Renaissance1483-1486
Virgin of the Rocks
Leonardo da Vinci
Curator's Eye
"A work commissioned by the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception for the church of San Francesco Grande in Milan."
A manifesto of Leonardo's genius, fusing theological mystery and scientific observation in an unreal geological landscape.
Analysis
The Virgin of the Rocks marks the advent of Leonardesque sfumato, a technique of overlapping transparent glazes that abolishes the line in favor of atmosphere. Psychologically, the work explores the apocryphal meeting between the Christ Child and Saint John the Baptist during the flight to Egypt. the Virgin Mary occupies the center, protective, linking the figures through complex gestures: her left hand hovers above Christ while her right arm envelops John the Baptist. The Angel, of androgynous beauty, points to the precursor, creating a silent and mysterious dialogue that breaks with Florentine Renaissance codes.
The work is part of a context of Milanese religious fervor, where the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was at the heart of the debates. Leonardo places his figures not on a celestial throne, but in a dark cave, a symbol of the maternal womb and the mystery of the Incarnation. The geological precision of the rock strata and the botanical diversity in the foreground testify to the artist's obsession with the "science of painting," where each plant and each stone is an observation of divine nature put at the service of a deep spiritual message.
One of the greatest secrets lies in the existence of two autograph versions. The Louvre version, earlier, is judged more daring by the pointing gesture of the angel and its lack of halos. Recent infrared reflectography analyses have revealed major repentirs in the London version, showing that Leonardo had initially planned a totally different composition, a more conventional Adoration of the Child, before returning to the initial scheme. Furthermore, botanists have identified plants with precise medicinal and symbolic properties, suggesting an esoteric link between nature and the healing of the soul through the future sacrifice of Christ.
Another mystery concerns the light. Unlike the usual zenithal light, it here seems to emanate from within the cave itself or be filtered through distant openings, creating a dramatic chiaroscuro. X-ray studies have also shown traces of hands and fingers in the lower layers of paint, confirming that Leonardo used his hands to blur the pigments and achieve the supreme softness of the flesh. Finally, the controversy over the payment of the work lasted more than twenty years, forcing Leonardo to re-execute a second version to satisfy the clients dissatisfied with the first.
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What major discovery did infrared reflectography reveal beneath the London version (National Gallery) of "The Virgin of the Rocks"?
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