Leonardo da Vinci | Page 2

concluded that
he was born in 1452. Leonardo's father Ser Piero, who afterwards
married four times, had eleven children by his third and fourth wives. Is
it unreasonable to suggest that Leonardo may have had these numbers
in mind in 1496-1498 when he was painting in his famous "Last
Supper" the figures of eleven Apostles and one outcast?
However, Ser Piero seems to have legitimised his "love child" who
very early showed promise of extraordinary talent and untiring energy.

HIS EARLY TRAINING
Practically nothing is known about Leonardo's boyhood, but Vasari
informs us that Ser Piero, impressed with the remarkable character of
his son's genius, took some of his drawings to Andrea del Verrocchio,
an intimate friend, and begged him earnestly to express an opinion on
them. Verrocchio was so astonished at the power they revealed that he
advised Ser Piero to send Leonardo to study under him. Leonardo thus
entered the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio about 1469-1470. In the
workshop of that great Florentine sculptor, goldsmith, and artist he met
other craftsmen, metal workers, and youthful painters, among whom
was Botticelli, at that moment of his development a jovial _habitué_ of
the Poetical Supper Club, who had not yet given any premonitions of
becoming the poet, mystic, and visionary of later times. There also
Leonardo came into contact with that unoriginal painter Lorenzo di
Credi, his junior by seven years. He also, no doubt, met Perugino,
whom Michelangelo called "that blockhead in art." The genius and
versatility of the Vincian painter was, however, in no way dulled by
intercourse with lesser artists than himself; on the contrary he vied with
each in turn, and readily outstripped his fellow pupils. In 1472, at the
age of twenty, he was admitted into the Guild of Florentine Painters.
Unfortunately very few of Leonardo's paintings have come down to us.
Indeed there do not exist a sufficient number of finished and absolutely
authentic oil pictures from his own hand to afford illustrations for this

short chronological sketch of his life's work. The few that do remain,
however, are of so exquisite a quality--or were until they were
"comforted" by the uninspired restorer--that we can unreservedly
accept the enthusiastic records of tradition in respect of all his works.
To rightly understand the essential characteristics of Leonardo's
achievements it is necessary to regard him as a scientist quite as much
as an artist, as a philosopher no less than a painter, and as a
draughtsman rather than a colourist. There is hardly a branch of human
learning to which he did not at one time or another give his eager
attention, and he was engrossed in turn by the study of architecture--the
foundation-stone of all true art--sculpture, mathematics, engineering
and music. His versatility was unbounded, and we are apt to regret that
this many-sided genius did not realise that it is by developing his power
within certain limits that the great master is revealed. Leonardo may be
described as the most Universal Genius of Christian times-perhaps of
all time.
[Illustration: PLATE III.-THE VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS
In the National Gallery. No. 1093. 6 ft. ½ in. h. by 3 ft 9 ½ in. w. (1.83
x 1.15)
This picture was painted in Milan about 1495 by Ambrogio da Predis
under the supervision and guidance of Leonardo da Vinci, the essential
features of the composition being borrowed from the earlier "Vierge
aux Rochers," now in the Louvre.]

HIS EARLY WORKS
To about the year 1472 belongs the small picture of the
"Annunciation," now in the Louvre, which after being the subject of
much contention among European critics has gradually won its way to
general recognition as an early work by Leonardo himself. That it was
painted in the studio of Verrocchio was always admitted, but it was
long catalogued by the Louvre authorities under the name of Lorenzo di
Credi. It is now, however, attributed to Leonardo (No. 1602 A). Such
uncertainties as to attribution were common half a century ago when
scientific art criticism was in its infancy.
Another painting of the "Annunciation," which is now in the Uffizi
Gallery (No. 1288) is still officially attributed to Leonardo. This small
picture, which has been considerably repainted, and is perhaps by

Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo's master, is the subject of Plate II.
To January 1473 belongs Leonardo's earliest dated work, a pen-and-ink
drawing--"A Wide View over a Plain," now in the Uffizi. The
inscription together with the date in the top left-hand corner is reversed,
and proves a remarkable characteristic of Leonardo's handwriting--viz.,
that he wrote from right to left; indeed, it has been suggested that he
did this in order to make it difficult for any one else to read the words,
which were frequently committed to paper by the aid of peculiar
abbreviations.