Leonardo da Vinci’s modern-day reputation rests largely on his artistic accomplishments. During a time of remarkable developments in the techniques and expressive possibilities of pictorial art, Leonardo’s contributions were especially valuable. He combined his interests in observation and experimentation with a keen aesthetic sensibility and unparalleled artistic skills to produce a remarkable body of sketches and writings on different aspects of pictorial representation.
This section introduces his thoughts and instructions on different aspects of the painter’s craft. “On Painting” presents his general ideas about the essentials of paintings, such as the role of light in compositions, guidelines for different kinds of paintings, and tips for the aspiring painter. “Human Figures” compiles Leonardo’s extensive studies of proportion and balance in the depiction of the human body, considered the noblest subject of Renaissance art. “Light and Shade” consists of his meticulous studies on the interplay of bright and dark in painting.
In “Perspective and Visual Perception,” Leonardo contributes to the landmark accomplishment of the Renaissance—the techniques of creating a realistic space within the picture plane. These techniques derived from a realization that as objects recede into the distance, they are proportionally reduced in size, color clarity, and detail. Leonardo was a master of these various kinds of perspective, as demonstrated by his characteristic sfumato, or smoky atmospheric effects in such paintings as the Mona Lisa and his Virgin and Child with Saint Anne.
And in “Studies and Sketches,” a number of his studies, including those for his famous fresco of The Last Supper, appear alongside his remarkable notes for these projects. This section also includes images of allegorical and fantastic creatures, which demonstrate that Leonardo, for all his faith in the powers of observation, also had a powerfully creative imagination.