Leonardo Portrait
(Reconstruction - sketch)
I was commissioned to do a classical oil portrait of ‘the young Leonardo’, and this is the first general idea for it. It was approved by the client, which means I can now continue adding a few more compositional details and refine everything before transferring it to canvas.
A QUIET FAREWELL: A letter from Francesco Melzi
Ser Giuliano e fratelli suoi honorandi.
Credo che siate certificati della morte di Maestro Lionardo fratello vostro, e mio quanto optimo Padre, per la cui morte sarebbe impossibile che io potesse esprimere mie membra si soseranno insieme, io possederò una perpetua infelicità, e meritamente perchè sviscerato et adentissimo amore mi portava giornalmente.
E’l dolo ad ognuno la perdita di tal uomo, quale non è più in podestà della natura. Adesso Iddio omnipotente gli conceda eterna quete…
Ser Giuliano and your honoured brothers.
I believe that you are informed of the death of Maestro Lionardo, your brother, and my almost more than father, but it would be impossible to express to you the grief I feel on this occasion, and ever shall feel as long as I continue to exist, and most deservedly from the selfless and incandescent love he bore me.
The loss of such a man is an affliction to the whole world. God has now granted him eternal rest…
May 2nd, 1519 - Leonardo da Vinci dies in exile at Chateau Cloux in Amboise, France. He was 67 years old.
In his will, Leonardo requested to have 60 lit tapers carried by 60 poor men, who were paid for the service, to follow his coffin. Aside from being a beautifully haunting and dramatic sight, as funerals were usually held at dusk, there was a reason for it, one that seems almost out of place, but also perfectly befitting his way of thinking:
“So God can see the way to come for my Soul…”
You will be forever missed, Leonardo.
A fare odore.
To’ buona acqua rosa e mollatene ne le mani; di poi togli del fiore di spigo e frigate fre l’una mano e latria, ed è buono.
To make scent.
Take fresh rosewater and moisten your hands with it; then take flower of lavender and rub it between your hands, and it will be good.
#15o413
(Reconstruction)
A small portrait of Leonardo to mark his birthday…
♥
PROGETTO LEONARDO
{ Project Leonardo }
Villa La Loggia, in the hills just outside of Florence.
Converted from an old country house by the Pazzi family in the 15th century, it is said it was in this building that in the spring of 1478 the Pazzi met to conspire against the Medici to determine the manner in which they would kill Lorenzo and Giuliano de’Medici.
Today it houses the headquarters of Italy’s most renowned publisher, Giunti, and access is restricted to staff and scheduled visitors.
There is without a doubt a sense of awe that comes with being in the same room as the National Edition of Manuscripts and Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. Not only because they are rare and extremely valuable, but because of the intense work and love for Leonardo’s legacy that went into them. The care that was taken to faithfully reproduce the individual notebooks and folios is absolutely astounding: Every ink smear, every stain and torn page, stitches, frayed edges and loose bindings - it is all there.
Held in large leather bound boxes with gold tooling on the spine and cover, it is like opening a treasure trove of knowledge in more than one way, and the accompanying transcriptions and annotations by various highly respected names in the field, such as historian and Leonardo scholar Carlo Pedretti, make it easier for anyone to study Leonardo’s writings without the need of learning to read his hand.
After some discussion about Leonardo and his work, as well as my work and a very good strong coffee, I was left alone with the collection for a little over an hour to browse whichever notebooks I wanted, and photograph them as I pleased. Needless to say, it was my idea of utter bliss.
In the attached photos, you can see a few of the French Manuscripts (and letters and notes that were stuck into the books sometime in the 1800’s), the Forster Codices, the Codex Leicester (Hammer), and one of the 12 volumes that make up the Codex Atlanticus.
Special Thanks to Stefano and Ilaria from ‘Progetto Leonardo’ for allowing me access to the collection.
Everything is Leonardo…
… my playground this afternoon at the Giunti Editore headquarters in Florence. - More about this soon!
Florence, we meet again…
A couple of months ago I was invited by the Publishing House Giunti to visit them at their headquarters in Florence to view the National Edition of Manuscripts and Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, a faithful reproduction of Leonardo’s notebooks and folios.
The extremely limited edition facsimiles are part of Progetto Leonardo (Project Leonardo), an initiative to make the works more accessible to libraries and museums, as well as private collectors. They are treated with as much reverence as the originals, and only a few of them are still available…
So with this at the back of my mind I just arrived in Florence, just for two days, just for Leonardo. I’ve been given permission to photograph at Giunti, so naturally that means there will be a little write-up about it all come the end of the week!
And just like last time, for all other pictures I might take, they’ll find their way onto my instagram or twitter. :)
Photo: Nykolai Aleksander | Leonardo’s Codex Forster III, V&A Museum, London
![BROTHERLY LOVE: A letter to Domenico da Vinci
Amantissimo mio fratello. Solo questa per avvisarti come ne’ dì passati io ricevetti una tua, per la quale io intesi tu avere av[u]to erete, della quale cosa intendo come hai fatto strema allegrezza. Il che, stimando io tu essere prudente, al tutto son chiaro come i’ sono tanto alieno da l’avere bono giudizio, quanto tu dalla prudenza, con ciò sia che tu ti se’ rallegrato d’averti creato un sollecito nemico, il quale con tutti li sua s[t]udi disiderera liberta, la quale non sarà senza tua morte…
My beloved brother. Just to let you know I learn from your letter that you have an heir and I understand you are extremely pleased about it. To the extent that I had formerly judged you to be endowed with prudence, I am now convinced that I was far from being a perspicacious observer as you from being prudent, for you are congratulating yourself on having created a vigilant enemy, who with all his heart desires liberty, which he will only get with your death…
[ It is a known fact that Leonardo did not see eye to eye with his siblings on his father’s side - 9 brothers and 2 sisters - due to his illegitimacy. The tone in this letter is not an isolated case by far, although Leonardo may well have found this darkly amusing rather than aggressive. ]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/aef38c5fb9963c04f91c644ac5ad79ae/tumblr_mkukj5BO5A1r8dv1ho1_500.jpg)
BROTHERLY LOVE: A letter to Domenico da Vinci
Amantissimo mio fratello. Solo questa per avvisarti come ne’ dì passati io ricevetti una tua, per la quale io intesi tu avere av[u]to erete, della quale cosa intendo come hai fatto strema allegrezza. Il che, stimando io tu essere prudente, al tutto son chiaro come i’ sono tanto alieno da l’avere bono giudizio, quanto tu dalla prudenza, con ciò sia che tu ti se’ rallegrato d’averti creato un sollecito nemico, il quale con tutti li sua s[t]udi disiderera liberta, la quale non sarà senza tua morte…
My beloved brother. Just to let you know I learn from your letter that you have an heir and I understand you are extremely pleased about it. To the extent that I had formerly judged you to be endowed with prudence, I am now convinced that I was far from being a perspicacious observer as you from being prudent, for you are congratulating yourself on having created a vigilant enemy, who with all his heart desires liberty, which he will only get with your death…
[ It is a known fact that Leonardo did not see eye to eye with his siblings on his father’s side - 9 brothers and 2 sisters - due to his illegitimacy. The tone in this letter is not an isolated case by far, although Leonardo may well have found this darkly amusing rather than aggressive. ]
LEONARDO RING
Handmade Fine Silver ring with a dark golden Patina and Leonardo’s handwriting - ’amantissimo’- carved into the band. While that is the male form, the female ‘amantissima’ is of course also possible, taken from a different notebook entry.
Want? - You can get this made to measure, and it doesn’t cost that much, either. :)
