Combining the development of new means of artistic language with theoretical generalizations, Leonardo da Vinci created an image of a person that meets humanistic ideals High Renaissance. In the painting " Last Supper"(1495-1497, in the refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan) high ethical content is expressed in strict patterns of composition, a clear system of gestures and facial expressions of the characters.
Humanistic ideal female beauty embodied in the portrait of Mona Lisa (“La Gioconda”, circa 1503). Numerous discoveries, projects, experimental research in the field of mathematics, natural sciences, and mechanics. Defended decisive importance experience in knowledge of nature ( notebooks and manuscripts, about 7 thousand sheets).
Leonardo was born into the family of a wealthy notary. He was the illegitimate son of a Florentine notary and a peasant girl; was brought up in his father's house and, being the son educated person, received a thorough primary education in reading, writing and counting.
Possibly in 1467 (at the age of 15), Leonardo was apprenticed to one of the leading early Renaissance masters in Florence, Andrea del Verrocchio. In 1472 Leonardo joined the guild of artists, learning the basics of drawing and other necessary disciplines. In 1476 he was still working in Verrocchio's workshop, apparently in collaboration with the master himself.
The methods of work in the Florentine workshop of that time, where the artist’s work was closely linked with technical experiments, as well as his acquaintance with the astronomer P. Toscanelli contributed to the emergence of young Leonardo’s scientific interests. IN early works(the head of an angel in Verrocchio’s “Baptism”, after 1470, “Annunciation”, about 1474, both in the Uffizi, “Benois Madonna”, about 1478, Hermitage) enriches the traditions of Quattrocento painting, emphasizing the smooth three-dimensionality of forms with soft chiaroscuro, enlivening faces with a thin, barely a perceptible smile.
By 1480 Leonardo was already receiving large orders, but in 1482 he moved to Milan. In a letter to the ruler of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, he introduced himself as an engineer and military expert, as well as an artist. The years spent in Milan were filled with a variety of activities. Leonardo painted several paintings and famous fresco Last Supper and began to diligently and seriously keep his notes. The Leonardo we recognize from his notes is an architect-designer (the creator of innovative plans that were never implemented), an anatomist, a hydraulic engineer, an inventor of mechanisms, a creator of decorations for court performances, a writer of riddles, puzzles and fables for the entertainment of the court, musician and painting theorist.
After the expulsion of Lodovico Sforza from Milan by the French in 1499, Leonardo left for Venice, visiting Mantua along the way, where he participated in the construction of defensive structures, and then returned to Florence; it is reported that he was so absorbed in mathematics that he did not even want to think about picking up a brush. For twelve years, Leonardo moved constantly from city to city, working for the famous Cesare Borgia in Romagna, designing fortifications (never built) for Piombino. In Florence he entered into rivalry with Michelangelo; This rivalry culminated in the enormous battle compositions that the two artists painted for the Palazzo della Signoria (also Palazzo Vecchio). Leonardo then conceived a second equestrian monument, which, like the first, was never created. All these years he continued to fill his notebooks with a variety of ideas on subjects as varied as the theory and practice of painting, anatomy, mathematics and the flight of birds. But in 1513, as in 1499, his patrons were expelled from Milan.
Leonardo went to Rome, where he spent three years under the patronage of the Medici. Depressed and upset by the lack of material for anatomical research, Leonardo tinkered with experiments and ideas that led nowhere.
French first Louis XII and then Francis I , admired the works Italian Renaissance, especially Last Supper Leonardo. It is therefore not surprising that in 1516 Francis I , well aware of Leonardo's varied talents, invited him to the court, which was then located at the castle of Amboise in the Loire Valley. Although Leonardo worked on hydraulic projects and plans for the new royal palace, it is clear from the writings of the sculptor Benvenuto Cellini that his main occupation was the honorary position of court sage and adviser. Leonardo died in Amboise on May 2, 1519; by this time his paintings were scattered mainly in private collections, and his notes lay in various collections almost in complete oblivion for several more centuries.
"Last Supper"
In the refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Leonardo creates the painting “The Last Supper” (1495-97; due to the risky experiment that the master undertook, using oil mixed with tempera for the fresco, the work has reached us in a very damaged form). The high religious and ethical content of the image, which represents the stormy, contradictory reaction of Christ’s disciples to his words about the impending betrayal, is expressed in clear mathematical laws of the composition, powerfully subjugating not only the painted, but also the real architectural space. The clear stage logic of facial expressions and gestures, as well as the excitingly paradoxical, as always with Leonardo, combination of strict rationality with an inexplicable mystery made “The Last Supper” one of the most significant works in the history of world art.
Also involved in architecture, Leonardo develops various options“ideal city” and central-domed temple. The master spends the following years in constant travel (Florence - 1500-02, 1503-06, 1507; Mantua and Venice - 1500; Milan - 1506, 1507-13; Rome - 1513-16). Since 1517 he has lived in France, where he was invited by King Francis I.
"Battle of Angyari". Mona Lisa (Portrait of Mona Lisa)
In Florence, Leonardo is working on a painting in the Palazzo Vecchio (“The Battle of Anghiari”, 1503-1506; not finished and not preserved, known from copies from cardboard, as well as from a recently discovered sketch - private collection, Japan), which stands at the origins of the battle genre in the art of modern times; the deadly fury of war is embodied here in the frenzied fight of the horsemen.
In the most famous painting Leonardo, in the portrait of Mona Lisa (the so-called “La Gioconda”, circa 1503, Louvre), the image of a rich city woman appears as a mysterious personification of nature as such, without losing its purely feminine slyness; The inner significance of the composition is given by the cosmically majestic and at the same time alarmingly alienated landscape, melting into a cold haze.
Late paintings
Leonardo's later works include: designs for the monument to Marshal Trivulzio (1508-1512), the painting “St. Anne with Mary and the Child” Christ"(circa 1500-1507, Louvre). The latter, as it were, sums up his searches in the field of light-air perspective, tonal color (with a predominance of cool, greenish shades) and harmonious pyramidal composition; at the same time, this is harmony over the abyss, since a group of holy characters, welded together by family closeness, is presented on the edge of the abyss. Last picture Leonardo, “Saint John the Baptist” (circa 1515-1517, ibid.) is full of erotic ambiguity: the young Forerunner here looks not like a holy ascetic, but like a tempter full of sensual charm. In a series of drawings depicting a universal catastrophe (cycle with the “Flood”, Italian pencil, pen, circa 1514-1516, Royal Library, Windsor), thoughts about the frailty and insignificance of man before the power of the elements are combined with rationalistic ones, anticipating a “vortex” cosmology R. Descartes ideas about the cyclical nature of natural processes.
"Treatise on Painting"
The most important source To study the views of Leonardo da Vinci, use his notebooks and manuscripts (about 7 thousand sheets), written in colloquial Italian. The master himself did not leave a systematic presentation of his thoughts. “Treatise on Painting”, prepared after Leonardo’s death by his student F. Melzi and which had a huge impact influence on the theory of art, consists of excerpts, largely arbitrarily extracted from the context of his notes. For Leonardo himself, art and science were inextricably linked. Giving the palm in the “dispute of the arts” to painting as, in his opinion, the most intellectual form of creativity, the master understood it as a universal language (similar to mathematics in the field of science), which embodies the entire diversity of the universe through proportions, perspective and chiaroscuro. “Painting,” writes Leonardo, “is a science and the legitimate daughter of nature..., a relative of God.” By studying nature, the perfect artist-naturalist thereby cognizes the “divine mind” hidden under appearance nature. By engaging in creative competition with this divinely intelligent principle, the artist thereby affirms his likeness to the Supreme Creator. Since he “has first in his soul and then in his hands” “everything that exists in the universe,” he also is “a kind of god.”
Leonardo is a scientist. Technical projects
As a scientist and engineer, Leonardo da Vinci enriched almost every field with insightful observations and guesses. knowledge of that time, considering his notes and drawings as sketches for a giant natural philosophical encyclopedia. He was a prominent representative of the new, experimentally based natural science. Leonardo paid special attention to mechanics, calling it “the paradise of mathematical sciences” and seeing in it the key to the secrets of the universe; he tried to determine the coefficients of sliding friction, studied the resistance of materials, and was passionate about hydraulics. Numerous hydrotechnical experiments were expressed in innovative designs of canals and irrigation systems. Leonardo's passion for modeling led him to astonishing technical foresights that were far ahead of his era: such are sketches of designs for metallurgical furnaces and rolling mills, weaving machines, printing, woodworking and other machines, a submarine and a tank, as well as designs for flying machines developed after a thorough study of the flight of birds and parachute
Optics
The observations collected by Leonardo on the influence of transparent and translucent bodies on the color of objects, reflected in his painting, led to the establishment of the principles of aerial perspective in art. The universality of optical laws was associated for him with the idea of the homogeneity of the Universe. He was close to creating a heliocentric system, considering the Earth to be “a point in the universe.” He studied the structure of the human eye, making guesses about the nature of binocular vision.
Anatomy, botany, paleontology
In anatomical studies, summarizing the results of autopsies of corpses, in detailed drawings he laid the foundations of modern scientific illustration. Studying the functions of organs, he considered the body as an example of “natural mechanics”. First described a number of bones and nerves, special attention devoted to the problems of embryology and comparative anatomy, seeking to introduce the experimental method into biology. Having established botany as an independent discipline, he gave classical descriptions leaf arrangement, helio- and geotropism, root pressure and movement of plant juices. He was one of the founders of paleontology, believing that fossils found on mountain tops refute the idea of a “global flood.”
Having revealed the ideal of the Renaissance “universal man,” Leonardo da Vinci was interpreted in subsequent tradition as the person who most clearly outlined the range of creative quests of the era. In Russian literature, the portrait of Leonardo was created by D.S. Merezhkovsky in the novel “The Resurrected Gods” (1899-1900).
Meaning scientific heritage
the works of any scientist must be considered in comparison with the achievements of his predecessors and contemporaries and in the light of their influence on the subsequent development of science. Due to Leonardo’s secrecy and the discovery of some of his manuscripts only 300 years after they were written, naturally, there is no need to talk about the influence of these notes on the subsequent development of natural sciences and technology. Serious comparison of Leonardo da Vinci's texts with surviving manuscripts and even with publications of contemporaries and predecessors until the second half of the 20th century. was practically not carried out. Professor Truesdell took an unbiased and critical approach to Leonardo's scientific and technical heritage and was not afraid to challenge traditional views. He pointed out the obvious exaggeration by many modern historians of the depth of a number of Leonardo’s statements, the inconsistency, contradictoryness and speculativeness of many of his remarks, almost complete absence descriptions of his own experiments, extensive use of borrowed materials. Truesdell emphasized the need for a serious historical-critical analysis of Leonardo's notes, comparing their content with other materials of his era, in order to isolate truly original and unambiguously formulated judgments. This is an enormous work, which is just beginning and requires highly qualified specialists who have both the relevant natural and technical sciences and knowledge of medieval printed and manuscript sources.
Unfortunately, we do not know exactly whose works Leonardo read. Mentions of other scientists by him are extremely rare; moreover, out of principle, he rejected any blind adherence to authorities. In Leonardo there are (as a rule, outside the scientific context) references to Aristotle, Archimedes and Theophrastus - from ancient authors (IV-III centuries BC), Vitruvius, Heron, Lucretius and Frontinus - the heyday of the Roman Empire (I century BC - 1st century AD), Sabita ibn Korru - from Arab scientists (IX century), Jordan Nemorarius and Roger Bacon (XIII century), Albert of Saxony, Swineshead and Heytesbury (XIV century), Alberti and Fossambrone (XV century). Almost the only exception in Leonardo's notes was his direct polemic with Albert of Saxony about the movement. However, we do not know what he actually read. This can only be determined by painstaking comparison of Leonardo's notes with the texts of his predecessors and contemporaries, often preserved only in manuscripts.
It is known that Leonardo contains free retellings of certain authors. Thus, from various sources we know that he was familiar with the teachings of the 14th century Paris School on the nature of motion and the theory of leverage. However, Leonardo did not add anything significant: his statements here are unclear and inconsistent. But perhaps he was the first to become interested in movement on an inclined plane.
In general, in sections of science that require generalizations, Leonardo does not show much insight, apparently due to poor general training in natural science. Where a sharp eye is needed, he is unsurpassed and brilliant. Not being prepared for a serious study of the dynamics of processes, he is brilliant in observing their kinematics.
Leonardo's attitude towards mathematics is peculiar. The following words from his notes are often quoted: “Let no one who is not a mathematician read me.” It is not clear how to understand this statement and whether it is a paraphrase of the words of Greek authors. Elsewhere Leonardo writes: “Mechanics is the paradise of mathematical sciences; through it one achieves the mathematical fruit.” But we must keep in mind that Leonardo had almost no knowledge of mathematics: he added fractions, but barely knew the rudiments of algebra, could not solve even the simplest linear equations and used only proportions. Therefore, the above statements about mathematics are, perhaps, purely apologetic in nature.
Leonardo formulated all laws only in the form of simple proportions. Sometimes they could coincide with reality, sometimes not. And it is difficult to judge when he comes to the correct conclusion consciously and when by chance.
It is curious, however, that when considering some geometric problems that he could not solve analytically, Leonardo came up with mechanical devices that provided solutions. In terms of what can be considered and designed, he was certainly a genius.
Leonardo constantly talks about experiments and the need to carry them out. But we don't know how often he actually performed them. Leonardo's only remark, which is indisputably based on experiment, is the statement that the frictional force is proportional to the load, with the coefficient of friction being one quarter. This is the first and fairly plausible estimate of the friction coefficient known to us. In this respect, Leonardo certainly anticipated the work of Guillaume Amonton at the end of the 17th century, who is usually credited with the discovery of the laws of friction.
Large quantity Leonardo's notes are devoted to the strength of columns, beams and arches. In support of his judgments, he sometimes refers to an experiment, but more often he invites the reader to verify the experience himself. Leonardo's conclusion about the inverse proportionality of the strength of supports to their height is unnatural, although he repeatedly refers to thought experiments. Based on a thorough analysis of all the notes on the strength of structures, Truesdell came to the conclusion that Leonardo did not have a single correct result in this area, except for the obvious position that strength is proportional to the cross-section of a column (beam), a position a priori intuitively known to any builder.
On the contrary, where knowledge is achieved by observation, Leonardo is brilliantly insightful. Thus, clearly based on observations, he establishes the places where arches and vaults break when they are loaded. He discovered the resonant excitation of vibrations in bells, the appearance of wave patterns on vibrating plates covered with fine dust - phenomena that were described only in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The movement of waters represented a particularly wide field of observation for Leonardo. Here he noticed many things for the first time. He described the movement of waves on water and, in particular, the propagation of circular waves on the surface and their mutual unhindered passage. He noted the formation of bottom sand ridges in streams and similar ridges caused by the action of wind on land. He observed and sketched the trajectories of particles as they flowed out of holes and through spillways. His schematic sketches of pictures of secondary flows in a liquid as the flow leaves the bottom stage are remarkable. He observed the movement of water in rivers and, apparently, was the first to note the law of continuity - the inverse proportionality of velocities to cross-sectional areas.
Apparently, Leonardo not only proposed and described a flat slotted tray for studying the movement of liquids, but also actually used it to observe flow trajectories by placing suitable tracers in the liquid, for which he used dry grains.
Thus, Leonardo discovered a lot of new things in the movement of waters, although, as always, he did not bring his broad plans to fruition. It is no coincidence that Cardinal Barberini commissioned in the mid-17th century to prepare for him, based on the notes of Leonardo da Vinci, the “Treatise on the Movement and Measurement of Waters”, which has survived to this day, published for the first time in 1826.
This is Leonardo da Vinci in all his contradictions. He knew how to pose questions correctly, sometimes indicating possible ways to find solutions. Of course, Leonardo’s genius was reflected in this. He did not become a pathfinder in science, but he could have been a guide, if not for his painful secrecy and conceit, which deprived subsequent generations of acquaintance with his notes.
Leonardo da Vinci lived in the era of the formation of a new science, which arose just at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries. And although he did not lay down any of the trends in the natural sciences of that era, he remains for us the most insightful observer of nature, striking us with the incredible versatility of his interests and guesses, intuition and providence.
Leonardo as a person
Leonardo was one of the most legendary and prolific figures of the entire Renaissance. According to some estimates, up to 20 thousand publications are devoted to him, the vast majority of which were published in the second half of the 20th century. This literature, predominantly of an idolatrous nature, created an image in society genius artist, sculptor and scientist. What Leonardo outstanding painter, was recognized during his lifetime, but he also openly claimed to be an engineer and architect and, in addition, was a hidden natural scientist, which he did not publicly declare at all. His interests were all-encompassing. They covered all areas of living nature - anatomy, physiology, biomechanics (the movement of animals and the flight of birds) and botany, as well as geology, orography, meteorology and a wide range of natural sciences - primarily mechanics (including structural strength and water movement), optics and partly astronomy and chemistry. He also showed deep interest in technology - mechanical engineering and especially aircraft.
Leonardo was an astute observer: he had a keen eye and masterfully wielded a pen, recording everything he saw. Having not received a good education and not fully fluent in the language of science of that time - Latin, he wrote thousands of sheets in Italian on various topics, supplementing them with drawings depicting what he saw and independently invented.
Leonardo wrote down all his thoughts in secret writing - in a mirror image, hiding them from others. He had exceptional self-esteem. Let us cite, for example, one of his laudatory notes about himself, related to the unrealizable aircraft project: “The big bird will begin its first flight from the back of its gigantic swan, filling the universe with amazement, filling all the scriptures with rumors about itself,” eternal glory the nest where she was born!
According to legend, Leonardo systematically did not get enough sleep, completely devoting himself to work. His notes have survived only partially, mostly in an unsystematic scattering. In them, he asked nature thousands of questions, receiving an answer to almost none of them. He indicated possible experimental ways to obtain many answers, but practically did not use them himself. We find in Leonardo repeated references to grandiose plans for writing treatises on various topics, although he understood their complete unreality. Alas, a brilliant projector, he took on everything, but hardly accomplished even an insignificant fraction of what was planned. Having lived relatively long life(67 years old), he never came close to completing any of his ideas. The inability to set real goals for himself was the life tragedy of this great genius.
This story is very old, but amazing. Leonardo da Vinci in 1841 decided to make equestrian statue Lodovico Sforza in Milan. And he made only a plaster statue of a horse, 7 meters high. It was necessary to cast the statue in bronze. But the war began. The metal, purchased with donations from the citizens of Milan, was used for cannons. The plaster horse was shot by the French who entered the city. And the brilliant idea of the great Leonardo remained unrealized. Numerous sketches and calculations have been preserved. And only in our days there were people who, based on the sketches of Leonardo da Vinci, finally cast this beautiful and powerful sculpture... =
LEONARDO DA VINCI. AN IDEA REALIZED In 1997, a horse sculpture, which had long been awaited here, was delivered on a special flight from New York to Milan. The beauty of the sculpture, the meticulous elaboration of all the anatomical details of the horse’s figure, and, of course, its size (height without the pedestal is about 7.5 meters) immediately attracted and continues to attract special attention to it. But the main thing that fills the hearts of Milanese (and not only Milanese) with pride when looking at such a unique creation of architects is that the unusual sculpture is a restored creation of the great Italian and genius of world culture Leonardo da Vinci. Nowadays, Leonardo's horse has become one of the symbols of Milan, along with such masterpieces of architecture and fine arts, like the Duomo Cathedral, the Sforzesco Castle and the Last Supper in the former refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie. This photo essay tells the interesting and sometimes dramatic story of the creation of this sculpture. *** In 1481, Leonardo da Vinci offered his services as a military engineer, architect, sculptor and artist to the new Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, a famous philanthropist and patron of the arts. The proposal was accepted, and from that time on the long and fruitful Milanese period of Leonardo’s life and work began. During these years, he painted the famous “Last Supper”, “Madonna of the Rocks”, “Lady with an Ermine”, and decorated the walls of the della Asta hall in the Sforza Castle with frescoes. Largely thanks to Leonardo and the architect Donato Bramante, the Sforza Castle during the reign of Lodovico became one of the most beautiful and rich ducal palaces in Italy. Among other works to improve the architecture and interiors of this castle, he began to implement another of his ideas - the creation of a majestic bronze equestrian sculpture with a rider, which would symbolize Lodovico's father, Duke Francesco Sforza, would serve as a monument to him and would be installed in the square in front of the castle Sforza, which at that time was already the ducal residence. Leonardo completed a huge number of sketches and sketches of the figure of the horse on which Francesco was supposed to sit, and finally made his choice. Here is one of the sketches that served as the basis for creating the sculpture. It took almost a decade to prepare and create a plaster model of the horse - Leonardo’s enormous demands on the subtlety of conveying anatomical and artistic details sculpture required constant clarification and changes. And its size was impressive - without a rider it reached a height of more than seven meters, and its subsequent casting in bronze required many tons of copper. The model was therefore completed and put on display only in 1493. It is believed that it was this event that made Leonardo da Vinci famous. Next, Leonardo was supposed to begin sculpting the horseman, but work on the Last Supper, which began in 1495, and the collection of donations for the purchase of copper delayed the sculpting of this figure, and subsequent unexpected circumstances interrupted it altogether. In 1499, the Milanese, dissatisfied with Lodovico's rule, rebelled, and in the absence of the Duke, they allowed the troops of the French king Louis XII, who laid claim to Milan, into their city. And although these troops did not stay here long, they destroyed the plaster model of a horse created by Leonardo, turning it into a target for their shooting exercises. All that was left of it was a pile of plaster debris. And the copper, allegedly prepared by this time, was spent by Lodovico on the manufacture of cannons, which, by the way, could not help him - he was soon handed over to the French and died in prison in 1508. The Milanese period of Leonardo's life and work ended here, and he returned to Florence. *** The idea to revive the lost equestrian statue arose almost half a millennium after the loss of this masterpiece, in 1977, by former American military pilot and amateur sculptor Charles Dent. He read an essay about "Leonardo's horse" in National Geographic magazine, and, as they write about it, was shocked by the barbarity of the French troops who destroyed this sculptural masterpiece. At the same time, he developed certain associations with the bombings to which Italy was subjected during the Second World War (US aircraft also participated in them), which led to the destruction of many historical monuments. Dent found authentic sketches of drawings of this horse made by Leonardo in the Madrid library, and decided, through donations, to implement the idea of its author - to cast a bronze sculpture the same as Leonardo da Vinci sculpted it from plaster. By the way, Dent’s ultimate goal was to return the sculpture to Milan, as a kind of repentance for the destruction of Italian cultural monuments during the bombing. A noble goal, isn't it? Charles Dent devoted the rest of his life (he died in 1994) to bringing his idea to life, but he never managed to finish this work, although he created a “natural” model of the horse (i.e. the same size as Leonardo's) However, this model, according to experts, required improvement, and after Dent’s death, sculptor Nina Akamo, a Japanese-American woman who was captivated by Dent’s idea, was brought in to work. Finally, in 1997, the final model was ready, and a bronze figure of a huge horse, resurrected from Leonardo’s sketches, was cast from it. This sculpture weighed 13 tons, its height was 7.5 meters. As already mentioned in the preface, she was sent from New York to Milan on a special flight of an Italian airline. Unfortunately, the bronze colossus could not be installed where Leonardo and Dent wanted to see it - on the square in front of the Sforza Castle. The Milan mayor and city council found another place for it, in a new park near the San Siro racecourse. This photograph, taken in Milan, has a small drawback - when looking at it, one does not get the impression of the full monumentality of this creation of the architects, since there is no figure or object on it, the size of which could be compared with the size of the sculpture.. Fortunately, this drawback another photograph is missing. But before demonstrating it, I want to tell you that copies of the sculpture installed in Milan are available in the USA in the Frederik Mejer Gardens and Sculpture Park, near Grand Rapids, Michigan (a plaster copy painted to look like bronze is installed here), and in Japan (fiberglass copy, gilded). Here's a magnificent photo of Leonardo's horse installed in Meyer Park near Grand Rapids, published on the Russian Photosite by Oleg Zhdanov (nickname oldet) from Detroit. This photo clearly shows the contrast between the grandeur of the sculpture, made according to the drawings of Leonardo and the memories of his contemporaries, and the figure of a child running at the feet of a horse. By the way, pay attention - this horse stands without a pedestal, directly on the park site! Having looked at this photograph, you can imagine how unique and even more majestic the Milanese monument in the form of Francesco Sforza sitting on this horse would have been if Leonardo had managed to fully realize his idea in his time. Well, what Charles Dent and Nina Acamo managed to do can be safely called the embodiment of the idea of the great Leonardo. A. Shurygin, 2010
Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo da Vinci), Italian painter, sculptor, architect, scientist and engineer. The founder of the artistic culture of the High Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci developed as a master while studying in Florence with Verrocchio. Working methods in Verrocchio's workshop, where artistic practice associated with technical experiments, as well as friendship with the astronomer P. Toscanelli contributed to the emergence of the scientific interests of the young da Vinci.
Leonardo was born in 1452 and was illegitimate son a certain Sir Pierrot, a notary from a small town near the city of Vinci, and a simple peasant woman. Therefore, later, when the artist became famous, he began to call himself Leonardo da Vinci. Since childhood, he showed equal interest in studying mechanics, astronomy, mathematics, and other natural sciences, which did not stop him from enthusiastically drawing and sculpting various figures. They say that from a young age he sculpted several heads of laughing women, who were so expressive that plaster casts of them are still made to imitate. Already a renowned artist, he did not abandon his studies in engineering, perpetuating his new ideas in drawings.
In early works (the head of an angel in Verrocchio’s “Baptism of Christ,” after 1470, “The Annunciation,” circa 1474, both in the Uffizi; in the first independent work, “Benois Madonna,” circa 1478, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg) artist, developing art traditions Early Renaissance, emphasized the smooth three-dimensionality of forms with soft chiaroscuro, sometimes enlivening faces with a subtle smile, using it to achieve the transfer of subtle emotional states. Baptism of Christ Annunciation Madonna Benoit
One day, Leonardo's teacher, Verrocchio, received an order for the painting "The Baptism of Christ" and instructed Leonardo to paint one of the two angels. This was a common practice in art workshops of that time: the teacher created a picture together with student assistants. The most talented and diligent were entrusted with the execution of an entire fragment. Two Angels, painted by Leonardo and Verrochio, clearly demonstrated the superiority of the student over the teacher. As Vasari writes, the amazed Verrochio abandoned his brush and never returned to painting.
Recording the results of countless observations in sketches, sketches and full-scale studies performed in various techniques(Italian and silver pencils, sanguine, pen, etc.), Leonardo da Vinci, sometimes resorting to almost caricatured grotesque, achieved acuteness in conveying facial expressions, and brought the physical features and movement of the human body into perfect harmony with the spiritual atmosphere of the composition. In 1481 or 1482 Leonardo da Vinci entered the service of the ruler of Milan, Lodovico Moro, and served as a military engineer, hydraulic engineer, and organizer of court holidays.
In the Milanese period, Leonardo da Vinci created “Madonna of the Rocks” (Louvre, Paris; 2nd version - about, National Gallery, London), where the characters are presented surrounded by a bizarre rocky landscape, and the finest chiaroscuro plays the role of a spiritual principle, emphasizing warmth human relations. Madonna of the Rocks
Madonna of the Rocks, Louvre, Paris.
In the refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie, he completed the wall painting “The Last Supper” (due to the peculiarities of the technique used by Leonardo da Vinci - oil with tempera - it was preserved in a badly damaged form; it was restored in the 20th century), marking one of the peaks European painting; its high ethical and spiritual content is expressed in the mathematical regularity of the composition, which logically continues the real architectural space, in a clear, strictly developed system of gestures and facial expressions of the characters, in the harmonious balance of forms. The Last Supper
After the fall of Milan, Leonardo da Vinci's life was spent in constant travel (Florence; Mantua and Venice; 1506, Milan; Rome; France).
The strength of the artist’s convictions was such that even the most fantastic things he imagined seemed quite real to his contemporaries. Giorgio Vasari reports that when Leonardo was still living in Florence, he made a drawing, with the help of which he repeatedly proved to many enterprising citizens who ruled the city at that time that he could raise the temple of San Giovanni and bring stairs under it without destroying it . “And he persuaded with such convincing arguments that it seemed possible, although everyone after his departure in the depths of their souls was aware of the entire impossibility of such an undertaking.” Temple of San Giovanni
Unfortunately, his penchant for a wide variety of thoughts and scientific experiments did not give Leonardo the opportunity to concentrate on one thing. He started a lot, didn’t finish a lot, so that an opinion began to form about him as a person incapable of bringing anything to the end. Therefore, when he was offered to paint the refectory of the new Dominican monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan, he, without hesitating for a minute, agreed, hoping by the execution of this fresco to prove the opposite to all the idle gossips of the monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie
Leonardo began working on “The Last Supper” for the monastery of Santa Maria della Grazie in 1495. He had to complete the fresco as soon as possible. But, as always, he wanted to be independent and original in everything that required careful and hard work. And although the idea for “The Last Supper” was born to Leonardo long before receiving this order, before he began painting on the wall, he made many drawings and sketches, accompanying them with verbal descriptions similar to the following: “The first who drank and put the glass on his place, turns his head to the speaker; the other joins the fingers of both hands and looks at his comrade with frowning brows; the other, opening his hands, shows their palms, raises his shoulders to his ears and makes a face of amazement with his mouth,” and so on for each character. “The Last Supper”
Last Supper, refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
The abbot of the monastery constantly hurried Leonardo to complete the work. One day, irritated by the artist’s slowness, he complained about him to the Duke. The artist, who often discussed art with the Duke, managed to convince him that “exalted talents sometimes work less, but achieve more when they think about their plans and create those perfect ideas that only then express with their hands.” Leonardo handed over his work in the winter of 1497, however, without having time to complete the head of Jesus Christ. The success of the fresco exceeded all expectations. All of Italy was amazed by the boldness of the composition, the power of expression, the movement combined with calm, which still surprise everyone who enters the refectory. The variety of visible forms of mental life is amazing. The head of Jesus Christ
Compositional solution of traditional gospel story, chosen by Leonardo to paint the refectory, was already unusual. The room where the fresco is located is elongated in shape, and the tables were located in it in the shape of the letter “P”. To create the illusion of the reality of what was happening, the table at which Jesus Christ sat with his disciples was drawn the same as those that stood in the refectory, closing them into a single rectangle. The originality of the plan also lay in the fact that the abbot of the monastery found himself directly opposite Christ, sitting in front of his figure during the daily meal. The walls and ceiling of the real room also seamlessly blend into the walls and ceiling depicted in the fresco. When all the monks gathered at the table, it seemed that Christ and the apostles were participating in sharing a meal. The desire to convey the impression of the reality of what is happening, which occupied the artist from early youth, was realized in this work with complete authenticity and persuasiveness. Premises
Leonardo da Vinci's fresco "The Last Supper"
At the table in the upper room, where the last meal of the Teacher and his disciples takes place, Christ sits in the center. On both sides of him were the apostles, united in groups of three. The entire composition of The Last Supper depicts the moment when Jesus utters his famous words: “One of you will betray me.” The reigning calm last supper, conveyed by a strictly verified composition, is disrupted by the resulting noise and a wave of human emotions: “Isn’t it me, rabbi?” Judas, who traditionally always sits on the other side of the table, is this time in the group of the apostles. He is also indignant, he also tries to be surprised, but his right hand, nervously clutching a wallet with thirty pieces of silver, gives him away and makes him recognizable. The visually balanced composition is disturbed by the resulting noise. Replies seem to be transferred from one end of the table to the other, mixing separate groups of apostles into one restless mass. Christ cannot help but hear and notice what is happening, but his figure remains unperturbed. He responds to the excitement that gripped all the apostles with ritual calm, immobility, and silence. Judas
The fate of the Last Supper fresco turned out to be tragic. One day, coming one evening to the refectory of the monastery to admire his the most famous work, Leonardo noticed that some mistake had been made when working with primer and paints and his work, on which so much effort and time had been spent, may not last. He constantly monitored the changes taking place and did everything possible to extend the life of his creation.
From Milan Leonardo again came to Florence. In the same city, Leonardo painted a portrait of Mona Lisa (Gioconda). From a small canvas, graceful hands folded crosswise with thin aristocratic fingers, he looks at the viewer beautiful woman. Her gaze is serious, and her lips are slightly touched by a smile, which is often called mysterious. Instead of a background, behind La Gioconda’s back lies an ideal landscape typical of the Renaissance. Mona Lisa (La Gioconda)
Portrait of Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) Tree. 77 x 53. Louvre, Paris.
Fragment. Portrait of Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) Tree. 77 x 53. Louvre, Paris.
Leonardo spent the last years of his life wandering. First he returned to Milan, from there he went to Rome. There for their own scientific experiments he was accused of heresy. Fleeing persecution from the church, Leonardo accepted the invitation of the French king. He hardly worked in France, but was always surrounded by respectful admiration. Leonardo's life ended in 1519 in the small town of Amboise at the castle of Cloux. Vasari noted that “although he did much more in words than in deeds, all these branches of his activity, in which he showed himself so divinely, will never allow either his name or glory to fade.” Clue
Among the works of Leonardo da Vinci are paintings, frescoes, drawings, anatomical drawings, which laid the foundation for the emergence of scientific illustration, works of architecture, designs for technical structures, notebooks and manuscripts (about 7 thousand sheets), “Treatise on Painting” (Leonardo began writing a treatise back in Milan at the request of Sforza, who wanted to know which art is more noble - sculpture or painting; final version was compiled after the death of Leonardo da Vinci by his student F. Melzi). anatomical drawings of the architecture of technical structures
Chambord Castle was built for King Francis I and still amazes not only with its size - 440 rooms and 365 fireplaces, but also with the innovation of its architecture. It is no coincidence that it is considered a masterpiece of engineering and it is assumed that the first project was developed by Leonardo da Vinci himself.
Where is the famous Da Vinci's Horse? Of course, in beloved Italy, Milan!
The history of Da Vinci's horse sculpture is unusual.
The famous Sforzo Castle is probably the most beautiful building in Milan.
Da Vinci's horse was supposed to be located exactly in front of him on the square where the beautiful one is now located.
The sculpture of Leonardo's Horse even stood here for some time. True, it was a clay version.
What is the history of the real sculpture of Da Vinci's Horse?
Leonardo wanted to erect the largest statue of a horse to immortalize the father of his patron Louis Sforza. I worked on Leonardo’s project for 10 years, visited the most elite equestrian yards, made sketches, and looked at existing equestrian statues. After 10 years, he embodied his idea in clay, the horse was installed exactly in the place where the entire statue with the rider was to be installed later.
The events took place at the end of the 25th century, by which time Leonardo had already painted the Lady with an Ermine, the Madonna of the Rocks and Last Supper, and became famous during his lifetime thanks to this monument to the Horse. Money was already being collected to cast the original and install the clay sculpture in its place. And then the unexpected happened: they entered and began to practice shooting at a clay horse. This could become sad ending for Da Vinci's Horse, it wouldn't be a miracle. This is exactly how I view this fact.
Almost 500 years later, the American pilot and amateur sculptor Charles Dent, having read an article in National Geographic, was outraged by this fact. It was Charles Dent who made it his life’s work to recreate the monument to Da Vinci’s Horse. In 1977, Charles Dent began reconstruction of the sculpture. The project required a lot of time and money - 15 years and about 2.5 million dollars. In 1994, Dent died and the sculpture was not completed. Fortunately, Japanese American sculptor Nina Akama completed the project. In 1997, on a special plane flight, this horse was delivered from America to. Of course, they wanted to install with sculpture of Da Vinci's Horse on the square near Sforzesco Castle, but the mayor's office did not give consent, and the sculpture was installed here at the hippodrome IPPODROMO DEL GALOPPO , where a horse should be.
Da Vinci's horse stands on two limbs and seems to float in the air. Every muscle, every contour is clearly visible. At the same time, the sculpture weighs 13 tons, and the height is 7.5 meters without a pedestal, in a word, Da Vinci’s Horse is Leonardo’s masterpiece.
The memorial plaque with the names of everyone who participated in the recreation of Da Vinci's Horse is impressive. Many thanks to them. And first of all to Charles Dent, who was able to inspire with his idea. Someone always says: This is impossible! And at the same time, there are often those who do this impossible!
The Hippodrome is located close to the San Siro stadium, you just need to turn your back to it and you immediately have a view of the stadium.
Going to San Siro, our plans included seeing this masterpiece along the way. That's how it all happened.
By the way, there are many wonderful monuments in the stadium area, they even have their own horse, but Da Vinci’s Horse is at the hippodrome.
This story of Da Vinci's Horse is unusual in my opinion.
Another reconstruction project of Da Vinci's Horse culminated in the installation of a sculpture in the Meyer Gardens. It was financed by billionaire Frederik Meyer, and the location where the Horse was installed is quite obvious.
Read how to get to the San Siro stadium and the Hippodrome in the next post.
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During his life in Milan, da Vinci was already a recognized sculptor. He created terracotta busts and reliefs, but they have not survived to this day in their original form. form. The Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, commissioned Leonardo to create a bronze equestrian statue of his father, Francesco Sforza. Da Vinci would work on this work for many years. For her, he also created numerous sketches of horses and developed their ideal proportions. According to Leonardo, the size of the statue should have been four times the actual size. The horse was supposed to be 7 meters in height. At that time it was an ambitious project, surpassing others in size and complexity. Few believed in its implementation. It took Leonardo years to researching and thinking about how the work can be done.
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Leonardo learned the basics of sculpture during his studies in Florence in Verrocchio's workshop. During his life in Milan, da Vinci was already a recognized sculptor. He created terracotta busts and reliefs, but they have not survived to this day in their original form. The Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, commissioned Leonardo to create a bronze equestrian statue of his father, Francesco Sforza. Da Vinci would work on this work for many years. For her, he also created numerous sketches of horses and developed their ideal proportions. According to Leonardo's plan, the size of the statue should have been four times its life size. The horse was supposed to be 7 meters in height. At that time it was an ambitious project, surpassing others in size and complexity. Few believed in its implementation. It took Leonardo years to research and understand how this work could be done. In November 1493, in the courtyard of a castle in Milan, Leonardo unveiled a full-scale clay model of a horse. Da Vinci's plans to cast this model in bronze were not destined to come true, since in 1494 the French invaded Italy and the Duke ordered that the metal intended for the statue be used to cast cannons. When French troops captured Milan in 1499, the soldiers used Leonardo's model as a target in their training and it was completely destroyed. In 1999, a sculpture of a seven-meter bronze horse was installed in Milan, recreated from da Vinci’s sketches and donated to the city by the United States. Another horse, cast from the same mold, is in a garden in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The story of how the figurine was kept, then found, and then created as a figurine sounds very exciting. In 1508 great artist sculpted a wax figurine of a Renaissance warrior sitting astride a rearing horse. The small sculpture, about 30.5 cm in height and the same length, was intended as a gift to da Vinci’s friend Charles d’Amboise. However, in 1519, da Vinci died without finishing his work, and the work of casting the sculpture passed to his student Francesco Mezi.
According to information provided by Yahoo News, the figurine was kept by Mezi's relatives and descendants until the 1930s, when World War II came to Italy. To preserve the creation, Metsi's relatives transported it to Switzerland. Until the 1980s, almost nothing was known about the whereabouts of the figurine. A group of businessmen decided to search for her, traveling around the country.
After 25 years, Mr. Lewis commissioned the American Fine Arts Foundry to make the bronze figurine, which took three years. In addition to the first bronze replica of the figurine, the Las Vegas art gallery Art Encounter intends to produce a limited edition of its replicas for sale to private collectors. As the Las Vegas Sun newspaper reported, the price of the copy will be 25-30 thousand dollars. Mr. Lewis said $1 million in proceeds from sales will be donated to the Salvation Army to fund programs against alcohol and drug abuse.
After the original wax figure and its elaborate casting mold were shown to the public at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, they became part of an exhibit in Las Vegas called "The Genius of Da Vinci." After the exhibition closes in Las Vegas, the figurine will be exhibited in London and New York.
