Leonardo da Vinci

Artist: Leonardo da Vinci

Background: Leonardo da Vinci was both a renowned scientist and an artist. Born out of a wedlock on 15th April 1452. He is still known to be one of the central figures in western art and was praised for his ingenuity and diverse talents.

Renowned work: Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Mona lisa is a renowned work in the world, it depicts a woman donning an elusive smile that someone called “Too divine to be human” The main factor that contributed to the fame of painting is its mysterious qualities. The painting was done with oil paint while laid on much like tempera. Vasari commented that even the most skillful of masters would despair and lose heart.


Louvre, Paris, France.

Another famous work was The Last supper depicting the final meal Jesus had with his disciples before he was captured and soon died. The painting was made to describe the exact moment when Jesus announced that one of his disciples would betray him. When it was completed it was hailed as a masterpiece but soon fell to ruin. The reason being that instead of using the technique of fresco Leonardo had instead used tempera over a ground that mostly consisted of gesso resulting in the painting being susceptible to molding and flaking. Despite this it was still one of the most reproduced work.

Convent of Sta. Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy.

Why I like the artist : Personally while all the works were mostly commissioned I like the way he managed to bring out the character’s expression. Both of the paintings were capture at a moment where their expressions are easily visible. Incredulity for The Last Supper and Enigmatic for Mona Lisa.

*Images taken from wiki