leonardo da vinci paintings | Made in Atlantis

Understanding Leonardo da Vinci and his paintings

‘Mona Lisa’ or ‘La Giaconda’ continues her ambiguous smile. It is impossible to count the different attacks against the image of the ‘Mona Lisa’, especially in the field of popular culture, from Duchamp wearing a mustache and goatee on his postcard, to his drawing in the shape of a gorilla, from his naked state to his portrayal in various guises in today’s social media environment. A kind of ‘iconoclast’ density, as it is called in art history.

Leonardo da Vinci drawings go on display at Buckingham Palace

June 19, 2019June 19, 2019

The thumbprint and preparatory sketches of some of his most famous works are being shown to the public at Buckingham Palace, as part of the artist’s largest exhibition in more than 65 years.

A subversive message by Virgin of the Rocks

March 9, 2019March 9, 2019

Some paintings are as mysterious as they are famous. Gazing at them is like diving into a deep dark sea. You never know what unsuspecting pearl your eyes might prise loose from their secretive lips – what key you might find that can unlock their power. Take Leonardo da Vinci’s the Virgin of the Rocks, in which the infant Jesus finds himself in a shadowy cave on an Alpine playdate with a baby John the Baptist. Or rather, take both versions of the work that Leonardo created between 1483 and 1508: the one that hangs in the Louvre in Paris (thought to be the earlier of the two, completed around 1486) and a subsequent one that resides in the National Gallery in London (begun in 1495 and finished 13 years later).