Leonardo da Vinci
La Vergine delle Rocce

THE REVIEW

Leonardo da Vinci: An Unfathomable Genius!

Still not completely understood today, never studied and analyzed enough.

Draftsman, painter, mathematician, scientist, sculptor, architect, engineer, anatomist, musician, literati... A talent of such magnitude perhaps emerges once every two or three millennia on the Planet. Among the countless creations by the Leonardesque genius, one has always amazed and fascinated me: "The Virgin of the Rocks" (Madonna with Child, St. John the Baptist, and an angel).

This work attracts me, also for the subtle aura of mystery linked to its versions. One is housed at the Louvre in Paris (oil painting on panel measuring 199 x 122 cm), the other is at the National Gallery in London (oil painting on panel measuring 189.5 x 120 cm). There is a third, owned by a Swiss collector. Even though very similar and treating the same subject, in truth, there are many and significant differences that characterize them, albeit imperceptible at first glance. They are both magnificent.

The one in Paris was created between 1483 and 1486, while the one in London between 1495 and 1508. One could pour rivers of words to describe "The Virgin of the Rocks," but they would never be enough. The rare light atmosphere in the background, creates a magical astral brightness, absolutely avant-garde. The technique of perspective spreads throughout the image, giving us sublime and moving sensations...

Only by placing them side by side and observing them carefully, can one notice subtle yet salient differences, without diminishing anything of the beauty that permeates both masterpieces. Above all, the rocks and the landscape struck my artistic imagination and sensitivity. The perfection with which they were painted, and the very rarefied three-dimensional effect that distinguishes the background, constitute an innovative element in Leonardo's painting. The sweetness of the Virgin's face, veiled with melancholy, reveals a sense of protection towards Jesus, almost foreshadowing what He would have to endure in a not too distant future.

The figures appear inserted in a pyramidal base design: typical of Leonardo to create underlying geometric schemes, within which to place his works. Among the many mysteries that envelop all his creations, it seems that here too was hidden the shape of an eagle camouflaged in a not easily identifiable point of the painting.

Legend or reality?

"The Virgin of the Rocks" depicted here refers to the Paris panel, as, according to scholars, it is the first completely autograph. Leonardo's character, so eclectic and multifaceted, in the multitude of ideas, projects, inventions, and more, is a world unto itself, unique, unrepeatable, unparalleled. If he had lived longer, what else would he have been able to develop with his superior mental capabilities?

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