Uncoding da Vinci: Amazing life and legacy of Mona Lisa creator
He was responsible for one of the most famous smiles in the world.
Our fascination for the life and legacy of the Mona Lisa creator, Italian artist and man of science, Leonardo da Vinci, lives on five centuries after his death on May 2, 1519.
Despite having less than 25 major artworks to his name as well as many lost and unfinished projects, da Vinci remains one of history’s greatest painters, best known for his iconic artworks such as the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and The Vitruvian Man.
He was born near the Tuscan hill-town of Vinci in Florence in 1452 and is credited for founding the High Renaissance, a short but explosive period of exceptional artistic production in painting, sculpture and architecture during the Italian Renaissance.
Yet da Vinci was a true polymath whose genius extended beyond his superlative use of a paintbrush. He was also a gifted engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor and architect who produced innovative studies on anatomy, optics and perspective and was named “first painter and engineer” of the French royal court by King Francis I two years before his death.
Aside from his prodigious creativity, the private life of da Vinci, particularly his sexuality, has fascinated historians for centuries.
It was also the subject matter of TV series Leonardo starring Poldark actor Aidan Turner in the titular role. The Amazon Prime Video release, which aired last month, has been widely panned by critics for its lacklustre script that focused on his friendship with “muse” Caterina da Cremona – a fictional character dreamed up in a 19th Century biography by Giuseppe Bossi – and her made-up murder plot.
However, the series did explore da Vinci’s relationships with men. While there’s scant written evidence that provides insights into the polymath’s private life, art historians and academics largely agree that da Vinci was openly gay at a time when it was still a crime in Italy.
While public attitudes towards same-sex relationships were relatively lax in his hometown of Florence, there are records of da Vinci’s run-ins with the law – at 23, he was accused of consorting with a sex worker but the charges were later dismissed.
Historians believe Da Vinci was romantically involved with his apprentices, including Giacomo Caprotti, nicknamed “Salaì” or “little devil”. Salaì lived with da Vinci for about two decades and modelled for some of his most famous artworks. This could include the Mona Lisa – in 2016, historian Silvano Vinceti suggested the Mona
Lisa was a composite of Florentine woman, Lisa del Giocondo, and Salaì.
In a potential love triangle, historians also cite Francesco Melzi, who joined the artist as his private secretary in 1505. Da Vinci is thought to have bounced between his two apprentices, with Melzi eventually becoming a favourite.
Both Melzi and France’s King Francis I were present when da Vinci died in Amboise, France, aged 67. Melzi inherited Leonardo’s fortune, paintings, notebooks, tools and personal effects. Salaì, in contrast, received half a vineyard but somehow was in possession of the Mona Lisa at the time of his death.
Today, the world’s most famous artwork hangs in the Louvre in Paris and is worth an estimated £600 million.