The 13 Most Significant Leonardo da Vinci Paintings in 2024
Leonardo da Vinci Paintings are without a doubt some of the most famous in history. From the ‘Mona Lisa’ to ‘The Last Supper,’ da Vinci revolutionized art and has fascinated people for centuries. In this guide to the famous Renaissance paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, we’ll share a short biography and dive into his most world-famous works.
If you are an aspiring artist trying to decide the age-old question of acrylic vs oil painting or looking for acrylic painting ideas for beginners, there is no better way to expand your artistic understanding than by soaking up all of the great art that has come before us.
According to the University of California, Berkeley, “Leonardo was and is best known as an artist, the creator of such masterpieces as the ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘Madonna of the Rocks’ and ‘The Last Supper’. Yet Leonardo was far more than a great artist: he had one of the best scientific minds of his time.”
Jump to Section
- The History of Leonardo da Vinci
- What Was Leonardo da Vinci Famous For?
- The Greatest Leonardo da Vinci Paintings
The Life of Leonardo da Vinci
There is no question that Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest Renaissance painters and thinkers. Before we can dive into his most inspiring and influential artwork, here is a quick overview of Leonardo da Vinci’s history.
Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452. During his youth, he trained in the city of Florence and learned how to be a painter and sculptor. While many people might struggle to learn oil painting for beginners, da Vinci flourished under the tutelage of his teacher, Andrea del Verrocchio.
He began learning at age 14, and according to a popular legend, when his teacher saw the beauty of da Vinci’s artwork, he never painted again. By the time he was 20 years old, da Vinci had begun his own career in earnest, painting pictures of angels and other religious themes as a member of the Guild of Saint Luke. During his adulthood, he began to study more and produce scientific drawings and writings.
Over the course of his career, many prominent people of the Renaissance like King Francis I of France, the infamous Medici family and Pope Leo X, became friends and patrons of the famous artist. Throughout his life, da Vinci lived in Milan, Florence, Rome and France, but besides these basic biographical facts and the art and writings he left behind, very little is known about his personal life.
Some people wonder about Leonardo da Vinci's wife, but the famous thinker never married. Even in his thousands of pages of writing, there is little mention of relationships or personal affairs. Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519 at the age of 67, but his reputation as a polymath, inventor, artist and all-around genius has lasted for centuries.
What Was Leonardo da Vinci Famous For?
Because of his wide variety of interests and his cultural influence across the years, many view da Vinci as the founder of the Renaissance and one of the most influential thinkers in history. He was undoubtedly a genius, and his life, works and name have been the focus of intense interest for centuries.
When examining the art career of Leonardo da Vinci, almost all experts agree that he was one of the greatest painters in history. This is high praise, but da Vinci deserves it! One proof of this claim is that his artwork is treasured and regarded as highly skillful even though hundreds of years have passed since he painted the works. It is also remarkable to think that his fame has lasted when you consider how much of his art has been lost over the centuries.
So, how many Leonardo da Vinci paintings are left? Given that da Vinci lived so long ago, there are only around 25 major paintings still in existence that were verifiably painted by the Renaissance master. This is a tiny number!
There are around 900 Van Gogh paintings in existence, around 300 Rembrandts, and even 182 from da Vinci’s Renaissance contemporary, Michelangelo. With only 25 verified paintings to study, the fact that da Vinci is still regarded as one of the greatest painters of all time is remarkable.
The good news is that even though there are only a few paintings to examine, we do still have some unfinished paintings, a wide array of drawings (over 2,500) and da Vinci’s famous notebooks, where he wrote and drew about an incredibly wide variety of topics.
So while there may only be a tiny number of Leonardo da Vinci paintings left, we still have plenty of evidence of his remarkable curiosity and powers of observation.
The Greatest Leonardo da Vinci Paintings
1. Mona Lisa
Many say that da Vinci is one of the most famous painters in history, and there is no question that his painting ‘Mona Lisa’ is the most famous portrait of all time. The ‘Mona Lisa’ is a painting of a woman named Lisa, who was the wife of a man named Francesco del Giocondo.
The portrait, which was painted sometime after 1503, shows a woman with a mysterious smile who looks right at the viewer. ‘Mona Lisa’ shows all of da Vinci’s skill as an oil painter, and it has served as an inspiration for many who would like to learn how to start oil painting.
How much is the ‘Mona Lisa’ painting worth? Best estimates of the painting’s value begin at an overwhelming $860 million price tag, but some would say that it is worth billions of dollars. The best answer to this question, however, is that this most famous work by da Vinci is truly priceless.
2. The Last Supper
Sometime between 1495 and 1498, da Vinci painted ‘The Last Supper’. One of his most famous works, it was completed on a wall of the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. The painting is 15 feet tall and is a masterpiece of painting technique.
The painting depicts Jesus telling his disciples that one of them will betray him, and you can see different reactions on the faces of each of the 12 disciples, which adds elements of drama to this religious masterpiece.
3. Vitruvian Man
What are the three famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci? Along with ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last Supper’, da Vinci’s ‘Vitruvian Man’ completes his top three most famous works. Although ‘Vitruvian Man’ is a drawing rather than a painting, it is one of the most recognizable works by da Vinci. The drawing shows a man in two different positions superimposed on top of each other.
Leonardo used this image to illustrate concepts about the ideal human figure found in a text he was studying at the time, and it shows how much of a thinker da Vinci was. The famous image is so fragile that it is not displayed to the public, rather it is kept in a special climate-controlled facility.
4. The Baptism of Christ
Because so few of da Vinci’s paintings remain and there is such a large gap between his time and ours, it can be difficult to know Leonardo da Vinci’s first painting. Of the 25 we have available to study, the earliest created work is ‘The Baptism of Christ’.
This painting is a collaboration created with his instructor, Andrea del Verrocchio. It is a depiction of Jesus being baptized, and the bright colors and gold halos on the angels in the painting make this work stand out from some of his later works. Leonardo da Vinci’s first known painting shows us his skill and natural ability.
5. Lady With an Ermine
One of the best Leonardo da Vinci paintings is ‘Lady With an Ermine’, which many scholars believe to be a portrait of a lady named Cecilia Gallerani. Some people speculate that da Vinci was involved in a romantic relationship with Cecilia, but it is impossible to know for sure.
Speculation aside, the detail of this painting is astounding, from the delicate brushwork on the ermine to the anatomical precision of the lady’s face.
6. Salvator Mundi
Because it can be difficult to place Leonardo da Vinci paintings in order, we have to estimate the dates or years he finished pieces. For his famous painting ‘Salvator Mundi', our best guess is that the painting was created around the year 1500.
Have you ever wondered how much an original Leonardo da Vinci painting is worth?” This painting sold for $450 million in 2017, despite being in pretty bad condition. In fact, when the painting sold at auction there was a lot of debate about whether or not it actually was one of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings. We may never find out the truth, but this painting certainly belongs in the hall of fame of Renaissance artwork.
7. Portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci
If you’ve ever wanted to see one of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings for yourself, you don’t have to travel to Italy or France. In fact, there is a da Vinci work on display in Washington, D.C., at the National Gallery of Art.
That painting, ‘Ginevra de’ Benci’, shows a young woman in what is known as a three-quarter pose. A three-quarter pose, for those looking for acrylic painting tips for beginners, means that the subject’s face is turned slightly towards the viewer, rather than being shown in complete profile. Many scholars believe that da Vinci was the first person to ever paint people in this position, although now it is so common that we don’t even think of it as being that revolutionary.
8. The Virgin of the Rocks
If you are willing to travel to see some of Lenoardo da Vinci’s paintings, consider visiting the National Gallery of London or the Louvre in Paris to see one of the two versions of his painting ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’.
This religious work depicts an apocryphal story from the days of Jesus, and the complex poses and expressions of the subjects show the change of art as Leonardo da Vinci helped move art history into the High Renaissance era.
9. Self-Portrait
Another one of da Vinci’s most famous works is a drawing made in red chalk that is supposed to be a self portrait da Vinci drew during his old age.
As with most of his surviving works, there is some debate about whether or not this is a self-portrait, but the work does have a dignified, somber expression that shows his masterful ability to capture the human form on paper.
10. Portrait of a Musician
‘Portrait of a Musician’ is somewhat of a mystery, as are so many of da Vinci’s paintings. In this portrait, da Vinci has paid a great deal of attention to the young man’s eyes.
This makes sense, given what we know of da Vinci’s studies of anatomy. Other parts of the painting, however, seem to be a bit rushed and less-than-perfect.
11. Saint John the Baptist
As we have mentioned, it is difficult to put Leonardo da Vinci paintings in order. However, da Vinci’s painting ‘Saint John the Baptist’ is widely believed to be his last painting.
It is an oil painting created on walnut wood, and it shows a rather unique version of John the Baptist. The overall feeling created by this painting is one of spiritual awareness mixed with a slight discomfort at the ambiguity of John’s face in the painting.
12. The Adoration of the Magi
Leonardo da Vinci’s history is often wrapped in mystery, and as a result we don’t have a lot of insight into his painting procedures. Instead, we have to examine his unfinished works for hints at how he created his masterpieces.
The painting ‘The Adoration of the Magi’ is one such work. It depicts the Magi and many others leaning in close to examine the Virgin Mary and the newborn baby Jesus.
13. Annunciation
One of Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings from early in his career is a beautiful painting called Annunciation. This word refers to the moment in the Bible the Virgin Mary hears from the angel Gabriel that she is going to miraculously conceive Jesus, the Son of God. The beautiful details on the angel’s wings and the expression on Mary’s face show da Vinci’s skill as a painter, even early in his career.
We hope this guide to the best Leonardo da Vinci paintings has inspired you to complete your next art project.
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