Brera Frescoes Confirm Leonardo's Rebus Solutions and Pollaiolo's Role

Eight separate frescoes from Palazzo Visconti, displayed at the Pinacoteca di Brera since 1901-2, explore the rebuses of Leonardo da Vinci. Originating in the late 15th century, these artworks portray Democritus in laughter and Heraclitus in tears, echoing themes found in Horace and Seneca. The fresco at Brera, credited to Antonio del Pollaiolo, does not reflect Bramante's style, and the left-handed inscriptions imply that Democritus and Heraclitus may represent portraits of Bramante and Leonardo. The globe depicted is precise, based on Hobit's Mappamondo. The frieze illustrates Alexander the Great, connecting Leonardo to Alexander, Bramante to Cyrus, and Pollaiolo to Cambyses. The piece suggests that Bramante studied under Pollaiolo in Urbino during the 1470s, supporting Pollaiolo's trips to Milan in the 1480s.