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Gallery 2
The Young Leonardo, ca. 1472–81
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Read about the works in this gallery, or view images from the exhibition (see below). |
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There is little documentation regarding the first ten years of Leonardo's career. In 1472 the twenty-year-old artist was inscribed in the account book of the painter's confraternity, the Compagnia di San Luca, in Florence, and the payment schedule for his dues began that June. This document may be taken to mark the conclusion of Leonardo's apprenticeship and the beginning of his career as a professional painter, though he seems to have stayed with Andrea del Verrocchio until at least 1476, probably as a collaborator. From Verrocchio, a highly successful master who was primarily a sculptor, Leonardo seems to have learned a refined plastic conception of form, especially evident in his early drapery studies painted with the brush in ink, wash, and gouache on linen.
Another significant legacy from his teacher may have been the method of inventing compositions in quick sketches. This process is recorded in Verrocchio's sheet exploring a sequence of poses for an infant (cat. no. 4), which demonstrates a sculptor's method of visualizing form. Leonardo's sketches for the Madonna of the Cat (ca. 1478–80) similarly portray the figural motifs from a variety of views (cat. nos. 18, 19). His initial sketches also integrate the use of wash to obtain a remarkably sculptural chiaroscuro that functions as a dynamic, unifying element of the composition.
Select an image to explore the details.
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