Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452, April 15th. He died in May 1519. This person, of course, can be attributed to the unique gifts of our planet. He is known not only as one of the greatest sculptors and artists of Italy, but also as a poet, musician, philosopher, botanist, anatomist, chemist, engineer, researcher, scientist. His discoveries and creations were ahead of time by more than one era. The main paintings of Leonardo da Vinci with the names we will describe in this article.
"Portrait of Ginevra de Benchi"
This work was completed approximately in the period from 1474 to 1478. This early work depicts a Florentine poetess who lived in the 15th century. With it, we will begin to present you with paintings by Leonardo da Vinci with names and descriptions.
Probably, this work can be considered the first psychological portrait in the history of painting. It expresses a distinct mood of sadness, possibly associated with the severance of the relationship of this girl with Bernardo Bembo, the Venetian ambassador, her lover. Ginevra’s pale face with a narrow cut of eyes and wide cheekbones stands out in contrast to nature - the evening landscape. In the picture we see a juniper bush called ginepro. This is a subtle reference to the name of the girl. The canvas demonstrates the undoubted technical skill of the artist. With the help of sphumato, black and white modeling, the contours of the figure are softened. At the same time, the author violated the then-renaissance tradition in portraits. The model is rotated to the right, and not to the left, respectively, the light source is also located.
The emblem is on the back of this work - a juniper branch placed inside a wreath of palm and laurel branches. “Beauty is an ornament of virtue,” reads a Latin inscription made on a ribbon wrapping around them.
"Saint Jerome"
We continue to describe the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci with the names. The next work was done by the artist in 1482. It is stored in the Vatican Museum. Unfortunately, some of the paintings of this great artist, thinker, and scholar of the Renaissance were not finished. The canvas that interests us also belongs to them. However, it is a work in which the whole author’s intention is already visible. The painting "St. Jerome" was made at the level of undercover.
Description of the picture
It presents St. Jerome, a Latin translator of the Bible, a religious thinker, ascetic and ascetic, who retired to the desert, where he spent several years. This man is depicted as a penitent. The pleas of his eyes are full. He pushes the cloak over one shoulder with one hand, and pushes it with the other, swinging to hit himself in the chest with a stone. The muscles of the ascetic, thin face, arms and shoulders are tense, the foot is firmly on a large stone. The cry for forgiveness is Jerome. In the foreground, we see a lion who, according to legend, accompanied this saint since he, having met him in the desert, cured the beast. This wild animal submitted to the goodness and love with which God filled the soul of Jerome.
"Madonna and Child with St. Anne"
This work, stored today in the Louvre, was completed in about 1510 on a popular plot. It depicts the baby Christ with the Holy Virgin and Anna, her mother. From earlier compositions that were static, the arrangement of the figures in this group differs. Leonardo da Vinci worked on the various versions of this plot throughout the early years of the 16th century. So, for example, a drawing is preserved, which presents a slightly different interpretation, including John the Baptist in infancy.
Although depicted St. Anna at the place usual for her, that is, behind the Holy Virgin, is very realistic and all three figures are alive. Leonardo da Vinci, departing from the tradition that existed at that time to portray Anna as an elderly matron, painted her unexpectedly attractive and young. She at the sight of a baby barely restrains glee. An allusion to the future role of an innocent sacrifice, the lamb of God for atonement is a lamb in the arms of Christ.
"Madonna and Child"
This picture is exhibited at the Hermitage. The years of its creation - 1490-1491. She also has a second name - "Madonna Lita" by the name of one of the owners of this painting Leonardo da Vinci. The title of the painting "Madonna and Child" tells us the plot. Every person who looks at the canvas has a feeling of sublime peace, contemplative spiritualized silence. In the image of the Madonna, da Vinci combined earthly, sensual, spiritual and high into one unshakable harmonious image of beauty. Her face is serene, and despite the fact that there is no smile on her lips, the posture and tilt of her head express endless tenderness towards the child. Madonna is breastfeeding a baby. He stares absently at the viewer, holding his mother's chest with his right hand. In the left is a goldfinch bird, which is a symbol of the Christian soul.
Madonna Benoit (Madonna and Child)
There are two paintings by Leonardo da Vinci with names (a photo of one of them was presented above), similar to each other. The Madonna and Child is both Madonna Benoit and Madonna Lita. We have already met the latter. We will tell you about the first. This work is also kept in the Hermitage. Performed by her artist in 1478.
This picture is one of the iconic in his work. The center of the composition is a flower in the hands of Mary, to which Jesus reaches. The master places the Madonna, dressed in the Florentine fashion that existed in the 15th century, as well as the baby in a room lit only by a window located in the back of the room. But soft, another light pours from above. He revives the canvas with a game of chiaroscuro. This gives volume to the figures, reveals the modeling of the form. The picture has a slightly muted, dim color.
"Mona Lisa"
We continue to describe the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci with the names and year. The next work of interest to us is now in the Louvre. It was written between 1503 and 1505. In the records of the artist himself there is not a single mention of this work. It is, perhaps, about the most famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci - the painting "Mona Lisa".
Who is depicted in this picture?
There are many versions of the one who is actually depicted in the picture. It has been suggested that this is a self-portrait of the artist himself or his student, an image of his mother, or simply a collective female image. According to official opinion, the wife of a Florentine merchant is represented in the picture. A famous smile giving her face charm and enigma froze on the lips of this woman. It seems that not the viewer is looking at her, but she is watching him with an understanding, deep look.
Extremely thin, almost transparent layers made the picture. It seems that she is alive, and not written in paints. The strokes are so small that neither the x-rays nor the microscope show any traces of the artist’s work and cannot determine the number of layers in the picture. Extraordinarily airy "Mona Lisa". Light haze filled the space of the picture. It transmits diffused light.
"Annunciation"
The main paintings of Leonardo da Vinci with the names that we presented in this article end with a description of the next canvas. This work can be admired in the Uffizi Gallery. It was written in 1472.
The master worked on the canvas when he was still in Verrocchio's workshop. The artist had to finish this painting, begun by other students, and also correct their mistakes. Leonardo performed several sketches, which depicted the cloak of Mary, as well as the robes of the archangel Gabriel. He rewrote the draperies based on these drawings. They formed as a result of voluminous folds. After that, the master re-wrote Gabriel's head, tilting it a little, but did not manage to make changes to the image of Mary. Her pose does not look quite natural. Probably the one who worked on the canvas before Leonardo did not know the laws of perspective very well. However, unexpectedly, all these errors show how difficult it was to master realistic painting.
These are the main paintings of Leonardo da Vinci with names and descriptions. We tried to briefly talk about them. Of course, the name of the paintings by Leonardo da Vinci in English sounds differently, as in Italian, the language of the artist himself. However, each person, regardless of nationality, is able to penetrate these great works. Many English, for example, do not have to see the name of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings in English. They already know what kind of work this is. The works of the great artist are so popular that they often do not need to be presented.