Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci. Leonardo da Vinci ( ) was born in the small Tuscan village of Vinci near

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1 Barber 1 Lee Barber Dr. Troy Thomas Art History November 2010 Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci Leonardo da Vinci ( ) was born in the small Tuscan village of Vinci near the city of Florence, Italy. It is said that Leonardo's birth was illegitimate, a love child of sorts, having been born to an unwed couple. Leonardo's parents would later divorce and re-marry providing him a total of seventeen siblings. He was raised by his peasant mother until about the age of five and thereafter raised by his father, Ser Piero d'antonio, and Uncle, Francesco. Leonardo's father saw great artistic potential in him at a very young age and sent Leonardo to Florence where he would study with the highly regarded artist, sculptor, and goldsmith, Andrea Verrocchio at about age fifteen. The work of Leonardo would later have a significant influence on artists like Michaelangelo and Raphael. By account of Giorgio Vasari, art historian of the 16th century, Verrocchio was amazed by such promising beginnings and urged Piero to have the lad study the subject. Together, Verrocchio and Leonardo painted Annunciation (c ) and Leonardo is said to have painted his portion so well that caused Verrocchio vowed to never paint again (Bramley 37). By the time Leonardo was in his early twenties he was a member of the Company of Painters, implying that his studies with Verrocchio had commenced and he

2 Barber 2 was out on his own doing independent work. Leonardo would go on to study many different facets of interest that spanned beyond artistic expression, including an array of subjects in the sciences, mathematics, and humanities. While living in Florence, just after or right at the end of his apprenticeship with Verrocchio, Leonardo created one of the first three-quarter pose female portraits of the Italian Renaissance, Ginevra de' Benci (c. 1474), depicting the aristocrat daughter of a Florentine banker, Amerigo Benci. The painting is relatively small, only measuring approximately 14 x15, and was acquired for $5 million by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in This painting by Leonardo is currently the only work by him in America (National Gallery of Art). Ginevra's portrait is known to have been commissioned to celebrate her marriage or engagement to Luigi di Bernardo Niccolini at the age of sixteen. Art historians have concluded her identity as represented by the ginepro (juniper) seen in the background of the painting. Ginevra was known to be a beautiful woman there were ten poems and two sonnets written about her radiant appeal. The work was created using a blend of tempera and oil on a single wood panel to create a natural and realistic approach at portraiture seldom seen before in the Renaissance period. Prior to this work, female subjects would normally be seen in profile and never make such a strong psychological connection by looking the viewer directly in the eye. During this time, it was thought to be promiscuous if a woman looked at a man in this way. Once wives caught sight of this portrait, a feminist movement took hold creating a new standard of how women should be perceived in

3 Barber 3 society, providing women a new sense of independence. Leonardo painted the background of Ginevra with great detail and accuracy, allowing the feel of climate and nature to penetrate the ambiance of the painting's composition. The soft tones and texture of Ginevra's skin was deliberately applied by Leonardo with grace and dexterity using his finger. In fact, an up close detail of the painting will reveal part of Leonardo's fingerprint. Evidence of Leonardo's fascination with science is portrayed in the rippling waves of Ginevra's hair, similar to that of flowing water. Further, the predominance of warm colors in the foreground and cool colors of nature in the background create an optical illusion providing the viewer a sense of depth of field. Much like a photograph, the outline of the subject is in clear view where as the trees and landscape have an atmospheric perspective that diminishes with the intricate blend of colors. All of the techniques and qualities of this painting tell us the work was done by Leonardo himself; however, the painting is unsigned (Vezzosi 40). The reverse side of the painting adds symbolic importance to the figure depicted. A scroll is shown between a wreath of laurel and palm branches that reads, Virtutem Forma Decorat (beauty adorns virtue) in Latin with a sprig of juniper in the middle, further implying the sitter's identity. Unlike other female portraits of the Early Renaissance, Ginevra is seen outdoors with a vast landscape behind her. Women of this time were typically only seen in paintings of them behind closed doors, never out in the open. This was yet another innovation by Leonardo who constantly pushed the limits and resolved for compositions that appealed to his own liking. At some point in history this painting was damaged and a portion of the bottom was removed, taking with

4 Barber 4 it what would have been Ginevra's arms and hands. It is believed that if we were able to see Ginevra's hands that she would be holding a sprig of juniper, solidifying the theory that this is indeed a portrait of the young poet, Ginevra, herself. In the 15th century, juniper was a symbolic icon of honor commonly attributed to those of high regard, such as an important figure like Ginevra (Garrard 32). Scholars have speculated as to the true commissioner for Ginevra's portrait, as an x-ray image of the painting in 1991 revealed that there is a second motto in Latin inscribed underneath the one visible to the naked eye. The hidden motto reads, Virtue and Honor, a phrase attributed to Bernado Bembo, friend of the Ginevra family. Thus, some have claimed that Ginevra was Bembo's lover and hired Leonardo to paint the portrait of Ginevra because he adored her so much. This theory is not generally given much credit as it is generally accepted that the painting was to commemorate the marriage of Benci and Niccolini (Gerrard 26). Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci is certainly not his most famous work, but certainly provides insight to his capabilities as a young artist and sets the stage for what he would complete in the future. Comparing this early work with one of Leonardo's later works, such as the Mona Lisa, there are obvious similarities in the subject's pose, facial expressions, and overall composition. Afterall, the Ginevra de' Benci and Mona Lisa are two of the only three known female portraits completed by Leonardo. The other female portrait that Leonardo completed was Lady with an Ermine (c ). After living in Florence for a number of years, Leonardo took an opportunity to work for the Duke of Milan, Lodovico Sforza, where he was commissioned to paint the

5 Barber 5 Virgin of the Rocks. Leonardo would remain here in Milan for the next seventeen years until Duke Lodovico Sforza was no longer in power due to a French invasion led by Louis XII at the end of the 15th century. Utilizing Leonardo's full potential, Duke Lodovico Sforza not only had Leonardo do numerous works of art but also had him work on a number of architectural and engineering projects. It was here in Milan that Leonardo's mind was given the freedom to roam free and explore new subjects, often causing him to leave behind unfinished work. Once Duke Lodovico Sforza was ousted from power, Leonardo left Milan to find work elsewhere. He spent the remaining twenty years of his life traveling between Florence, Milan, and Rome. Throughout these endeavors, Leonardo worked on various projects including two of his most famous works, the Last Supper (c ) and the Mona Lisa (c ), another unfinished work by Leonardo (Santi 4). Leonardo's last years were spent in France under the care of King Francis I. By the age 67, Leonardo drafts a will at the castle of Cloux at Amboise where he would later die about a week later on May 2 nd His body is buried at the church of Saint-Florentin at Ambrose which is no longer in existence (Kemp 274).

6 Barber 6 Works cited Bramly, Serge. Leonardo: Discovering the Life of Leonardo Da Vinci. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, Print. Garrard, Mary D. "Who Was Ginevra De' Benci? Leonardo's Portrait and Its Sitter Recontextualized." Artibus Et Historiae (2006): JSTOR. Web. 11 Nov < "Ginevra De' Benci [obverse]." National Gallery of Art. Web. 10 Nov < Kemp, Martin. Leonardo. New York: Oxford UP, Print. Santi, Bruno. Leonardo Da Vinci. New York: Riverside Book, Print. Vezzosi, Alessandro. Leonardo Da Vinci: the Mind of the Renaissance. New York: H.N. Abrams, Print.