The Italian Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci left behind so many secrets and mysteries that it will take more than one century to study them. This time, a surprise to the researchers of the famous painter's work was presented by his painting "John the Baptist".
Another John It must be said that the canvas itself is unusual both in the manner of execution and in the plot. Firstly, most of the portraits created by the artist, with rare exceptions, have a landscape as a background (“La Gioconda”, “Madonna with a Carnation”). The background of the painting "John the Baptist" is deep black.
Moreover, not a single detailed analysis of the painting with the help of the most modern instruments helped the researchers to detect traces of brush strokes - even at the micro level, the surface of the painting is absolutely smooth.
Now as for the plot. Most of the artists depicting John the Baptist saw him (especially in iconography) as a stern, emaciated man, in whose eyes all the pain of the world and suffering for the human race seemed to be concentrated. And only in da Vinci John is a well-groomed well-fed young man with an ambiguous smirk, and in his eyes one can read not suffering, but outright vice.
And the fact that it is John the Baptist in front of us, and not a young reveler and a libertine, is only indicated by a small cross in his left hand. By the way, the artist's model was his favorite student Salai, who, according to one version, served as a model for the Mona Lisa.
If you take a mirror
But the latest, more thorough studies of the painting showed that, in addition to John the Baptist, the artist created on the canvas a portrait of another strange, incomprehensible and, most likely, unknown creature to his contemporaries. But on the other hand, this creature is well known thanks to the work of science fiction writers to the inhabitants of the 21st century.
Judge for yourself: huge eyes, a skull tapering to the chin, a powerful forehead, a narrow slit of the mouth and the absence of a nose. Right! Before us is a canonical, if I may say so, portrait of an alien. More precisely, half of the portrait. But a whole image of a guest from outer space can be obtained by bringing a mirror to the picture.
A similar technique was often used by artists who hide encrypted symbolism in their paintings.
True, to detect an alien, one mirror is not enough. His portrait is so carefully disguised that it can only be seen with the help of computer image processing by evenly brightening the background.
If we “finish” the image of the face a little, then we will have an almost typical “gray”, only with horns on the head
Why did the famous painter need to hide an extraterrestrial life form in his picture? Firstly, Leonardo da Vinci was a great lover of such secret symbols, he repeatedly used them in his works. And since not all of these symbols were encouraged by the church, they had to be carefully hidden.
But why the portrait of an alien is so similar to the image replicated by modern cinema, why it was the artist who disguised it in his canvas, and, most importantly, where did the idea of the existence of an extraterrestrial life form come from in the 16th century to the painter - these questions have not yet been answered.
Leonardo di Ser Piero da Vinci amazes all mankind with his genius even after almost five centuries since his death. The inventions and works of art of the great Italian are still the subjects of study by leading historians of the world. The famous canvas “John the Baptist” by Leonardo da Vinci, which is recognized as the last great work of the genius, does not leave them alone.
Birth of a genius
Leonardo da Vinci was illegitimately born in the Italian village of Vinci. His birth status blocked the path to a quality education and a prestigious profession, because Leonardo was born into an illegal union of a peasant woman and a notary. However, the future genius himself was only fed by prohibitions, and thus his ambitions and passion for his beloved work only grew.
Education
At the age of 15, da Vinci became a student of the artist Andrea del Verocchio. The skill and technique of the young student were so progressive that sometimes the teacher was even frightened. Despite his talent in the field of art, Leonardo was always fond of science and inventions. In order to expand his circle of interests, da Vinci moved from Florence to the cultural capital of Italy - Milan. In this city, a completely new life begins for da Vinci immediately after he begins working as a military engineer for the Duke of Milan Sforza himself. During 17 years of work in Milan great Leonardo invented, drew, comprehended science, and also generated an endless stream of the most daring and innovative ideas of his time. Without a doubt, these years spent working for Sforza were the most productive in the career of a great creator. However, in 1499, when da Vinci was 47 years old, French troops captured Milan and drove Duke Sforza out of the city. From then until his death, Leonardo traveled around Italy, visiting Venice and Rome, undertaking projects of all kinds. During this time, the creator was concentrated on the activities of the artist and anatomist.
Legacy and end of life
As an artist, Leonardo is famous for countless paintings and frescoes, the main of which are the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. In the role of an anatomist, da Vinci made about 30 autopsies with his own hand and documented each of them in detail in the form of detailed drawings and drawings.
Anticipating hundreds of important inventions, creating legendary works of art with his own hands, and active in fields as diverse as astronomy and architecture, Leonardo da Vinci dies in 1519 at the age of 67.
Painting “John the Baptist” by Leonardo da Vinci
What picture is the last work of the legendary artist? This is John the Baptist. Leonardo da Vinci finished writing the last masterpiece of his collection in 1517, exactly 500 years ago. The painting, 69x57 cm in size, is executed in oil on a walnut canvas. In November 2016, the masters completed the last restoration of the painting and returned it back to the Louvre Museum in Paris. Interesting fact: the restoration took place under the clear guidance of professionals who had previously worked with paintings by famous artists, one of whom was Rembrandt. The process consisted of removing 15 layers of varnish and paint from previous restorations. In addition, thanks to the efforts of the masters, the canvas has become brighter and the faded details of the body, head and environment of John are now visible better.
Leonardo da Vinci, “John the Baptist”: description of the painting
The closest forerunner of Jesus Christ - John - was always depicted as thin and ardent, living in the desert and eating locusts and honey. Therefore, the painting “John the Baptist” by Leonardo da Vinci, in which the main character is depicted almost as a hermaphrodite with male and female features at the same time, was subjected to severe criticism and condemnation. In addition, the canvas was forgotten for quite a long time and was not put on public display.
The painting depicts John with a feminine arm bent at the elbow and an outstretched index finger pointing to heaven. Of course, not without a mysterious smile, reminiscent of the famous Mona Lisa. John's face, with some features similar to a faun, is framed by a cascade of thick curls. The upward pointing finger appears quite often in da Vinci's works, signifying the coming of Jesus Christ.
“John the Baptist” by Leonardo da Vinci is written in the famous technique of the play of light and shadow. In the artist's notes, one can find references to the fact that he absolutely consciously depicts the figure of the hero against a dark background. This technique helps the master achieve a complete connection of the canvas elements. From a distance, the details of the picture are not visible, only the lightest elements are visible. However, depicting the body of John himself, da Vinci does not skimp on light and shadow. This helps the viewer to comprehend the picture as fully as possible. Even the darkened areas of the hero's figure reflect a faint sheen and radiance.
The canvas “John the Baptist” by Leonardo da Vinci, the description of which is simply impossible without mentioning the haunting beauty of John, radiates the ambiguity of the sexual identity of the main character. The mysterious gesture of the brush with the finger pointing up carries not only a religious meaning, most likely, an esoteric meaning is encrypted in it. Such a conclusion is possible, because not a single work of da Vinci can be interpreted unambiguously.
The riddle of John
The most important issue of interest to historians is the ambiguity of who is actually depicted in the painting “John the Baptist” by Leonardo da Vinci. The mysteries and mysteries that shroud the work of a genius have misled historians and scientists because it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer regarding the gender of the main character in the picture. An interesting fact: the picture was written from the lover of the great da Vinci - Salai. However, doubts about the gender of the character in the paintings of the genius originate even from the Mona Lisa, because Italian scientists, examining the famous canvas, found the letters L and S under the eyes of Gioconda (Leonardo and Salai, respectively). This discovery has led historians to doubt the existence of the true Lisa del Giocondo (the prototype of the same “Mona Lisa”), as well as to reconsider the gender of other da Vinci characters. This doubt was also generated by the obvious similarity of the smiles of Gioconda and Salai.
It is most likely impossible to get an unambiguous answer to all questions regarding the work of the great artist due to the passage of such a long time. But no mysteries and secrets prevent to this day from enjoying such a rich heritage of the Italian genius.
The painting “John the Baptist” by Leonardo da Vinci, despite being unknown to the general public for a long time, now rightfully takes its place in the Louvre and, according to many visitors to the museum, is as attractive as the immortal Gioconda .
The personality of Leonardo da Vinci provided an invaluable service for the development of the spiritual aspect of the Renaissance in Italy, torn apart by both internal contradictions and external feudal wars. After all, his creative heritage still strikes the imagination of even a sophisticated modern person.
The spiritual atmosphere of that era is fully reflected at the same time by the cheerful and cheerful disposition of Raphael, always surrounded by a company of friends, and the thoughtful and gloomy character of Michelangelo, who, together with Leonardo da Vinci, receives a profitable order to paint the Christian cathedral in Florence. And the leadership of this grandiose project is entrusted to a young and ambitious official Niccolo Machiavelli.
And it is precisely this wide range of spiritual realization that is at the forefront of the time when the idealization of antiquity becomes that mathematically verified model of architecture and art. Moreover, the Greco-Roman heritage is fully complemented by appropriate creative processing, which was able to bring characteristic uniqueness and originality to the cultural heritage of its era.
The creative heritage of Leonardo da Vinci
Today it is reliably known that the genius of Leonardo da Vinci managed to spread to almost all areas of painting and engineering. Due to the fact that at one time he was much less in demand as an artist, this talented person had to position himself primarily as an engineer who creates new types of weapons, or, for example, as a culinary specialist who was able to invent a sufficient number of new and gourmet meals.
It is known that in Milan he was responsible for the table of the duke himself, in connection with which he had to manage not only the entire range of arrangements for serving various solemn feasts, but also deal with issues related to the preparation of the entire range of menus. And among his most famous achievements in the field of engineering structures, numerous high-quality drawings of airplanes should be singled out, according to which even today it is possible to produce quite relevant aeronautical equipment.
This brilliant inventor believed that man was created for air flight. So, in the list of his thematic creations there is a parachute, a telescope with two lenses, a lightweight version of mobile bridges and much more. Special words of gratitude deserved his research in the field of anatomy, because he was ahead of his time in this direction of science by at least three centuries.
Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his life in France, where he was actively involved in organizing court celebrations, led a project to change the channels of two rivers, created a plan for a canal between them, and also planned the construction of a new royal palace. Truly, the genius of this man was inexhaustible. Perhaps he can head the list of brilliant people of the planet of all times and peoples.
Evaluation by art experts
The painting "John the Baptist", by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, is painted in oil. It belongs to the later period of the master's work. The decadent nature of this work is evidenced not only by the period of the artist's life, but also by the end of the Renaissance itself, which inspired the entire European world of culture and art. This is clearly seen, both in the image of John, and in the absence of a traditional landscape in the background of the picture.
"John the Baptist" was painted by the artist in the estate of Cloux (the city of Amboise in central France), when he was held in high esteem and surrounded by universal recognition and attention. It is known that Leonardo da Vinci no longer experienced satisfaction from his own creativity. He was constantly engaged in altering and supplementing his old works, which in in large numbers brought here with you. According to all the signs, it is clear that this picture was “brought to mind” during the period of his extreme creative decline.
The picture shows a young man, one of whose hands is turned up, and the other presses a cross to his chest. The mystery and mystery of the image is enhanced by the contrast of the dark background and the illuminated figure of a young man. Despite the enthusiastic reviews of colleagues in the creative workshop and critics about the work of the artist of that time, it was the painting “John the Baptist” that caused them genuine surprise. After all, the usual canonical image of the saint in this case was very different from the resulting image.
The religious tradition unequivocally interprets the personality of John the Baptist, who appeared in the Holy Scripture precisely as a severe ascetic with abundant hair on his face. Therefore, the ambiguous smile of the young man depicted in the picture does not fit in with the classical perception of a famous historical and religious character. It is important to understand that just such a smile was characteristic of all the faces of the people portrayed by Leonardo in his late period of creativity.
It is the absence of a picturesque landscape in the background of the painting “John the Baptist” and the blooming image of a young man that does not comply with the canonical rules of artistic reproduction of images that allow us to say that Da Vinci in this case wants to make a special impression on the viewer. Perhaps, for many, this kind of ambiguity can only be associated with an ironic motive and a kind of insight that allows you to look beyond the traditional framework of being.
Brief description of the painting
Young John is depicted against a dark background of the picture. Light falls on it from above and from the left side. With the index finger of his right hand, the saint points to the cross located on his chest and which is his direct attribute. It is the cross and the vault of heaven that symbolize the coming of the Savior. Therefore, this gesture eloquently testifies to the message when all people need to reflect on the spiritual feat associated with preparing for this most important event.
In the painting by Leonardo da Vinci, the depicted character communicates with the audience through the eyes. He smiles gently, and his figure is fully consistent with the type of a mature artist. A fur skin acts as a hermit's clothing. He is not fully dressed, leaving his right shoulder bare with the correct proportions. And the long curly hair of John the Baptist falls in waves on his shoulders.
Many experts suggest that his student Salai served as the artist's model. All chiaroscuro and contrast transitions have a subtle and refined character. The famous sfumato, invented earlier by Leonardo da Vinci himself, is fully realized here. The roundness and plasticity of perfect forms is emphasized in the picture by soft and very gentle transitions between light and dark tones. This way of depicting allows you to reflect the spiritual state of the saint. It is surprising that it is impossible to see brush strokes on the canvas.
The painting "John the Baptist": materials and historical excursion of its places of residence
The famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci "John the Baptist" was written in the period 1508-1513 in walnut oil on wood. The size of the canvas is 69 x 57 cm. It should be understood that at the time of writing this masterpiece, the materials for painting were made using a technology completely different from the modern one. So, the oil bleached in the sun for fifty years, and the boards dried even longer. The paints were prepared by the artists themselves. As a rule, they used crystals crushed into powder.
For the first time, Leonardo da Vinci's painting "John the Baptist" is mentioned in chronicles in 1517. It is known that it was his student Salai who, after the death of his teacher, became its owner. By the way, he also made a copy of it for himself, which is well preserved. And after the death of Salai, his relatives sold the original to Francis I in France. Thus, this work ended up in the Louvre. However, later it was resold to England in the collection of Charles I. After the execution of this monarch, the picture appears already in Germany. Not later than 1666, agents of Louis XIV buy it, and the masterpiece reappears in France. Now the painting "John the Baptist" by Leonardo da Vinci is on display at the Louvre.
This last surviving painting by Leonardo occupies a special place both in his work and in the history of Renaissance painting.
In the middle of the summer of 1516, Leonardo da Vinci completed work on the painting "John the Baptist", which he painted for about two years.
This last of the surviving paintings by Leonardo occupies a special place both in his work and in the history of Renaissance painting, which, as is commonly believed, begins to evolve in the direction of the future Mannerism precisely from John the Baptist. The artist uses the techniques developed by him and brought to perfection over many years, such as melting sfumato (softening the outlines of figures and faces, allowing the transmission of air, light haze), complete rejection of the background (when the character is depicted in brown darkness, as if highlighted from her, which makes it possible to draw attention specifically to the hero), leveling the traditional attributes inherent in the biblical character (in the case of John the Baptist, this is a thin reed Cross and clothes made of wool, which are very difficult to see in a da Vinci painting).
But at the same time, he decisively changes the content of the image itself, giving John not just living human features, but even those that are clearly not characteristic of the canonical ideas about the Forerunner. The hero of the picture is by no means a stern performer of the mission, going to inevitable martyrdom, but a pampered and even effeminate young man, coquettishly looking at the viewer. And although his right hand is raised to the heavens in a gesture characteristic of Leonardo's heroes, and the diagonals of summer and arms intersect, forming an easily visible cross on their own, it seems that this is not a sermon, but rather a mannerist dance.
It is no coincidence that this allowed researchers of the early twentieth century to notice that Leonardo acts here as the initiator of mannerism. And according to Professor W. Pater, "a treacherous smile betrays thoughts that are far from being exhausted by an external gesture and a situation."
It is believed that the model for this painting was Salai (real name Gian Giacomo Caprotti da Oreno) - one of the two students with whom Leonardo was associated with a long, stretching for almost a quarter of a century, and possibly intimate relationship. In the drawing “Angel in the Flesh”, which obviously served as a sketch for “John the Baptist”, the name of Salai is half written. The same young man served as a model for the painting “Bacchus” attributed to Leonardo, whose pagan character looks like John the Baptist from da Vinci’s painting, but for obvious reasons, filled with a completely different content.
"John the Baptist" is considered the second most mysterious painting by Leonardo after the "La Gioconda" and one of the ten most visited exhibits of the Louvre.
School of Leonardo da Vinci. Bacchus. 1511-1515. Oil, wood. 177x115 cm Louvre, Paris. "John the Baptist" is a painting by the representative of the Italian Renaissance Leonardo da Vinci. This work belongs to the late period of the artist's work.
The dull background, devoid of the landscape, so characteristic of the works of the Renaissance in general (for example, “Portrait of a Woman” by Nerocco di Landi) and Leonardo da Vinci in particular (“Mona Lisa”), completely concentrates the viewer’s attention on the figure of John the Baptist, which is enveloped by the brought to perfection melting sfumato.
The image of the saint is equipped with traditional paraphernalia: a thin reed cross, long hair, woolen clothes. The intersection of the diagonals of the body and the right hand enhances the motif of the cross, which is barely noticeable by the artist.
The upward gesture of the right hand is also considered traditional for the images of John the Baptist. However, this gesture, in a certain sense, is also traditional for Leonardo’s work, it can be found in a number of finished works (“The Last Supper”, “Madonna in the Rocks”, “Madonna and Child” (1510), etc.), as well as sketches.
The effeminacy of St. John, bordering on effeminate, a soft smile, a look, curly hair testify to the degeneration in the work of the master of the principles of the classical style. Leonardo da Vinci appears here as the initiator of mannerism.
Since the model for "John the Baptist", as well as "Bacchus", most likely served as Salai, it is obvious that the "traitorous smile", according to W. Pater, "gives out thoughts that are far from being exhausted by an external gesture or situation."
It seems that Leonardo brought "John the Baptist" with him to France when he settled in the castle of Cloux in 1516. At least it is known that on October 10, 1517, he shows the picture of the “young John the Baptist” (together with Saint Anna and Gioconda) to the Cardinal of Aragon (fr.). Most likely, all three paintings were bought by Francis I in 1518, this is indirectly evidenced by a document on the payment of a large amount to Leonardo’s student “for several paintings sold to the king” (“pour quelques tables de paintures qu’il a baillées au Roy”). Another indirect evidence of the presence of "John" in the royal collection is "Portrait of Francis I in the form of John the Baptist" by Jean Clouet (also in the Louvre collection), written in 1518-1520 and clearly inspired by the painting by Leonardo.
Then the painting left the royal collection, the circumstances of its sale are not known. In the 1620s, she ends up with the Duke of Llancourt (fr.), one of the largest collectors of French painting of his era.
The duke gave the painting to the English king Charles I - most likely in the 1630s, possibly for the birth of the heir to the throne. Shortly after the execution of Charles I (1649), the painting was bought by Everhard Jabach (fr.), who resold it in 1662 to Louis XIV. The painting never left the French royal collection and was inherited by the Louvre with it.
This is part of a Wikipedia article used under the CC-BY-SA license. Full text of the article here →