The genius of the mysterious Italian painter, architect, scientist and inventor continues to delight and intrigue entire generations of people. Leonardo da Vinci vividly embodied the image of the “universal man” of the Renaissance, reaching amazing heights in various fields of art and science. The canvases of the artist are unique masterpieces of pictorial art and are famous throughout the world. Consider the most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci.
10. Madonna and Carnation | 1480 year
“Madonna and Carnation” 1480 notable for the fact that this is the first completely independent work of a young genius. Leonardo painted this painting while studying in the studio of the artist Verrocchio, but his peculiar individual style has already clearly appeared on it. The work is imbued with harmony, but the position of the hands of the baby and mother creates an alarming impression, as does the landscape that is visible from the window behind them. The plot of the picture is also imbued with tragedy: the Madonna hands the child a carnation, a symbol of the future Passion of the Lord.
9. Madonna with a spindle | 1501 year
“Madonna and the Spindle” 1501 - one of the most famous lost paintings of Leonardo da Vinci - only copies of the original work, written by the artist together with his students, are preserved. The plot of the picture is dedicated to the future sufferings of Christ, the gestures and poses of the figures are full of symbolism and deep meaning. The face of the young Madonna expresses love and tenderness, as if she is trying to distract the baby, but he turned away from his mother and looks sadly at the spindle in his hands, shaped like a cross for the crucifix.
8. Portrait of Ginevra de Benchi | 1476 year
“Portrait of Ginevra de Benchi” 1476 - a portrait dating back to the early period of the artist and one of the most famous paintings by Leonardo da Vinci. The young poetess is depicted against a juniper whose Italian name “ginepro” is consonant with her name. The portrait is distinguished by psychological certainty and innovation - the artist did not portray the girl according to the usual canons, she does not have jewelry and heavy expensive fabrics, her main decoration is spirituality and mind, reflected in deep eyes. Unusual and color, emphasizing the perspective and interior space of the picture.
7. John the Baptist | 1508 year
“John the Baptist” circa 1508 - This painting by Leonardo da Vinci is known for its unusualness and mystery. The canvas belongs to the late period of the artist's work and is significantly different from his usual style. There is no familiar landscape in the background, the nude figure of John the Baptist seems to envelop the darkness. The young man smiles, with one hand holding a crucifix to his chest, and the other points to the sky. Some art historians attribute his gestures and ironic smile to ambiguity and erotic subtext.
6. The Annunciation | 1475 year
The Annunciation 1475 - The painting was commissioned by the church and stands out among the artist's works with his strangely fragmented, crumbling composition. Despite the drawback, this Leonardo painting is one of the most famous, thanks to the amazing perfection of details and especially botanical motifs - the grass and flowers in the foreground and the trees in the harbor in the background are beautifully written. The folds of the clothes of Mary and Angel gently and naturally fit the body, without hiding the shape of the figure, which was also an innovation in the time of Leonardo. The imperfection of the composition also redeems a carefully designed perspective.
5. Lady with an ermine | 1490 year
“Lady with an Ermine” 1490 - One of the most famous portraits of Leonardo da Vinci's brush, depicting a young girl with an ermine in her arms. Her head is turned, as if something beyond visibility has attracted her attention - this movement enlivens the portrait and gives it mystery. The girl’s graceful brush touches the back of the animal, fingers stroking the soft fur - the image of the hand is made with amazing skill. The background of the portrait is impenetrably black, evokes a feeling of secrecy and directs the viewer's attention to the details of the girl's face and clothes. A special X-ray study showed that the artist several times rewrote the picture, and in one of the options there was an open window on the background.
4. The Last Supper | 1495 year
The Last Supper 1495 - This fresco painted on the wall of the refectory in Milan, unfortunately, is poorly preserved, but it is among the most popular works of Leonardo da Vinci, which contributed to the book by Dan Brown. The artist depicted the moment when Christ reveals to the disciples the betrayal of Judah. The picture is amazing with the thorough elaboration of details and the variety of expressive poses and gestures of the characters - Leonardo made many sketches from nature to work on the fresco. An unusual horizontal composition with the figure of Christ in the center, balanced by a perfect perspective, creating the illusion that the refectory room continues with the space of the picture.
3. Madonna in the grotto | 1486 year
“Madonna in the Grotto” 1486 - The canvas is part of a polyptych written for placement in a church. The arrangement of the figures of Mary, John the Baptist, Christ and the angel forms a strikingly harmonious composition in the form of a pyramid. The painting represents one of the most striking examples of Leonardo's skill in working with light and shaping black and white perspectives. The plot unfolds inside a shady stone grotto, the figures of the characters are lit only by weak rays penetrating the cave through a pile of rocks. A deeply mysterious and gloomy atmosphere, a lot of implicit symbols and details, distinguishes the artist’s style here.
2. Madonna Litta | 1495 year
“Madonna Litta” 1495 - the plot of the picture corresponds to the church canons of the image of the Virgin. Madonna carefully supports the baby who is breastfeeding, her face turned to him is illuminated by deep tenderness and love. The baby Christ trustingly clings to his mother, but his gaze is directed at the viewer, in his hand he squeezes a little chick - a symbol of the human soul. The colors chosen by Leonardo for Mary’s clothes also have a canonical meaning: azure blue is a symbol of purity and holiness, and bright scarlet is a symbol of the future sufferings of Christ. This work stands out among the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci with its bright color and a sense of sublime serenity and harmony.
1. Mona Lisa | 1515 year
“Mona Lisa” 1515 - of course, one cannot ignore probably the most illustrious of the works of Leonardo da Vinci. “Gioconda” is considered the standard in portraiture, its composition, rhythm and color are recognized as impeccable. Amazing diffused light fills the space of the picture, and the work itself is done by such workshops and light strokes that it is impossible to discern their borders, and the image of the woman looks strangely lively. A special property of the picture is the feeling of mystery that it causes. Gioconda's famous elusive smile captivates the eye and as if casts a mysterious shadow on the portrait, bewitching the viewer. The landscape in the background also gives the impression of witchcraft, as if it is outside this world.