Leonardo da Vinci's 569th Birthday: 10 Works That Define a Genius
On April 15, 1452, Leonardo da Vinci was born. To celebrate his 569th birthday, Artribune highlights ten works that reveal his genius: the Annunciation (c. 1470s, possibly with Verrocchio), the Last Supper (1494-1498, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan), the two versions of the Virgin of the Rocks (1483-1506, Louvre and National Gallery), the aerial screw helicopter prototype (1489), the Vitruvian Man (c. 1490, pen and ink), anatomical studies (over 30 autopsies), a mechanical tank (with a design flaw), the Salvator Mundi (c. 1500, sold for $450 million in 2017), the Mona Lisa (c. 1503, possibly Lisa Gherardini), and a red chalk portrait (possibly a self-portrait). The article also notes Leonardo's illegitimacy, his apprenticeship under Verrocchio, his service to the Sforza and later Francis I, his vegetarianism, and his mirror writing.
Key facts
- Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452.
- The Annunciation is dated to the 1460s-1470s, possibly a collaboration with Verrocchio.
- The Last Supper was painted between 1494 and 1498 in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan.
- The Virgin of the Rocks exists in two versions: one at the Louvre (1483-1506) and one at the National Gallery (attributed partly to de Predis).
- The aerial screw (helicopter prototype) was designed in 1489 but is technically non-functional.
- The Vitruvian Man was first reproduced in 1810 and illustrates ideal human proportions based on Vitruvius.
- Leonardo performed over 30 autopsies and wrote an unfinished treatise on anatomy.
- The Salvator Mundi sold for $450 million at Christie's in November 2017 to the government of Abu Dhabi.
- The Mona Lisa was commissioned by Francesco del Giocondo of his wife Lisa Gherardini around 1503.
- Leonardo used mirror writing in his notes.
Entities
Artists
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Andrea Verrocchio
- Francesco Sforza
- Ludovico il Moro
- Matteo Bandello
- de Predis
- Gian Giacomo Caprotti
- Francesco del Giocondo
- Lisa Gherardini
- Lorenzo de' Medici
- Pope Sixtus IV
- Francis I of France
Institutions
- Artribune
- Santa Maria delle Grazie
- Louvre
- National Gallery
- Christie's
- Abu Dhabi government
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Florence
- Amboise
- France