For the last three years of his life, Leonardo worked in the court of Francois I, who became the king of France after Louis XII. Francois invited Leonardo to visit, and made him premier architect, engineer, and painter of his court. He was given a fine home near the palace in the Loire Valley and had no expectations placed on him but to be the king’s friend. Leonardo spent his final years sketching and continuing his scientific studies and designs. In fact, his paintings of water moving and of whirlpools were used in scientific research of turbulence.
Leonardo’s favorite of his own work was his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa. Completed in 1506, it is the smallest of his paintings—only thirty inches by twenty-one inches—and is oil painted on wood. Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo, Leonardo’s neighbor, is believed to be the model for the Mona Lisa, though no one is 100 percent certain. The painting is famous for many reasons: it is an excellent example of sfumato and of chiaroscuro (a contrasting of light and shadow), but it is her expression that is most discussed about the painting. In it, her slight smile seems both innocent and knowing at the same time, and her eyes seem to follow you. Leonardo kept the painting with him until his death, at which point it became the property of King Francois. Although it now hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris, it has also been in Napoleon’s possession, hidden to protect it during the Franco-Prussian War and World War II, traveled to other countries and other museums, and was even stolen in 1911 by an Italian employee of the Louvre who believed it should reside in Italy. It was returned two years later. In 1956, part of the painting was damaged when a vandal threw acid at it, and later that same year, a rock was thrown at it, resulting in the loss of a speck of pigment near the left elbow. It is now protected by bulletproof glass.
Sandro Botticelli
May 20, 1455–May 17, 1510
Sandro Botticelli was born in Florence and became an apprentice when he was fourteen years old. He also studied under Andrea del Verrocchio, as well as the engraver Antonio del Pollaiuolo and the master painter Fra Filippo Lippi. Botticelli got his own workshop when he was twenty-five and stayed in Florence under the patronage of the Medicis and other wealthy families there. His most famous painting is The Birth of Venus, which he completed around 1486, and now hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. It is widely agreed that his model for Venus and other women in his work was Simonetta Vespucci, for whom he had an unrequited love. Simonetta died in 1476. The unmarried Botticelli asked that when he died, he be buried at her feet. His wish was carried out when he died thirty-four years later, and they are both buried in the Church of Ognissanti in Florence.
Piero della Francesca
Circa 1415–October 12, 1492
Although Piero della Francesca became one of the most admired painters of the Italian Renaissance, very little is known about his early life or his training as an artist. He was born in the Tuscan town of Borgo Santo Sepolcro sometime around 1415. Early records indicate that he may have apprenticed with a local painter before moving to Florence around 1439 to paint frescoes for a church there. In addition to art, he was also known as a brilliant mathematician.
Throughout his life, della Francesca received commissions to paint frescoes and altarpieces in churches in Tuscany and beyond. Though many of these have been lost or destroyed, his cycle of frescoes in the basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo is considered to be not only one of his masterpieces but also one of the masterpieces of the entire Renaissance. His painting The Baptism of Christ is probably the most representative of his style, in particular his use of color and light, which makes his paintings appear almost bleached.
Della Francesco never lost his ties with his small hometown, always returning there after time in cities. He spent the last two years of his life there. During that time, he is believed to have abandoned painting and returned to the study of mathematics and its relationship to painting. Interestingly, although he was respected by his peers, he did not have the influence many of them did. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that he was recognized as a major artist of the Italian Renaissance.
I do so much research for each book in The Treasure Chest series and discover so many cool facts that I can’t fit into every book. Here are some of my favorites from my research for The Treasure Chest: #9 Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Master. Enjoy!
One of my favorite cities in the whole world is Florence, Italy. I’ve been lucky enough to go there dozens of times and always find something new to see. The works of art of Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Michelangelo are all over the city, constant reminders of the lasting effects of the great art of the Renaissance.