Beyond Mona Lisa: the art of Leonardo da Vinci

Beyond Mona Lisa: the art of Leonardo da Vinci - Leonardo da Vinci's paintings make him one of the most recognizable artists of the High Renaissance. Works, such as the The Last Supper or Mona Lisa, are important historical landmarks that feature Da Vinci's creativity and skill. Click on the images below and discover what makes his works so unique and important.

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Mona Lisa - Da Vinci's most famous painting, and also one of the most recognizable worldwide, was inspired by the third wife of a wealthy Florentine merchant named Francesco del Giocondo. Her real name was, Lisa Gherardini, also known as, La Gioconda.

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Mona Lisa - The painting took four years to complete, although there are historians who believe that da Vinci never officially finished due to Mona Lisa's lack of eyebrows. However, in 2007, highly detailed scans of the painting revealed that there were indeed eyebrows, but they faded with time and as the result of restorations.

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The Last Supper - In this picture, da Vinci wanted to depict Jesus' last meal with his apostles before being captured and crucified. In addition, he specifically wanted to highlight the moment when Jesus revealed that one of his friends was going to betray him.

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The Last Supper - The picture was painted directly onto the dining room wall of the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent in 1495. The painting is 4.6 x 8.8 m.

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Annunciation - This oil painting was produced between 1478 and 1482 and according to historians, there are two versions of the painting. The work depicts the moment when angel, Gabriel, announced to Mary that she was pregnant with Jesus.

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Annunciation - The work was a stepping stone in Leonardo da Vinci's career due to the uncommon painting techniques that he used.

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The Virgin and Child with St. Anne - Historians believe that this work was created between 1508 and 1513. However, da Vinci left the painting unfinished.

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The Virgin and Child with St. Anne - The painting was restored in 2011. However, the restoration was strongly criticized after the painting was damaged. The colors were altered and a luster added that was not found during the Renaissance period.

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Madonna of the Yarnwinder - This painting no longer exists. There are only copies based on the original that was painted in 1501.

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Madonna of the Yarnwinder - This painting was named after what Jesus appears to be holding in his hand. The niddy noddy (a hand reel for yarn), represents the domestic side of the Virgin Mary.

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Benois Madonna - This da Vinci painting portrays a special moment shared between Mary and her child. At the time, no other painting could replicate this.

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Benois Madonna - The painting was named after its owners, the Benois family, and contains a technique called 'chiaroscuro' that darkens the image and makes the figures appear three dimensional.

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Lady with an Ermine - This portrait of Cecilia Gallerani was created in 1485. The painting was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza.

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Lady with an Ermine - Da Vinci is known for painting androgynous figures, and this painting is yet another example. He liked to blur the lines between the feminine and the masculine by painting traditionally men's clothing on women figures.

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Salvator Mundi - This work is the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci that is part of a private collection. However, the painting will be auctioned on November 15, 2017.

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Salvator Mundi - This is one of the most important da Vinci paintings because it was missing until 2005. The painting represents the image of Jesus Christ as the savior of the world and will be exhibited in Hong Kong, San Francisco and London before being auctioned.

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Madonna Litta - This early fifteenth-century painting is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, however, others believe that it was actually painted by Marco d'Oggiono or Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio.

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Madona Litta - Several sketches by the Italian painter were identified as preparation drawings for this painting. However, the technique presented in the work still raises doubts in many experts.

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The Virgin of the Rocks - This is a set of two identical paintings that were created, in large part, by Leonardo da Vinci. The two versions can be found at The Louvre in Paris and at the National Gallery in London.

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The Virgin of the Rocks - The request for the original Virgin of the Rocks was made by an organization known as, the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception. They needed a painting for their alter centerpiece at the Church of San Francisco in Milan.

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Ginevra de’ Benci - The oil painting depicts an aristocratic lady from the fifteen century in Florence. The painting was purchased by the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. in 1967 for $5 million.

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Adoration of the Magi - This spectacular painting, created sometime between 1481 and 1482, in oil on wood, was unfinished due to the artist's departure to Milan.

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Adoration of the Magi - During his stay at Andrea del Verrocchio's Atelier in Venice, da Vinci learned how to create perspectives. The way he used light and shadow still intrigues experts to this day.

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St. John the Baptist and Leda and the Swan - The 1508 painting, Saint John the Baptist (left), is surrounded by many mysteries. According to experts, the painting's style indicates that the image is connected to The Angel of the Annunciation. The 1505 painting, Leda and the Swan (right), was destroyed, but in it, the artist creates a mythological theme, something that was very rare in his works.

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