File:Leonardo da Vinci, artist, thinker and man of science (1898) (14784561255).jpg

Identifier: leonardodavincia01mn (find matches)
Title: Leonardo da Vinci, artist, thinker and man of science
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Müntz, Eugène, 1845-1902
Subjects: Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519
Publisher: London : W. Heinemann New York : C. Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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an altar-piece ( una ancona) for them, to consist ofgilded figures in relief, an oil painting of the Virgin, and two other pictures, also in oil,large figures of angels. Difficulties arose in connection with the price : the two artistsvalued the work at 300 florins; the friars, however, declined to give more than 25 florinsfor the Madonna, though several amateurs had offered 100. In the petition addressed tothe Duke on the subject, the artists ask that the Madonna should be left in their hands,and that the 800 lire paid them by the friars should be considered the price of the reredosand the two angels. It must not, however, be supposed that Preda was Leonardos collaborator in thepicture. They were associated in the execution of a carved reredos with three pictures.Preda clearly produced the sculptures; he is, too, the reputed author of the twoangels; and Leonardo—as this document finally establishes—painted the Madontta withhis own hand. VI First Idea for 77/^- Virgin of the Rocks
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STUDIES FOR THE VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS 163 drawing (p. 167) in the Ecole des Beaux Arts reveals the varioustransformations of a single figure, that of the angel. He appears firstin profile, standing, his left foot on a step ; with one hand he holds hismantle, and with the other he points to some object unseen in thedrawing, evidently to the little S. John. Lower down are studies insilver-point for the left arm, holding back the drapery, and for theright arm, which appears first with the hand extended, then withthe hand closed, save for the first finger. This last is the actionLeonardo finally adopted for the picture. I hasten to add that it isalso the only part of the drawing he retained. In the picture the angelis no longer in profile, but turns his face three-quarters to the spectator,which adds greatly to the animation of the scene, for in a compositionof four persons, two of whom are children, an actor in profile would bean actor more or less lost. The action of the left arm has unde

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