Da Vinci himself did not part with his creation, and we owe the preservation of it in eternity to the king who bought the painting from the aging and losing health of the master.

In 1519, the heart of a brilliant Italian, whose inventions were ahead of their time, stops (it happened in France), and all works and manuscripts go to one of his students.

Human or not?

The legacy of the greatest creator is carefully studied from all sides, and a historically significant figure with a huge scope of activity will be considered an unattainable ideal for a long time to come.

During the life of a lonely inventor, none of his ideas were realized, but if, as scientists believe, at least one idea of a genius was brought to life, then scientific and technological progress would begin much earlier. So who was Leonardo da Vinci? The prescient titan of the Renaissance was called a sorcerer and was not well liked for his unique versatility. The mysterious master, who spent a lot of time on strange inventions, frightened the townsfolk, who considered him a sorcerer who made a deal with the devil himself.

He did incredible things, for which he was suspected of serving black magic. It was believed that an ordinary person could not be so gifted, and Leonardo broke all the usual stereotypes and, moreover, was incredibly strong physically. Outwardly showing no emotions, he kept a diary where he addressed himself as you, and for those who read the notes, it seems that two personalities lived in the genius, one of which led the Italian.

Seer

The secrets of Leonardo da Vinci remained a mystery, because no one knows how a genius could invent a gas mixture with which a person could dive to a depth, because for this he would need knowledge of biochemistry, and such a science did not exist in those days.

Da Vinci foresaw the future and succeeded in it. His "Prophecies", made at the end of the 15th century, tell of events that are taking place in our day. It was he who spoke about the fact that air bombs leaving funnels would be dropped on the ground, people would parachute and talk on the phone, and the outline of an atomic mushroom is clearly traced in the picture called “The End of the World”.

Supernatural abilities

Followers of the esoteric sciences consider him a messenger of Shambhala, who has developed occult abilities. The Florentine controlled his senses so carefully that he always had an even temper. His contemporaries repeatedly wondered who Leonardo da Vinci was, because he did not give the impression of an ordinary person. The lonely genius had no friends and family, and communication with relatives ceased. No and no evidence love stories which could shed light on the nature of the creator. For him, there was no such thing as night, because he slept for 15 minutes every four hours, reducing daily sleep to a minimum.

Riddles of a self-portrait

Leonardo da Vinci (the photo of his paintings confirms this) did not leave a signature on his masterpieces, but a barely visible sign - a bird flying up, symbolizing enlightened humanity. Even da Vinci's self-portrait is controversial. Viewers observe an elderly man whose appearance changes depending on the angle, this can be seen even in photographs taken from different angles and video filming in motion. But art historians are convinced that this is a sketch of the head of the apostle from The Last Supper.

Secrets of the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci

The master invented a special technique for painting pictures, in which the depicted objects do not look clear, but blurry, without visible borders. The principle of sfumato (scattering) allows the viewer to awaken the imagination and notice how the canvas comes to life. The master himself fumigated his room with smoke and recommended young talents to practice painting in this way.

The famous "Mona Lisa", aka "La Gioconda", by Leonardo da Vinci is written in this technique, and the main feature of the picture is the woman's lively smile, when it seems to many that the mysterious stranger raises the corners of her lips, which changes her expression.

Scientists who are interested in this issue conducted a computer study and found that Mona Lisa's smile expresses happiness, disgust, fear and anger at the same time. Other researchers are convinced that the lack of eyebrows causes such an effect. There is another version, according to which the smile is elusive due to the fact that it is in the low-frequency range of light.

The personality of the depicted lady on the canvas also excites the minds of scientists. Many are not inclined to believe that Francesco Giocondo, the wife of a silk merchant from Florence, posed for the artist. Among the original versions, several stand out: according to one, da Vinci painted himself in women's clothes, the other says that this is a portrait of a student who has been with the master for 26 years.

Encrypted secret signs

The Last Supper fresco by Leonardo da Vinci, kept in Milan, even after 500 years, is of great interest to researchers who are trying to decipher the secret signs of genius. The painting, which contains many messages to posterity, perfectly captures the sign language, which is studied by art historians. The image painted on the wall of the monastery conveys the very moment when Jesus tells that one of the seated apostles will betray him.

Surprisingly, the same person posed for the image of Christ and Judas, only at different times in his life. The inspired young man singing in the choir impressed the artist so much that he immediately understood: the embodiment of goodness had been found. A few years later, da Vinci discovered a drunkard in a ditch, from whom the image of Judas was painted. As it turned out later, it was one and the same person, and this fact proves that good and evil always go together in life.

The thumb of Christ's right hand touches the tablecloth, while the others are raised - a gesture of regret and sadness, which other artists began to use in their work. Judas, squeezing right hand purse, left overturns the salt shaker - a sign of trouble in Christianity. And Peter, who has risen, is overwhelmed with anger, and it is not in vain that he clutches a knife in his hand, with which he wants to punish the future traitor.

An interesting hypothesis of researchers arguing that da Vinci portrayed himself among the apostles: as it seems to many, he is Thaddeus, sitting with his back to Christ. Given the atheistic views of the artist, this version seems plausible.

It is impossible not to mention that during the Second World War a shell hit the church building, which destroyed everything except the wall with the fresco.

"Madonna" by Leonardo da Vinci

The most touching work of the Italian reflects the strength of his talent, and the image of a spiritual woman and a caring mother is one of the master's favorites. The painting, bearing the full name "Madonna Litta", is now in the Hermitage, and anyone can enjoy the talent of a brilliant painter.

The main feature of the work, written not in oil, but in tempera, is bright saturated colors that evoke bright feelings. And the background, immersed in darkness, is needed so that the face of the Mother of God clearly appears towards the viewer.

The mother who feeds her child embodies the ideal female beauty, and the eternal masterpiece has touched us for five centuries, which speaks of the incredible skill of the author.

The closed composition is opened by the gaze of the infant Christ, and this is another encrypted symbolism. God, who looks at people, promises them to always be near them. It is known that the creator often bought birds in the market and released them into the sky, so it was no coincidence that he depicted a child clutching a goldfinch with one hand. The painter confirmed that this is not just getting mother's milk, but spiritual feeding, and the soul of a bird copies the soul of a person.

Drawing - scientific work

No less famous is the drawing in which the master emphasized the natural ideality and mathematical proportionality. The work is not just an artistic creation, but also a whole scientific work.

Coming from other worlds?

The personality of an extraordinary visionary who was ahead of his time is as mystically attractive today as it was several centuries ago. However, we still cannot say who Leonardo da Vinci really was. Amazing with the versatility of his talent, this Italian had a huge impact on the development of our civilization, so the eternal debate about whether he is a person, or who arrived from the future and shared important secrets with us, will continue for more than one century.

The history of mankind, in fact, knows not so many geniuses who were ahead of this or that era with each of their actions. Some of what they created firmly entered the life of their contemporaries, but something remained on the drawings and manuscripts: the master looked too far ahead. The latter can be fully applied to Leonardo da Vinci, brilliant artist, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, architect, sculptor, philosopher and writer - true man the Renaissance. Perhaps, in the history of medieval knowledge there is no area that the great master of the Enlightenment would not touch.

The sphere 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, admiration, as in the years of his life? Such a "formula of immortality" can rightfully be considered the greatest discovery in history. What are its components? The answer to this question would like to receive almost every person on the planet. 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, multiplied by 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 you need to make him a semblance of wings! Christ walked on water, so why shouldn't ordinary mortals have such an opportunity? Let's design water skis!

The whole 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 life and direct them to the service of mankind. After all, do not forget that a man of the Renaissance is, first of all, a great humanist.

The biography of Leonardo da Vinci is, figuratively speaking, the story of several souls enclosed in the body of one person. Indeed, in each of the areas studied, he exhibits very special qualities that, in the understanding of ordinary people, can hardly belong to one single person. Maybe that's why some people 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 more like a consummate artist. Unfortunately, no more than 15 of his works have come down to us, while the rest either simply did not stand the test of time due to the master’s constant experiments with technique 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, later baptized under the name of Leonardo, was born, as recorded in the church book, "on Saturday, April 15, 1452 from the birth of Christ" from an extramarital affair between a peasant woman Katerina and a notary, ambassador of the Florentine Republic, sir Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, a descendant of wealthy revered Italian family. The father, who at that time had no other heirs, wished to take his son into his house and give him a proper education. The only thing known for sure about the mother is that she officially married a man from 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 (who, by the way, he never made his official heir) ten more brothers and two sisters.

All further biography da Vinci is closely connected with his work, the events of the master's life, the people he met, naturally, left their traces in the development of his worldview. Thus, the meeting with Andrea Verrocchio determined the beginning of his journey in art. At the age of 16, Leonardo became a student of the studio of the famous master Verrocchio. It is in the workshop of Verrocchio that Leonardo gets the opportunity to prove 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 St. Luke, the painters' guild, still working in the workshop of Verocquil until 1476. The same period is dated to one of his first independent work"Madonna with a Carnation". Ten years later, Leonardo is invited to Milan, where he remains 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, 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 travels a lot, leaving a memory of himself in every city he visits. Towards the end of his life, he becomes "the first royal artist, engineer and architect" under Francois I, working on the architectural device of the castle of Cloud. However, this work remained unfinished: da Vinci died in 1519, at the age of 67. Now in the castle of Cloux, only a double spiral staircase has remained from the plan originally conceived by the great Leonardo, while the rest of the architecture of the castle was repeatedly altered by subsequent dynasties of French kings.

The work of Leonardo da Vinci

Despite Leonardo's numerous scientific studies, his fame as a scientist and inventor fades somewhat before 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 the works of da Vinci devoted to the nature of light, chemistry, biology, physiology and anatomy found their application.

His paintings remain the most mysterious works of art. They are copied in search of the secret of such skill, 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 applied by the master in his works, as well as deep knowledge of anatomy, botany, geology, optics, and even human soul… Looking at the portraits he created, we really see not just an artist, but an attentive observer, a psychologist who managed to understand the physical expression of the emotional component of the human personality. Da Vinci not only managed to understand this himself, but also found techniques to transfer this knowledge onto 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 the best character to depict on canvas is a person whose body movements most 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 more emotional personalities.

Early period of creativity

periodization creative biography 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 way da Vinci can be considered 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 entrusted only with cleaning canvases, grinding paints and doing other preparatory work, Verrocchio began to acquaint his student with the traditional techniques of painting, engraving, architecture and sculpture. Here Leonardo received knowledge of the basics of chemistry, metallurgy, mastered woodworking and even the beginning of mechanics. Only to him, his best student, Verrocchio entrusts the completion of his work. During this period, Leonardo does not create his own works, but eagerly absorbs everything related to the chosen profession. Together with his teacher, he is working on The Baptism of Christ (1472-1475). The play of light and shadow, the features of the face of the little angel, which da Vinci was entrusted to write, impressed Verrocchio so much that he considered himself surpassed by his own student and decided never to take up the 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. Luke is the famous union of artists and doctors of Florence. At the same time, the first notable works of da Vinci appeared, which brought him fame: an ink sketch “Landscape of Santa Maria dela Neve” and “Annunciation”. He improves the technique of sfumato, bringing it to an 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 reverence and respect. The Madonna with a Carnation, one of the most significant works of da Vinci, is dated the same year.

Mature period of creativity

At the age of 26, da Vinci begins a completely independent career, and also begins a more detailed study of various aspects of natural science and becomes a teacher himself. During this period, even before his departure for Milan, Leonardo begins work on the "Adoration of the Magi", which he never completed. It is possible that this was a kind of revenge on da Vinci for the fact that Pope Sixtus IV rejected his candidacy when choosing an artist for painting the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican in Rome. Perhaps the fashion for Neoplatonism that dominated that era in Florence also played a role in da Vinci's decision to leave for a 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 a certain knowledge in the field of biology and geodesy, since the plants and the grotto itself are written out with maximum realism. All proportions and laws of composition are observed. However, despite such an amazing performance, this picture for many years became the subject of contention between the author and customers. Da Vinci devotes 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 a letter from this man, which described the amazing works of engineering by the “senior, who also paints,” was enough for da Vinci to receive an invitation to work under the auspices of Ludovic Sforza, away from rivals and ill-wishers. Here he gets some freedom for creativity and research. It also organizes performances and celebrations, technical equipment court theater scenes. In addition, Leonardo paints 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, during his stay in one of the monasteries, he receives an order for a sketch for the image of the Virgin Mary with 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 consider themselves followers of da Vinci leave Florence, where he stayed to put his numerous notes and drawings in order, and move with their teacher to Milan. From 1503 to 1506 Leonardo begins work on La Gioconda. Mona Lisa del Giocondo, born Lisa Maria Gherardini, was chosen as the model. Numerous plot options famous painting still do not leave indifferent artists and critics.

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

One of the grandest architectural projects During this period, Cloux Castle in Amboise becomes for da Vinci, where the king of France Francois I himself invites the master to work. Over time, their relationship becomes much closer than just business. Francois often listens to the opinion of the great scientist, treats him like a father, and grieves da Vinci's death in 1519. Leonardo dies in the spring from a serious illness at the age of 67, having bequeathed 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 have already been described in the writings of da Vinci, as well as some of the things we are used to. It seems that what the master would not mention in his manuscripts does not exist at all. There is even an alarm! Of course, its design is significantly different from what we see today, however, the invention deserves attention if only because of its design: scales, the bowls of which are filled with liquid. Overflowing from one bowl to another, 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 realize the latter almost completely (with the exception of the project of an ideal city). But with regard to mechanics, it was far from being used right away. It is known that da Vinci was preparing to test his aircraft himself, but he was never designed, despite the detailed plan drawn up on paper. Yes, and a bicycle, created by a master from wood, also came into use a few centuries later, as, indeed, a mechanical self-propelled cart driven by two levers. However, the very principle of the wagon was applied to improve the loom during the life of da Vinci.
Being recognized as a genius of painting during his lifetime, Leonardo da Vinci dreamed of a career as a military engineer all his life, and therefore a special place in his work was given to the study of fortifications, military vehicles, and protective structures. So, it was he who developed excellent methods of repelling Turkish attacks in Venice, and even created a semblance of a protective suit. 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 come down to our days in better condition and continue to be studied today. According to some drawings, even machines were recreated that were not destined to appear during the life of da Vinci.

Painting by Leonardo da Vinci

Most of da Vinci's works 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, moisture.

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

Also, one of the features of da Vinci's painting style is a preliminary sketch of the conceived picture in transparent dark (brown) tones, the same tones were also used as the upper, final, layer of the entire work. In both cases, the completed work was endowed with a gloomy tinge. It is possible that over time the colors darkened even more precisely because of this feature.

Much of da Vinci's theoretical work is devoted to depicting human emotions. He talks a lot about the way of expressing feelings, cites his own research. There is even a 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, having made his guests laugh, da Vinci carefully observed the movement of muscles, facial expressions. Possessing a unique memory, he transferred what he saw to sketches with such accuracy that, according to eyewitnesses, people wanted to laugh along with the portraits.

Mona Lisa.

"Mona Lisa" she is "Gioconda", the full name is a portrait of Mrs. 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 he accompanied the master in all his travels until the very last day. After the death of the artist, the portrait was moved to the castle of Fontainebleau.

Gioconda became the most mystical picture all epochs. It became the subject of research on artistic technique for masters of the 15th century. In the era of romanticism, artists and critics admired its mysteriousness. By the way, it is to the figures of this era that we owe such a magnificent halo of mystery that accompanies the Mona Lisa. The era of romanticism in art simply could not do without the mystical entourage inherent in all masters of genius 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 reveal 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, a dark transparent veil is thrown over her head. It would seem that this is nothing special.

Compliance with fashion can only mean that a woman does not belong to the poorest family. But held in 2006. by Canadian scientists, a more detailed analysis using modern laser equipment showed that this veil, in fact, envelops the entire camp of the model. It is this thinnest material that creates the effect of fog, which was previously attributed to the famous sfumato da Vinci. It is known that such veils, enveloping the whole body, and not just the head, were worn by pregnant women. It is quite possible that it is this state that is reflected in Mona Lisa's smile: the peace and tranquility of the expectant mother. Even her hands are laid in such a way as if they were already ready to rock the 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 name Giokondo, to which the model herself belonged. On the other hand, this word is consonant with the Italian "giocondo", i.e. happiness, peace. Doesn't this explain the depth of the look, and 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. It is a depiction of the very idea of peace and serenity. Maybe that's what she was so dear to the author.

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

The Last Supper is a fresco painted by da Vinci between 1494 and 1498. for the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Gresi, Milan. The fresco depicts a 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 of the laws of perspective. The hall in which Jesus and the apostles sit is painted with exceptional accuracy in terms of the proportions and distance of objects. The background of the room, however, is so clearly visible that it is almost a second picture, and not just a background.

Naturally, the center of the whole work is Christ himself, it is precisely in relation to his figure that the rest of the composition of the fresco is planned. The location of the disciples (4 groups of three people) is symmetrical with respect to the center - the Teacher, but not among themselves, which creates a feeling of live movement, but at the same time there is a certain halo of loneliness around Christ. A halo of knowledge that is not yet available to his followers. Being the center of the fresco, a figure around which the whole world seems to revolve, Jesus still remains alone: all other figures are, as it were, separated from him. The whole work is enclosed in strict rectilinear frames, limited by the walls and ceiling of the room, the table at which the participants in the Last Supper sit. If, for clarity, we draw lines along those points that are directly related to the perspective of the fresco, we get an almost perfect geometric grid, the “threads” of which are built at right angles to each other. Such limited precision is not found in any other work of Leonardo.

In Tongerlo Abbey, Belgium, there is an amazingly accurate copy of The Last Supper, made by the masters of the da Vinci school on his own initiative, since the artist was afraid that the fresco in Milanese monastery will 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, dimensions 4.6 m x 8.8 m.

Vitruvian Man

"Vitruvian Man" is the common name for a graphic drawing by da Vinci made in 1492. as an illustration to the entries in one of the diaries. The figure 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 referred to as The Canon of Proportions or simply The Proportions of Man. Now this work is stored in one of the museums in Venice, but it 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 on the basis of a treatise by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius (hence the name of da Vinci's work). In the treatise of the philosopher and researcher of proportion human body were taken as the basis of all architectural proportions. Da Vinci, on the other hand, applied the studies 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 correlate man with 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 "the cosmography of the microcosm". In this picture, there is also a 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 seen 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 is made with ink. The size of the picture is 34 cm x 26 cm. Genre: Abstract art. Direction: High Renaissance.

The fate of the manuscripts.

After da Vinci's death in 1519. all the manuscripts of the great scientist and painter were inherited by Leonardo's favorite student, Francesco Melzi. Fortunately, most of the drawings and notes left by da Vinci, made by his famous method of mirror writing, have survived to this day. from right to left. Without a doubt, Leonardo left behind the largest collection of works of the Renaissance, but after his death, the manuscript was not an easy fate. It is even surprising that after so many ups and downs, the manuscripts still survived to this day.
Today, the scientific works of da Vinci are far from the form that the Master gave them, with special care grouping them according to the principles he alone 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 that they had inherited, apparently not even knowing about his true value. Initially, the manuscripts were simply stored in the attic, later the Malzi family distributed some of the manuscripts and sold individual sheets to collectors by friends for a ridiculous price. Thus, all the records of da Vinci found new owners. Luckily, not a single leaf was lost in the process!

However, the power of evil fate did not end there. The manuscripts came to Ponnpeo 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” the numerous notes of da Vinci, based, of course, on his own principles of classification, and finally mixed up all the pages, separating, where possible, texts from sketches, and purely scientific, in his opinion, treatises from notes relating directly to painting. Thus, two collections of manuscripts and drawings appeared. After the death of Leoni, one part of the collection returned to Italy again and until 1796. kept in the library of Milan. Some of the works came to Paris thanks to Napoleon, while the rest was "lost" from Spanish collectors and was discovered only in 1966 in the archives of the National Library in Madrid.

To date, all known da Vinci manuscripts have been collected, and almost all of them are in state museums countries of Europe, with the exception of one, miraculously still remaining 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 the last will of da Vinci, sixty beggars accompanied his funeral cortege. The great Renaissance master was buried in the Saint-Hubert chapel, in the vicinity of the Amboise castle.
Da Vinci remained single all his life. Having no wife, no children, not even a home of his own, he devoted himself entirely to scientific research and art. This is how the fate of geniuses develops, that during their lifetime and after death, their works, each of which was invested with a particle of the soul, remain the only "family" of their creator. This happened in the case of Leonardo. However, everything that this man did, who managed to fully cognize and embody the spirit of the Renaissance in his creations, has become the property of all mankind today. Fate itself arranged everything in such a way that, without having a family of its own, da Vinci passed on a huge inheritance to all mankind. And 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 would not try to unravel this or that plan of da Vinci, to look for what was considered lost. Even in our age, when much previously unknown has become everyday, the manuscripts, drawings and paintings of the great Leonardo do not leave indifferent museum visitors, art historians, or even writers. They still serve as an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Is this not the true secret of immortality?

Vitruvian Man

Madonna Benois

Madonna Litta

One of my favorite books so far is "The Da Vinci Code". The genre of the work - a mystical detective - masterfully creates an aura of mystery around the already mysterious phenomenon of Leonardo. I can’t call him only an artist or a sculptor, since this person was Creator(and only with a capital letter) of the Renaissance, multifaceted and talented. So who was Leonardo da Vinci?

How it all started

What a pity that photography and cinema did not appear until several centuries after Leonardo. I really want to see what this person looked like, what clothes he wore, smiled or, on the contrary, frowned his shaggy eyebrows. However, the strict image of the master can still be seen in Piazza della Scala in Milan. Monument, depicting Leonardo and his students, it's hard not to notice, but it's very easy to spend an hour looking at His face.

Da Vinci was originally identified by his father in painters and sculptors and began to study in Florence. An inquisitive mind and a thirst for knowledge did not limit the young man only to the sphere of art. were soon mastered Humanities sciences, chemistry, modeling and drafting.

After Florence, da Vinci ends up in Milan, where he becomes engineer at the court of the Duke of Sforza. We can say that it was the duke who contributed to the development of new directions in Leonardo's "career": architecture and mechanics.

If we imagine that the Skolkovo Foundation already existed in the Renaissance, then the drawings and projects of the newly-minted engineer would be considered innovative and would immediately single out the grand. The scope of Leonardo's scientific interest had the widest range: from military devices up to peaceful inventions.