The Lord called the Prophet John to preach to the Jewish people, to speak about the coming of Jesus Christ. “And he says, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mat. 3:2). “John answered everyone: I baptize you with water, but the strongest of me is coming, from whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of my shoes; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). But John also baptized Jesus Christ.
John denounced the vices of all people, for which he incurred the wrath of King Herod. John was not afraid to talk about the relationship of the king with his brother's wife Herodiana, who was also his niece. But Herod could not simply kill him, as he was afraid of the wrath of the people. Herodiana hated John even more than Herod. And at the birthday party of Herod, Solomiya, the daughter of Herodiana, danced so that Herod promised to fulfill her every wish. And on the advice of her mother, she demanded that the head of John the Baptist be brought to her on a platter. The promise was kept.
This story was popular in fine arts. Leonardo da Vinci also did not bypass him. But this picture is different from his other creations. Leonardo used a deep landscape (Gioconda, portrait of Ginevra Benci, Madonna in the grotto, even in such paintings as the Madonna Litta in the window we see the landscape). In this picture, the background is dark. Many art historians believe that a disciple of da Vinci is depicted in the image of John. Leonardo breaks with the classical style here.
The picture was written for about four years. It depicts an effeminate man. He has rounded shoulders, feminine soft face, curly hair, and again the same alluring smile. With his left hand he holds a cross, while his right hand points upwards. But he does not look like a saint. Dzhivelegov writes the following about this: “It is clear that the painting belongs to Leonardo himself, apart from stylistic features. None of the disciples could have had such a bold, almost blasphemous thought as the one personified by the "Baptist". In the Windsor draft of the first Florentine era, the modern Adoration of the Magi and the influences of the Platonic Academy, John the Baptist is quite different. He could eat locusts and exhaust himself with ascetic thoughts. This one is completely different." The researcher also notes that “in technical terms, “John the Baptist” continues what Leonardo found and fully implemented back in the “La Gioconda”.
"John" is a magnificent play of chiaroscuro, such a wonderful harmony of Leonard's sfumato. According to B.R. Vipper "But Leonard's sfumato is something more than external environment; it seems to penetrate the body through and through, warming it with its life-giving force, making warm blood play under the skin. With the help of the sfumato, Leonardo wants to penetrate inner life object, reveal its soul, learn the secret of its divine beauty. Leonard's sfumato thus serves not only as a formal picturesque purposes, but also spiritual impact on the viewer.
By sfumato they mean the softness of the pictorial manner, tonal transitions. This term was introduced by da Vinci himself, whose notes are preserved in the Treatise on Painting.
IN historical science there is a very conditional date for the end of the Middle Ages - 1456. They are replaced by the Renaissance period, which began primarily in Italy, when the big interest to antiquity with its achievements in various fields of culture and social activity.
High Renaissance
In Italy, torn apart internal contradictions and suddenly there is an outburst of spirituality - the Renaissance of Leonardo da Vinci. At the same time, the gloomy Michelangelo and the merry Raphael, surrounded by a company of friends, walk the streets. In Florence, at the same time, they receive an order to paint the cathedral of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, and they entrust a young budding official to oversee the progress of work. Well, isn't this an outpouring of spirituality? The ideals of beauty of antiquity, with its precisely adjusted mathematical proportions of statues and buildings, become a model for artists. But they approach this creatively, with great imagination, borrowing only what they consider possible and appropriate, creatively processing the Greco-Roman heritage.
Creative heritage of Leonardo
The genius of this man extended to almost all areas of engineering and painting. He positioned himself mainly not as a painter, which was less in demand, but as an engineer who could create weapons, for example, or as a cook who brought new inventions and dishes to the kitchen. In Milan, he was also the duke's table manager. He watched both the laying of the feast tables and the cooking. The engineering achievements of Leonardo da Vinci include numerous drawings that can be used to build an airplane.
Man must fly, this genius believed. Among his engineering inventions include a parachute, a telescope with two lenses, light portable bridges for the army and much more. In his knowledge of anatomy, he was three hundred years ahead of his time. Living in last years in France, Leonardo da Vinci organized court celebrations, created plans for a new royal palace, simultaneously changed the course of two rivers and planned a canal between them.
Art
For some internal reasons art was of little interest to Leonardo da Vinci. The works that have come down to our times are relatively few.
It must also be emphasized that the only portrait of Leonardo may not depict him. Da Vinci worked slowly and devoted little time to painting. But his developments in the field artistic field so great and significant that they are at an unattainable height right up to our days. Its blurry lines, air space surrounding all the figures and objects in the images is how we see the depicted objects in life.
Notebooks
He wore them constantly and wrote down the thought that came to him in a secret letter, invented, of course, by himself. No one has yet fully deciphered Leonardo da Vinci's notes. During his entire life, about one hundred and twenty such books were collected, in which both fables and anecdotes are recorded. They have drawings and sketches. Leonardo considered the main thing not book knowledge, but knowledge of patterns and things. His desire to move science forward turned out to be very great.
Manuscripts
Leonardo's manuscripts have survived to this day, which he wrote not with his right, but with his left hand. He did not print them, although in the last years of his life such thoughts occurred to him. He did not write in scientific Latin, but in colloquial Italian of his time - concisely, concisely, precisely. His language is rich, bright and expressive.
Therefore, in addition to historical and scientific, records have artistic value. For our contemporaries, the “Treatise on Painting” written by him is still relevant. His fables and playful stories, as well as prophecies and allegories, epigrams have come down to us.
Painting on the board
The painting "John the Baptist" by Leonardo da Vinci was painted in walnut oil on wood in 1508-1513. Its size is 69 x 57 cm. I must say that in those days there was a completely different attitude towards materials for painting. The oil stood and whitened in the sun for fifty years. For sixty, or even more, boards were dried. And the artist composed the paints himself, using crystals, crushed into powder.
So, Leonardo da Vinci "John the Baptist".
Young John is depicted half-turned against a dark background. The light falls on him from the left. With the index finger of his right hand, he points to the cross, his typical attribute, and to the sky, as if inviting the viewer to reflect on the coming of Christ and prepare for his coming. John the Baptist Leonardo da Vinci speaks to the viewer with his eyes, smiling gently. His appearance characteristic of the mature Leonardo. The hermit's clothing is a fur skin in which he is not completely covered. Right shoulder with correct proportions and remained naked. John the Baptist Leonardo da Vinci has long curly hair that falls over his shoulders. The model, presumably, was his student Salai. The transitions from light to shadows are subtle and refined. This is the famous sfumato, which, with soft and gentle transitions between light and dark tones, emphasizes the plasticity and roundness of perfect forms, and also reflects spiritual state saint. It is simply impossible to detect brush marks on the canvas.
The first mention of the painting "John the Baptist" by Leonardo da Vinci dates back to 1517. After Leonardo's death, this work became the property of his student Salai, who made a copy for himself, and it is well preserved. And after his death, relatives sold the original to France. So this work ended up in the Louvre. But later it was resold to England in the collection of Charles I. After the execution of the king, it already ends up in Germany, but no later than it is redeemed by agents Louis XIV and she reappears in France. And now it is on display at the Louvre.
Interest in the personality and work of Leonardo da Vinci is not weakening. For example, in the movie secret life"Mona Lisa"" the authors claim to have discovered the secret of the Gioconda and know who posed for the artist for immortal image, which has become a symbol European art.
Another film about Leonardo da Vinci is The Da Vinci Code, its plot is not related to the scandalous bestseller of the same name. In the film, people commenting on the shots, somewhat shocking, but with academic degrees, argue - and it looks quite convincing - that the symbols of the sect of supporters of the teachings of John the Baptist - the Mandaeans - are reflected in da Vinci's paintings.
In particular, they talked about a certain gesture by which one can identify an adherent of this Gnostic teaching. This is a pointing gesture - up, down, to the side, i.e. not having a fixed direction - set aside forefinger. A gesture quite often found in the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci. His "John the Baptist" finger points somewhere up.
In another story, "Madonna in the Rocks", the message is allegedly encrypted that John is a real teacher of Truth.
There are two versions of the painting "Madonna in the Rocks" one, written according to all church canons, is in the National Gallery in London. On it, next to the Madonna (according to art critics), Jesus is depicted, who is baptized by John the Baptist sitting next to the angel. Moreover, John looks younger than Jesus, and holds ... a cross! Another detail - the angel is depicted with dark wings, which are covered with a bright scarlet cape, and moreover - with a clawed paw! According to art historians, it was this non-canonical image of the angel that became the reason for the customers to demand that the painting be redrawn.
The second painting, Madonna in the Rocks, is kept in the Louvre. Presumably, this is the first version of the painting. Here the angel points to John (art historians insist that John the Baptist sits next to the Madonna, and Jesus is with the angel). Here John is older than Jesus. But! Jesus baptizes John, and not vice versa, which is contrary to the gospel. Unlike the London version of the Madonna, there are no halos in this painting.
In general, the meaning of the film was that almost all artistic creativity Leonardo was aimed at conveying to posterity the truth about the origins of Christianity.
Never before heard that Leonardo da Vinci was an adherent of some faith. Known for his conflicts with the church. While his genius was boundless, he certainly possessed some secret knowledge received from outside.
But the revelation was that Leonardo da Vinci was ranked among the Madeys (by the way, the only surviving Gnostic sect).
So let's look at everything in order:
John the Baptist, 1513-1516 Louvre.
Look closely at right hand. It is not only directed upwards - it is also depicted without ring finger and little finger (like the right hand of John the Baptist).
Madonna of the Yarnwinder. 1501. ( Private collection)
1. What do Christians see in this picture?
Our Lady Mary and baby Jesus
2. What do the Mandaeans see in the same picture?
Our Lady Elizabeth with John the Baptist.
And for those and for others in the picture is the Madonna, only in favor of the second version is the elongated cross that the baby is holding in the hands - a symbol John the Baptist .
The main postulate of the Mandaeans: The true mission is John the Baptist, Jesus and Mohammed are false prophets.
Now let's look at the following pictures:
Madonna of the Rocks. 1482-1486. Louvre
On the right, the archangel points to the baby on the left. So which one is John, which one is Jesus?
Later version:
The Virgin of the Rocks. 1506-1508. National Gallery. London
Here the symbol of John the Baptist is on the left of the baby, i.e. in the first picture, the archangel points to the true prophet at John
"Madonna in the Grotto" - the first of the famous creations of Leonardo, created in Milan, and stands at the origins of the Lombard school.
The interpretation of the religious theme is different: in the Luva version, the flowers symbolize mainly the Passion of Christ, in the London version, the purity and humility of Mary.
In the London version, the baby Jesus (if with the cross Jesus) is noticeably older than the baby John. Notice the baby's two-fingered blessing on the right. In theory, this is a gesture of Jesus, since we know that John's gesture is "pointing finger."
This is the "Savior of the World" - one of the best so-called. student versions, from which Leonardo's own drawings remained. The hand of Jesus is raised in a two-fingered gesture.
"Bacchus", originally "Saint John the Baptist". It was retouched in the 17th century.
A. Vezzosi, "Leonardo":
"Madonna in the Grotto" for twenty-five years will be the subject of a dispute between Leonardo and the Brotherhood immaculate conception in Milan. Despite the discovery of new archival documents, this picture remains largely a mystery.
It has caused many conflicts since the disappearance of the first version (now in the Louvre). Threats and complaints continued until a second version agreement was reached (now based in London). Having accepted the order on April 25, 1483, Leonardo undertook to complete the painting in just over seven months. The signature is under finished work he was only able to deliver on October 23, 1508.
In this picture, the synthesis of the main Leonard's themes and hermetic signs, mysterious and saturated with allusions, which give rise to an infinite number of symbolic and theological interpretations, is striking: a grotto with a water stream and flowers in the depths of the earth, shrouded in mystical lyricism and mystery. The rocky cave and impregnable, distant mountains embody the geological universe in infinite space and time, serve as the stage for the sacrament associated with a sacred event, and all gestures remain incomplete in the quest to comprehend this defining moment of human history.
The iconography does not correspond to that provided for in the treaty of 1483 (Madonna and Child between two angels and two prophets, but without St. John), which makes one think of Leonardo's heretical intention.
The brooch of the Virgin (The brooch depicted in the center of the Parisian “Madonna in the Grotto” is absent from the London version.) is of extreme interest for the morphogenesis of the picture: it embodies a certain microcosm, an eye of refracted light and deep shadow, like on a dim mirror. The face of the Mother of God is located at the intersection of several diagonals, but the center of the composition is a brooch with twenty pearls.
In the Louvre Madonna in the Grotto, the angel's gaze is turned outside the picture, towards the viewer, who, however, cannot catch him. Some consider this angel ambiguous - almost a demon because of the mines on his right leg. The four characters of the London version, forming a geometric, pyramidal composition with lines in the form of a cross, are more freely arranged in space. Each illuminated element has its own visual dynamics, in particular the yellow folds of the drapery of the Virgin, which in the Louvre version seem to be pure abstraction, in the London version they acquire the plausibility of a lining. The magnificent frame of gilded wood created by Giacomo del Maiano has disappeared without a trace, but two side panels have been preserved, which depict only two musician angels instead of the eight musicians and singers agreed in advance.
Virgin and Child with St. Anne. c.1502-1516. Louvre
- this is a symbol of Jesus, whom John the Baptist called:
" ... The next day, John sees Jesus coming towards him and says: Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world..."(John 1.29)
It is very significant that in the painting "Virgin and Child with St. Anne" (compositional schemes: pyramid and triangle), Anna holds Mary on her knees. One can interpret this to mean that Mary is the successor or "spiritual daughter" of Anna. It is also possible that the picture contains an allusion to ancient custom adoption. It happened like this. The surrogate mother during childbirth was relieved from the burden, sitting on the lap of the adoptive mother, so that the newborn was between the legs of the second. Thus, symbolic childbirth gave the adoptive mother the legal right to call the child her own.
In this sketch, the gestures of the characters are quite recognizable. And, most importantly, it is clear that with a pointing finger - Anna, and not Maria.
Remember, of course, the sign of John - THE EXTENDED INDEX FINGER OF THE RIGHT HAND ... and now look:
1. A fragment of the painting Madonna of the Yarnwinder. 1501.
2. Sketch for the painting Virgin and Child with St. Anne. 1508.
Look carefully at the baby's finger.
So who is there (in the painting Virgin and Child with St. Anne) to the lamb of God, who takes upon himself the sin of the world, then turns his head?
John and Jesus were related:
"... The holy prophet Zechariah and the righteous Elisabeth, his wife from the family of Aronov, sister of Anna, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary... "
Those. St. Anna is their common relative
As I said the plot, when one woman sits on the lap of another, it means "surrogate mother."
Let's look at Virgin and Child with St. Anne again from two perspectives:
1. What Christians see: on the lap of "grandmother" Anna sits the "mother" Virgin Mary, next to the baby Jesus is tugging at the head of a lamb.
2. What the Mandaeans see: on the knees of the elderly sister Elizabeth (mother of John) ( younger sister would fit better surrogate mother- then the name of the picture would be read more clearly "Virgin and Child with St. Anne", i.e. Virgin - a virgin or nulliparous) sits St. Anna, at whose feet John (note - the outstretched finger of the right hand is covered with sheep's wool) and pulls the head of the Lamb of God (the symbol of Jesus) ...
“Here is Elizabeth, your relative, called barren, and she conceived a son in her old age, and she is already six months old ...”(Luke 1:36).
And remember the most famous painting Leonardo's "Mona Lisa", see:
MONA LISA = M-ad-ON-n-A E-LISA-betta (ital.)
If Leonardo considered John to be the true Mission, then:
Mona is a shortened form of Madonna (Our Lady),
for him the Mother of God, i.e. Madonna - ELISABETH - abbr. LISA
If our version is correct and Leonardo depicted Our Lady of the Mandaeans Elizabeth, then the Mona Lisa, the Madonna with Child and Spindle, and the Madonna and Child with St. Anna must have something in common... Some elusive symbol. We look:
I also thought what kind of stripes they all have on their foreheads that look like the fold of a picture. And then I looked closely - just like a FUNERAL VEIL (on the left you can clearly see it).
And here is why Elizabeth was depicted with a mourning veil:
"... XXIII. In the meantime, Herod was looking for John and sent servants to Zacharias, saying: Where did you hide your son? He answered, saying: I am a servant of God, I am in the temple and do not know where my son is. And the servants came And they told this to Herod. And Herod said in anger, "His son will be king of Israel. And he sent (servants) to him again, saying, Tell the truth, where is your son? For know that your life is in my power. And Zechariah answered: I witness (martyr) of God, if you shed my blood, the Lord will receive my soul, for you will shed innocent blood in front of the temple. And before dawn, Zechariah was killed, and the children of Israel did not know that he was killed ... "
H There is something very interesting in the picture, which is a Russian treasure (kept in the Hermitage):
Italian painter and inventor of the Renaissance Leonardo da Vinci left behind so many secrets and mysteries that it will take more than one century to study them. This time, a surprise to the researchers of the famous painter's work was presented by his painting. "John the Baptist".
Another John
I must say that the canvas itself is unusual both in the manner of execution and in the plot. Firstly, most of the portraits created by the artist, with rare exceptions, have a landscape as a background (“La Gioconda”, “Madonna with a Carnation”). The background of the painting "John the Baptist" is deep black.
Moreover, none detailed analysis paintings with the help of modern appliances did not help the researchers detect traces of brush strokes - even at the micro level, the surface of the painting is absolutely smooth.
Now as for the plot. Most of the artists depicting John the Baptist saw him (especially in iconography) as a stern, emaciated man, in whose eyes all the pain of the world and suffering for the human race seemed to be concentrated. And only in da Vinci John is a well-groomed well-fed young man with an ambiguous smirk, and in his eyes one can read not suffering, but outright vice.
And the fact that it is John the Baptist in front of us, and not a young reveler and a libertine, is only indicated by a small cross in his left hand. By the way, the artist's model was his favorite student Salai, who, according to one version, served as a model for the Mona Lisa.
If you take a mirror
But the latest, more thorough studies of the painting showed that, in addition to John the Baptist, the artist created on the canvas a portrait of another strange, incomprehensible and, most likely, unknown creature to his contemporaries. But on the other hand, this creature is well known thanks to the work of science fiction writers to the inhabitants of the 21st century.
Judge for yourself: huge eyes, a skull tapering to the chin, a powerful forehead, narrow gap mouth and no nose. Right! Before us is a canonical, if I may say so, portrait of an alien. More precisely, half of the portrait. But a whole image of a guest from outer space can be obtained by bringing a mirror to the picture.
A similar technique was often used by artists who hide encrypted symbolism in their paintings.
True, to detect an alien, one mirror is not enough. His portrait is so carefully disguised that it can only be seen with the help of computer image processing by evenly brightening the background.
If we “finish” the image of the face a little, then we will have an almost typical “gray”, only with horns on the head
Why did the famous painter need to hide an extraterrestrial life form in his picture? Firstly, Leonardo da Vinci was a great lover of such secret symbols, he repeatedly used them in his works. And since not all of these symbols were encouraged by the church, they had to be carefully hidden.
But why is the portrait of an alien so similar to the replicated modern cinema the image, why the artist disguised it in his canvas and, most importantly, where did the idea of the existence of an extraterrestrial life form come from in the 16th century - these questions have not yet been answered.
Louvre stores most famous works Leonardo da Vinci, and, importantly, the most valuable.
Names with short descriptions
The following works are exhibited in the spacious halls of the gallery:
- “Madonna in the rocks;
- "Annunciation";
- "Beautiful Ferroniera";
- "John the Baptist";
- "Bacchus";
- "Saint Anna with Madonna and baby Jesus";
- "Mona Lisa".
"La Gioconda", she is "Mona Lisa" - one of the most famous and the most mysterious pictures in the world. Until now, they have not been able to identify the woman depicted on it. The delightful stranger on the canvas of 1503 smiles amazingly, and her eyes seem to follow the viewer. Today, the portrait is valued at $50 billion.
The Madonna of the Rocks of 1486 depicts Mary surrounded by two little angels, as well as the young John the Baptist. The girl carefully put her right hand on one of the kids, holding her left over the other. Children seem to be playing, John watches them with a slight smile and tenderness. Clearly visible in the background sheer cliffs, giving the picture a certain anxiety, contrasting with warm images.
Female portrait entitled "The Beautiful Ferroniera", written in 1490-1495, offers to enjoy the beauty of a young girl, facing the viewer half-turned. Her gaze is piercing and stern, and her lips are tightly closed. Such coldness goes against the charming appearance, which definitely gives the work its own "zest".
The works "John the Baptist" 1514-1516 and "Bacchus" 1510-1515 were copied from one sitter, who was a student of da Vinci. His name was Salai, he spent about 20 years next to the master, and many historians even today argue about the nature of the relationship between teacher and student.
It is believed that they were still lovers - John and Bacchus are too feminine, and passion and mystery are read in their views. In addition, the tender, warm feelings that the artist clearly felt for the sitter are almost physically transmitted to the viewer.
The canvas "Anna with the Madonna and the Christ Child", which is considered unfinished, was begun in 1508. The genius put Mary on the lap of Anna, her mother, and practically sat the baby Jesus on the hands of the Madonna. The composition describes the well-known saying in Italy “mise en abyme”, which means “womb effect”, when the next generation sits on the womb, thanks to which it appeared.
"Annunciation". Leonardo da Vinci wrote this canvas in 1475. The plot was chosen part of the Gospel, which tells about the proclamation of the future birth of the Savior.
