Sfumato
Ultra-fine layers of translucent paint soften contours and blend tones without hard edges, producing a smoky atmosphere and lifelike skin.
Leonardo da Vinci — Art, Methods & Timeline
What did Leonardo do? How did he do it? When did he begin? Explore Leonardo's art through an immersive, multilingual experience.
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Who was Leonardo as an artist?
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was a painter, draftsman, and inventor whose artistic practice sought scientific truth in nature. His artworks fused close observation with experimental technique, shaping the High Renaissance.
Apprenticed in Florence, he mastered drawing, perspective, anatomy, light, and atmosphere. He approached painting as a science, calling it “the grandchild of nature.”
c. 1466–1519
Years active in art
~15–20
Attributed paintings
>7,000
Surviving notebook pages
Sfumato, Chiaroscuro
Named techniques
📖How did he do it?
Chiaroscuro
Bold orchestration of light and shadow models forms in three dimensions. Leonardo studied how light travels across curved surfaces and how reflected light softens darkness.
Underdrawing & Revisions (Pentimenti)
Infrared reflectography reveals exploratory sketches beneath paint layers. Leonardo iterated on pose, hands, and drapery, refining compositions as ideas evolved.
Anatomy & Proportion
Dissections and measurements informed convincing motion and structure. The famous “Vitruvian Man” aligned human proportion with geometry.
Materials & Experiments
He tested grounds, binders, and varnishes; sometimes the experiments failed (as in “The Last Supper” wall technique), but they pushed technique forward.
🕒When did he start? Key moments
Dates are approximate; Leonardo often worked across many years.
🖌️Signature works
🖼️Studio & Paintings — Image Gallery
Click any image for a closer look
❓Frequently asked questions
Why are some works unfinished?
Leonardo continually revised ideas and prioritized research; commissions and relocations also interrupted projects.
Did he paint fast?
No—he built up forms slowly through studies, underdrawing, and glazes, sometimes over years.
What makes his portraits feel alive?
Micro-modeling of light, subtle asymmetries, and sfumato around eyes and mouth generate lifelike expression.
📚Sources (selected)
- Royal Collection Trust — Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing
- Louvre Museum — Catalogue entries for Leonardo
- Gallerie dell'Accademia — Vitruvian Man
- Kemp, Zöllner, Bambach, Farago (scholarly overviews)
Scholarly consensus evolves; dates and attributions may change with new research.