The Italian

polymath A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...

(1452–1519) was the founding figure of the

High Renaissance In art history, the High Renaissance was a short period of the most exceptional artistic production in the Italian states, particularly Rome, capital of the Papal States, and in Florence, during the Italian Renaissance. Most art historians stat ...

, and exhibited enormous influence on subsequent artists. Only around eight major works—'' The Adoration of the Magi'', '' Saint Jerome in the Wilderness'', the Louvre ''

Virgin of the Rocks The ''Virgin of the Rocks'' ( it, Vergine delle rocce), sometimes the ''Madonna of the Rocks'', is the name of two paintings by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, of the same subject, with a composition which is identical except fo ...

'', '' The Last Supper'', the ceiling of the

Sala delle Asse The ''Sala delle Asse'' (In English: 'room of the tower' or 'hall of the wooden planks'), is the location of a painting in tempera on plaster by Leonardo da Vinci, dating from about 1498. The decoration is of a room in the Castello Sforzesco in Mi ...

, '' The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist'', '' The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne'' and the ''

Mona Lisa The ''Mona Lisa'' ( ; it, Gioconda or ; french: Joconde ) is a Half length portrait, half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described ...

''—are universally attributed to him, and have aroused little or no controversy in the past. Ten additional works are now widely attributed to his ''oeuvre'', though most have previously incited considerable controversy or doubt: the '' Annunciation'', '' Madonna of the Carnation'', '' The Baptism of Christ'' (with his teacher, Verrocchio), '' Ginevra de' Benci'', the '' Benois Madonna'', the ''

Portrait of a Musician The ''Portrait of a Musician''). It is sometimes known as the ''Portrait of a Young Man'', the ''Portrait of a Man with a Sheet of Music'' or the ''Musician''., group=n is an unfinished painting widely attributed to the Italian Renaissance ar ...

'' (with possible studio assistance), the '' Lady with an Ermine'', ''

La Belle Ferronnière ''La Belle Ferronnière'' () is a portrait of a lady, usually attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, in the Louvre. It is also known as ''Portrait of an Unknown Woman.'' The painting's title, applied as early as the seventeenth century, identifying t ...

'', the London ''Virgin of the Rocks'' (with studio assistance), the '' Portrait of Isabella d'Este'' and ''

Saint John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

''. Other attributions are more complicated. '' La Scapigliata'' appears to be attributed by most scholars, but some prominent specialists are silent on the issue. '' Salvator Mundis attribution remains extremely controversial, though it can be attributed somewhat securely in part to Leonardo, as the dispute primarily centers around whether Leonardo created the majority of the work, or merely assisted a member of his studio. The small number of surviving paintings is due in part to Leonardo's frequently disastrous experimentation with new techniques and his chronic

procrastination Procrastination is the action of unnecessarily and voluntarily delaying or postponing something despite knowing that there will be negative consequences for doing so. The word has originated from the Latin word ''procrastinatus'', which itself evo ...

, resulting in many incomplete works. Additionally, it is thought that Leonardo created many more works that are now lost, though records and copies have survived for some. There are eleven surviving manuscripts of his notes and drawings, amounting to thousands of pages. There are numerous other works with disputed attributions to Leonardo, none of which have yet to achieve thorough scholarly approval.

Major extant works

Key: Collaborative work Possibly collaborative work

Manuscripts

Lost works

Disputed works

Key: Supposedly collaborative work

Notes

Sources for dating

References

Sources

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External links

Leonardo's works on Universal Leonardo

* Th
Codex Arundel
on the British Library's Digitised Manuscripts Website
Works by Leonardo on ''cavallinitoveronese.co.uk''
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