Confusion around Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous art works

Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous work, the Vitruvian Man is not an original idea, new research said. It seems that the artist took the theory of the delineation from one of his friend, who made it based on thoughts of an ancient author. On the drawing of the shape of man fits perfectly into a circle drawn around the square and forms, thus illustrating the artist’s faith in the human form and divine connection between the universe. The beauty and power of the symbolic meeting is one of the most famous picture in the world. But a new study found that in  around 1490 generated drawing is a copy.

The vitruvian man by Leonardo da Vinci

An forgotten manuscript was found in Ferrara, Italy. The ancient Roman architect describes his view of the human body fits perfectly into a circle (the divine symbol) and into a square (earth symbol) inside. This is a geometric interpretation of the ancient belief that man is a “microcosm,” or miniature embodiment of the entire universe. After decades of study by Claudio Sgarbi Italian architectural historian – who in 1986 discovered the hitherto little-known representation of Vitruvius – now believes the representation is work of  the Renaissance architect Giacomo Andrea de Ferrara, who was Leonardo’s close friend. Sgarbi thinks probably the first time that Giacomo Andrea drew a picture of the  Vitruvius man after  the two men studied together with the work. The main arguments are as follows: Leonardo mentioned it in one of his writings like the work by “Giacomo Andrea Vitruvius” – it seems this a direct reference to the illustrated manuscript of Ferrara. In July 1490 there was a dinner for two common friend, the same year, when both men drawn own Vitruvius. According to experts, at this meeting probably da Vinci found out Giacomo’s theories and knowledge about the Vitruvius.  But it is also striking, considering that the  work of Leonardo’s drawings were almost perfect, while Giacomo Andrea is full with corrections and repetitions, so improbable that Giacomo  had been copied from da Vinci.

One thing is certain: The Vitruvian Man got  international reputation, while the simpler, but perhaps the original flounce in a library for  five hundred years. Interesting, while Milan’s 1499 invasion of France at the time  Leonardo escaped safely and got bigger reputation,  until Giacomo stayed there and the French put him to death, so his work  lost in oblivion – until now.

The original Mona Lisa (right side) and the earliest copy (left side)

Almost at the same time in Prado found the earliest copy of the Mona Lisa, which made by one of students of the master. In this copy  much more better discernible seated woman’s features of Da Vinci. This is a fantastic discovery may help in understanding the world’s most famous painting. The work is one of the  dozens of copies, which  painted after Leonardo’s death, and now it turned out that probably this is one of his students’s painting, who was working with the master. This fact confirmed by arts historians from the museums of Madrid and Paris Louvre. The original can be admired in the Louvre, but the Mona Lisa painting in poor condition. The oil-painted portrait of a very fragile, so the cleaning and restoration would be too risky. Although the identity of the model there are many guessing,  it is now generally accepted that the person of the 16th century Lisa Gherardini, a Florentine merchant, wife of Francesco del Giocondo.

And more recently through an Italian painter says that he found hidden animal images under Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Ron Piccirillo says he can see heads of a lion, a monkey and a buffalo and  a crocodile or snake as well. The lion’s head is over the Mona Lisa is in the air. It can see if he put down the picture on its left side. After he discovered the animals, he  eagerly leafed through Da Vinci diaries, and two months later he concluded that the work is a symbol of envy.  He believes that have to revise the meaning of picture.  The Mona Lisa – or Gioconda – Leonardo’s painting finished around 1519. Since then, is the subject of endless speculation. Discovery of  Piccirillo probably will be cause hotly debated among the arts historians. But this is not only from his “visions”: he discovered some hidden images under other Renaissance painters, Titan, Raphael’s creations.

Written by Ilona Kaszanyi

Tagged Claudio Sgarbi, Da vinci, history news