Leonardo da Vinci's paintings are beautiful and full of mysteries. They are brought to an unimaginable degree of perfection, because the master worked on each of his creations for several years.
Our rating lists all of them Leonardo da Vinci's greatest paintings, with photos, titles and detailed information about each of them. The list did not include drawings of inventions, caricatures, or paintings that art historians doubt were by Leonardo. Also not included in the selection are copies of paintings that have not survived to this day.
18. Vitruvian Man
Years of writing: 1490.
Where is it located: Accademia Gallery, Venice.
Materials: paper, pen, ink, watercolor.
Dimensions: 34.3 x 24.5 cm.
If you say that this is not a painting, but a drawing, you will be absolutely right. Indeed, the Vitruvian Man is a drawing, an illustration made by Leonardo for the book of the great ancient Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius and placed in one of his diaries.
However, this drawing is no less famous than the paintings listed on our list. It is considered not only a work of art, but also a scientific work. And it demonstrates the ideal proportions of the human body.
After studying mathematics and geometry, particularly the work of Vitruvius, Leonardo's thirst for knowledge reached its peak. In the Vitruvian Man, he applied the idea of universal symmetry, the golden ratio, or "divine proportion" not only to size and shape, but also to weight.
- 6 palms = 1 cubit;
- length from the tip of the longest to the lowest base of 4 fingers = 1 palm;
- 4 palms = 1 foot;
- arm span = height;
- 4 palms = 1 step;
- 4 cubits or 24 palms = height of a person.
Other world famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci that incorporate the principle of the golden ratio are the Mona Lisa, the Annunciation, and the Last Supper.
17. Madonna with a Carnation
Years of writing: 1478 — 1480.
Where is it located: Alte Pinakothek, Munich.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 42 x 67 cm.
Many art historians attribute this work to the young Leonardo, when he was still an apprentice in the painting workshop of Verrocchio. There are a number of details that support this version, such as the detailing of the Madonna's face, the pattern of her hair, the landscape outside the window, as well as the soft and diffused light characteristic of the Italian artist.
Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to the painting, and due to improper restoration, the surface of the paint layer has become uneven.
16. Annunciation
Years of writing: 1472 — 1476.
Where is it located: Uffizi, Florence.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 98 x 217 cm.
It was with the Annunciation that Leonardo da Vinci began as an artist. This painting was presumably created in collaboration with Andrea del Verrocchio, to whose workshop he was sent at the age of 14. The stunning anatomical accuracy characteristic of all of Leonardo's works, as well as a number of sketches in his diaries that have survived to this day, speak in favor of the authorship of the future famous Italian master. The nature of the brushstrokes and the composition of the paints with which Mary was painted speak in favor of the authorship of another person; they contain lead, which is not typical for da Vinci.
Interestingly, if you look at the painting standing directly in front of it, you will notice some flaws in the anatomy. For example, Maria's arm seems somewhat longer than is typical for ordinary inhabitants of planet Earth. However, if you move to the right side of the painting and look from there, Maria's arm magically shortens, she herself becomes larger and the center of gravity of the plot shifts to her figure - as prescribed by the plot. Most likely, the supposed irregularity in the physique is the result of a carefully designed optical illusion: the painting was supposed to hang at an angle to the viewer.
15. Baptism of Christ
Years of writing: 1476
Where is it located: Uffizi, Florence.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 177 x 151 cm.
Leonardo also wrote this work in collaboration with his teacher. According to Giorgio Vasari, who wrote the artist's biography, Verrocchio commissioned the young apprentice (Leonardo was 24 years old at the time of writing) to paint the figure of a white-haired angel in the left corner of the painting. The teacher was so impressed by the student's skill that he, disgraced, no longer painted.
14. Portrait of Ginevra de Benci
Years of writing: 1474 — 1478.
Where is it located: National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 38.8 x 36.7 cm.
The wreath of laurel and palm branches on the back of the painting hints that the woman depicted is not a simple one. The first wreath indicates her poetic pursuits, and the second – that she is not averse to mercy and compassion. This impression is supported by the strict and somewhat severe beauty of the model, her pale alabaster skin, and her drooping, as if in thought, eyelids. Her intellectual pursuits are also indicated by the almost complete absence of jewelry and her emphatically modest clothing. And indeed – the poetess Ginevra de Benci is depicted in the painting.
The manner of depiction (especially the finger shading – Leonardo had only just begun to master this technique, so the paint layer is uneven in places) already loudly speaks of the artist’s skill. Especially characteristic is the soft lighting and the landscape in the background, as if shrouded in a glowing haze.
13. Madonna Benois
Years of writing: 1479 — 1481.
Where is it located: Hermitage, St. Petersburg.
Materials: oil painting on canvas.
Dimensions: 48 x 31.5 cm.
"The ghost of an old woman" with a "wrinkled neck", "a swollen little body" and "a toothless grin" - these are the unflattering words used to describe the painting by an American art critic, who was commissioned by the owners, the Benois family, to establish the authorship. Despite all the colorful epithets, he nevertheless attributed it to Leonardo da Vinci - this is supported by both the manner of painting and the soft, diffused light inherent to the artist, effortlessly creating the volume of the two figures.
One of the symbolic details is the cruciferous plant, hinting at what fate awaits the child. However, neither the mother nor the baby knows about it yet. He plays carefree, and she looks at him with a smile.
12. Adoration of the Magi
Years of writing: 1479 — 1482.
Where is it located: Uffizi, Florence.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 246 x 243.
One of the paintings by the great artist, sculptor, scientist and engineer of the Renaissance, unfortunately, remained unfinished. Leonardo moved to Milan and had no intention of returning. Fortunately, the customers kept the unfinished painting. It is distinguished by its unusual composition and rich symbolic meaning.
For example, Mary sits under an oak tree, which is a symbol of eternity, in the distance there is a palm tree growing – a sign of Jerusalem, and the ruins of a pagan temple on the horizon are the destruction of the pagan religion, which was supplanted by Christianity.
11. Saint Jerome in the Desert
Years of writing: 1480 — 1490.
Where is it located: Vatican Pinacoteca.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 103 x 75 cm.
Although the painting remained unfinished, it made a strong impression on his contemporaries. This is primarily due to the amazing anatomical accuracy of the depiction of the human body, for which Leonardo was famous.
The painting had a difficult fate - after some time the work was sawn up, and the boards were used for the most base purposes. It is said that one of the art lovers found part of the painting in the form of a chest lid.
10. Madonna Litta
Years of writing: 1478 — 1482.
Where is it located: Hermitage.
Materials: tempera, board.
Dimensions: 42 x 33.
The mastery of the great Italian artist is also evident in the details, which tell a kind of story. For example, the woman's red dress has special slits for feeding, one of which is sewn up. Apparently, she decided that it was time to stop breastfeeding. But one of them was ripped open in a hurry - stitches and hanging ends of thread are visible.
9. Madonna of the Rocks
Years of writing: 1483 – 1490 and 1495 – 1508.
Where is it located: The Louvre and the National Gallery, London.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 199 x 122 cm
There are two virtually identical works by Leonardo in the world with the same name. One of them is in Paris, and the other is in London. The first version by da Vinci was ordered for an altar panel, with a clearly defined plot. However, the artist apparently believed that his talent and skill gave him the right to take some liberties. As a result, there were so many of them that the customers refused to pay for the work. A long-term lawsuit began, which, however, ended relatively successfully. The second version began to hang in the church, and the first disappeared from the art historian's radar for about a century and a half, until it was discovered in the treasury of the French kings.
Like many other paintings by Leonardo, this one is full of encrypted messages. The cyclamen next to Jesus symbolizes love, the primrose – virtue, the acanthus – the coming resurrection, and the St. John's wort – the blood spilled by Christian martyrs. It was this painting that the author of the sensational "Da Vinci Code" tried to use to illustrate his constructions, where he stated that in fact the meaning of the traditional plot is completely different.
8. Portrait of a musician
Years of writing: 1485 — 1487.
Where is it located: Ambrosian Library, Milan.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 43 x 31.
The only portrait of a man among the famous paintings by da Vinci. Initially, art historians believed that the painting depicted the Duke of Milan himself, patron and friend of Leonardo da Vinci (to the extent that a person of such social status can be someone's friend). Until it was later discovered that the young man was clutching a scroll in his hands, beginning with the words "angel's song". Therefore, the painting was renamed "Portrait of a Musician". And a number of art historians make a bold assumption that this is Leonardo himself, because music was also among his interests.
7. Lady with an ermine
Years of writing: 1488 — 1490.
Where is it located: Czartoryski Museum, Krakow.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 54.8 x 40.3 cm.
Although the authorship of the brilliant Italian artist has sometimes been questioned, art historians now agree that this is one of Leonardo da Vinci's best paintings, if not the most perfect from a pictorial point of view. It is believed that the artist, who loved riddles and codes, encrypted the model's name in the image of the white animal in her arms. In Latin, the mustelid family is called gale, and the girl's name is Cecilia Gallerani.
The snow-white fur of the ermine (and it is most likely he who is depicted in the portrait) is a bold challenge to the somewhat dubious status of the kept woman of the Duke of Milan. According to popular belief, this animal values its immaculate white fur so much that it is ready to die rather than stain it with dirt.
6. The Last Supper
Years of writing: 1495 — 1498.
Where is it located: Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan.
Materials: fresco.
Dimensions: 460 x 880 cm.
One of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous paintings is not really one. It is a kind of the greatest and most unsuccessful experiment of the great Italian scientist. At the end of the 15th century, the Duke of Milan commissioned the famous artist to paint a monastery wall for a sum equivalent to $700,000 today.
It was assumed that the artist would, like many before him, paint on wet plaster - after the final polishing, such painting would be durable and long-lasting. However, fresco imposes its own limitations - in addition to the specific manner of applying paints (it is necessary to paint immediately and in a fair copy, further corrections are impossible), only certain pigments are suitable for it. And even then their brightness is reduced, "eaten up" by the highly absorbent surface.
For Leonardo, who was skeptical of authorities, who came to everything independently and, apparently, was quite proud of this fact, such restrictions were unbearable. With a truly Renaissance sweep, he decided to reject the legacy of the past and rework the entire process anew - from the composition of the plaster to the paints used. The result was predictable. The paint layer of the fresco began to deteriorate already two decades after the completion of the work. In addition to unsuccessful technical solutions, the painting also suffered from time.
At first, the monastery residents decided to saw off Christ's legs, making a door in this place, and then untalented painters, trying to renew the painting, shamelessly distorted its plot (for example, the hand of one of the apostles turned into... a loaf of bread). The building was flooded, then it was turned into a hayloft, and during World War II, a bomb hit the temple. Fortunately, the fresco was not damaged. It is not surprising that barely 20% of the original painting has survived to this day.
Interestingly, it was this crumbling and occasionally touched-up image that was for many years the most famous painting by da Vinci – indeed, the only one accessible to the common viewer. The rest were all in the custody of the rich of this world. The status quo changed only with the transfer of the Mona Lisa from Napoleon's bedchamber to the Louvre.
Of the other two frescoes created by da Vinci, only fragments have survived to this day.
5. The Beautiful Ferronniere
Years of writing: 1493 — 1497.
Where is it located: Louvre, Paris.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 62 x 44 cm.
An interesting legend is connected with one of the most famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci. When the painting came to France, one of the owners wrote on it – “ferronniere”. This mysterious word (as well as the undoubted beauty of the woman) excited the imagination of people close to art for many years.
The gallant "historian of love", Guy Breton, who lived in our time, made up a whole story. Allegedly, the nameless beauty was the lover of Francis I, and she began to wear her jewelry to hide a bruise she received during a night with the king.
Most likely, the painting by Leonardo da Vinci called "La Belle Ferronniere" depicts Lucrezia Crivelli. She was one of the lovers of Leonardo's patron, the Duke of Milan. And the name comes from the decoration on her forehead - the ferronniere.
4. Girl's head
Years of writing: 1500 — 1505.
Where is it located: National Gallery, Parma.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 24.6 x 21 cm.
The unfinished image of a young woman with a careless hairstyle (hence the other name of the painting – La Scapigliata, the disheveled one) is painted in a manner similar to other unfinished works – oil paints with a small addition of pigment. Art historians, however, believe that the contrast between the barely outlined hair and the superbly executed face was part of the artist’s plans.
Leonardo was probably inspired by a passage from the ancient writer Pliny the Elder, popular during the Renaissance, who said that the great artist Apelles deliberately left his last painting of the Venus of Cos unfinished, and that it was more admired by his admirers than his other works.
3. Saint Anne with the Madonna and Christ Child
Years of writing: 1501 — 1517.
Where is it located: Louvre, Paris.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 168 x 112 cm.
The content of this painting is deeply symbolic, Mary sits on the lap of her mother Anna and reaches out with her hands to the product of her womb – the infant Christ. The lamb symbolizes the meekness and the coming fate of the Savior as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Contemporaries deeply appreciated the liveliness and naturalness of the facial expressions of all three participants in the scene - especially Leonardo's signature mysterious half-smile with which Anna looks at her daughter and grandson.
2. Mona Lisa (La Gioconda)
Years of writing: 1502 — 1516.
Where is it located: Louvre, Paris.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 76.8 x 53.
It is probably difficult to find a person on the globe who is not familiar with the "Mona Lisa". This is undoubtedly the most famous work of the talented Italian. Many mysteries and secrets of this painting by Leonardo da Vinci have not been solved to this day:
"Mona Lisa" had a special meaning in the artist's life - it is no secret that sometimes, carried away by something new, he returned to the interrupted work with great reluctance. However, he worked on "La Gioconda" with passion and enthusiasm. Why?
It is unclear exactly who is depicted in the portrait. Was it the wife of the merchant del Giocondo? Or the same woman who posed for "Lady with an Ermine"? There is even a version that the model for the Mona Lisa was Salai, one of the artist's apprentices, who was depicted by him in at least two more paintings.
What color was Mona Lisa's dress originally? Apparently, Leonardo experimented with colors again, and again unsuccessfully, so that nothing remained of the original color of the sleeves. By the way, contemporaries admired the luxurious coloring of the painting.
And finally, the mysterious half-smile – is she smiling at all, or is it just an illusion, skillfully created by the artist through the shadows in the corners of her lips?
1. John the Baptist
Years of writing: 1508 — 1516.
Where is it located: Louvre, Paris.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 69 x 57 cm.
The artist's last painting, which supposedly depicts Salai, one of the artist's apprentices, who for unknown reasons enjoyed Leonardo's special favor. The master forgave his apprentice a lot. Up to and including stealing money for a cloak purchased in advance, in which Salai was draped for "Bacchus" - a painting that has survived to this day only as a copy. The pampered face, carefully curled hair and especially immodest half-smile gave rise to certain doubts about the nature of the relationship between the master and the apprentice.
However, it is difficult to understand anything from the artist's diaries - after being accused of sodomy at a young age, he carefully avoided mentioning his personal life anywhere. By the way, Leonardo left his estate and money to the same Salai and another assistant.
Turin self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci
Years of writing: after 1512.
Where is it located: Royal Library, Turin.
Materials: sanguine, paper.
Dimensions: 33.3 x 21.6 cm.
It is considered a self-portrait of the artist, painted at the age of 60. The portrait was made with a drawing stick made of kaolin and iron oxides, which is why the painting has a yellowish tint. It is currently not exhibited due to its fragility.
There are still disputes around the authorship of the popular work, despite the fact that the shading goes from left to right, as was usual for Leonardo, however, some art historians consider it a fake. According to some information, during the X-ray photography, a painting was found under the image of the old man, presumably dating back to the 17th century.
The most expensive painting by Leonardo da Vinci in a private collection: Salvator Mundi
Price: $400 000 000
Years of writing: 1499 — 1507.
Where is it located: private collection.
Materials: oil painting on board.
Dimensions: 66 x 47 cm.
Many art historians doubt that Leonardo da Vinci was the author of this painting. For this reason, it was not included in our main list. However, "Salvator Mundi" is undoubtedly one of the most expensive works of art in history.
The painting sold at Christie's in November 2017 for an impressive $400 million. It is now in the private collection of a Saudi prince and may be exhibited at the Louvre in that country.
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