John the Baptist da Vinci. "John the Baptist" by Leonardo da Vinci: description, history and interesting facts. Creative heritage of Leonardo

The personality of Leonardo da Vinci provided an invaluable service for the development of the spiritual aspect of the Renaissance in Italy, torn apart by both internal contradictions and external feudal wars. After all, his creative heritage still strikes the imagination of even a sophisticated modern person.

The spiritual atmosphere of that era is fully reflected at the same time by the cheerful and cheerful disposition of Raphael, always surrounded by a company of friends, and the thoughtful and gloomy character of Michelangelo, who, together with Leonardo da Vinci, receives a profitable order to paint the Christian cathedral in Florence. And the leadership of this grandiose project is entrusted to a young and ambitious official Niccolo Machiavelli.

And it is precisely this wide range of spiritual realization that is at the forefront of the time when the idealization of antiquity becomes that mathematically verified model of architecture and art. Moreover, the Greco-Roman heritage is fully complemented by appropriate creative processing, which was able to bring characteristic uniqueness and originality to the cultural heritage of its era.

The creative heritage of Leonardo da Vinci

Today it is reliably known that the genius of Leonardo da Vinci managed to spread to almost all areas of painting and engineering. Due to the fact that at one time he was much less in demand as an artist, this talented person had to position himself primarily as an engineer who creates new types of weapons, or, for example, as a culinary specialist who was able to invent a sufficient number of new and gourmet meals.

It is known that in Milan he was responsible for the table of the duke himself, in connection with which he had to manage not only the entire range of arrangements for serving various solemn feasts, but also deal with issues related to the preparation of the entire range of menus. And among his most famous achievements in the field of engineering structures, numerous high-quality drawings of airplanes should be singled out, according to which even today it is possible to produce quite relevant aeronautical equipment.

This brilliant inventor believed that man was created for air flight. So, in the list of his thematic creations there is a parachute, a telescope with two lenses, a lightweight version of mobile bridges and much more. Special words of gratitude deserved his research in the field of anatomy, because he was ahead of his time in this direction of science by at least three centuries.

Leonardo da Vinci spent the last years of his life in France, where he was actively involved in organizing court celebrations, led a project to change the channels of two rivers, created a plan for a canal between them, and also planned the construction of a new royal palace. Truly, the genius of this man was inexhaustible. Perhaps he can head the list of brilliant people of the planet of all times and peoples.

Evaluation by art experts

The painting "John the Baptist", owned by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, is painted in oil. It belongs to the later period of the master's work. The decadent nature of this work is evidenced not only by the period of the artist's life, but also by the end of the Renaissance itself, which inspired the entire European world of culture and art. This is clearly seen, both in the image of John, and in the absence of a traditional landscape in the background of the picture.

"John the Baptist" was painted by the artist in the estate of Cloux (the city of Amboise in central France), when he was held in high esteem and surrounded by universal recognition and attention. It is known that Leonardo da Vinci no longer experienced satisfaction from his own creativity. He was constantly engaged in altering and supplementing his old works, which in in large numbers brought here with you. According to all the signs, it is clear that this picture was “brought to mind” during the period of his extreme creative decline.

The picture shows a young man, one of whose hands is turned up, and the other presses a cross to his chest. The mystery and mystery of the image is enhanced by the contrast of the dark background and the illuminated figure. young man. Despite the enthusiastic reviews of colleagues in the creative workshop and critics about the work of the artist of that time, it was the painting “John the Baptist” that caused them genuine surprise. After all, the usual canonical image of the saint in this case was very different from the resulting image.

The religious tradition unequivocally interprets the personality of John the Baptist, who appeared in the Holy Scripture precisely as a severe ascetic with abundant hair on his face. Therefore, the ambiguous smile of the young man depicted in the picture does not fit in with the classical perception of a famous historical and religious character. It is important to understand that just such a smile was characteristic of all the faces of the people portrayed by Leonardo in his late period of creativity.

It is the absence of a picturesque landscape in the background of the painting “John the Baptist” and the blooming image of a young man that does not comply with the canonical rules of artistic reproduction of images that allow us to say that Da Vinci in this case wants to make a special impression on the viewer. Perhaps, for many, this kind of ambiguity can only be associated with an ironic motive and a kind of insight that allows you to look beyond the traditional framework of being.

Brief description of the painting

Young John is depicted against a dark background of the picture. Light falls on it from above and from the left side. With the index finger of his right hand, the saint points to the cross located on his chest and which is his direct attribute. It is the cross and the vault of heaven that symbolize the coming of the Savior. Therefore, this gesture eloquently testifies to the message when all people need to reflect on the spiritual feat associated with preparing for this most important event.

In the painting by Leonardo da Vinci, the depicted character communicates with the audience through the eyes. He smiles gently, and his figure is fully consistent with the type of a mature artist. A fur skin acts as a hermit's clothing. He is not fully dressed, leaving his right shoulder bare with the correct proportions. And the long curly hair of John the Baptist falls in waves on his shoulders.

Many experts suggest that his student Salai served as the artist's model. All chiaroscuro and contrast transitions have a subtle and refined character. The famous sfumato, invented earlier by Leonardo da Vinci himself, is fully realized here. The roundness and plasticity of perfect forms is emphasized in the picture by soft and very gentle transitions between light and dark tones. This way of depicting allows you to reflect the spiritual state of the saint. It is surprising that it is impossible to see brush strokes on the canvas.

The painting "John the Baptist": materials and historical excursion of its places of residence

The famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci "John the Baptist" was written in the period 1508-1513 in walnut oil on wood. The size of the canvas is 69 x 57 cm. It should be understood that at the time of writing this masterpiece, the materials for painting were made using a technology completely different from the modern one. So, the oil bleached in the sun for fifty years, and the boards dried even longer. The paints were prepared by the artists themselves. As a rule, they used crystals crushed into powder.

For the first time, Leonardo da Vinci's painting "John the Baptist" is mentioned in chronicles in 1517. It is known that it was his student Salai who, after the death of his teacher, became its owner. By the way, he also made a copy of it for himself, which is well preserved. And after the death of Salai, his relatives sold the original to Francis I in France. Thus, this work ended up in the Louvre. However, later it was resold to England in the collection of Charles I. After the execution of this monarch, the picture appears already in Germany. Not later than 1666, agents of Louis XIV buy it, and the masterpiece reappears in France. Now the painting "John the Baptist" by Leonardo da Vinci is on display at the Louvre.

In the painting by Leonardo da Vinci "John the Baptist", the artist depicts a long-haired, effeminate young man who holds a cross in one hand and points to the sky with the other.

The study of this painting in monochromatic light showed that the skin (the robe of John the Baptist) and the reed cross (its typical attribute on paintings) were added later by another artist. After that, the picture became known as "John the Baptist". Although this young man does not fit in with the image of the Baptist.

Here is an example of how John the Baptist is depicted Andrea Verrocchio, who had the young Leonardo as a student. While working on the painting "The Baptism of Christ", the teacher instructs the young Leonardo to paint an angel holding the clothes of Christ.

Art critic Silvano Vinchetti voiced the theory that the prototype of the mysterious Mona Lisa is Leonardo da Vinci's student Jean Giacomo Caprotti. Caprotti, also known as Salai, has worked with the renowned artist for over 20 years. The young man's face bears a striking resemblance to the image of the Mona Lisa. "Salai was Leonardo's favorite model," says Vinchetti, "it's safe to say that the artist added his facial features to the image of Mona Lisa."

Regarding the striking resemblance to the Gioconda - the remark is appropriate. An equally striking resemblance can be found with Anna in his other paintings.

It is worth noting that there is a similar portrait by Leonardo da Vinci "Angel Bringing Good News". It can be assumed that John, before he drew a cross, was also the same Angel. Recall now that there is a famous sketch by Leonardo da Vinci, the so-called "Angel in the Flesh."

The history of the sketch is rather obscure. It is known that in the 19th century it was part of the royal collection at Windsor, along with eleven other erotic drawings by Leonardo. According to the British art critic Brian Sewell, one fine day this collection was examined by a “famous German expert”, and some time later the drawings disappeared (it is possible that with the tacit consent of Queen Victoria), and subsequently ended up in Germany. The names of the subsequent owners of the drawings are not advertised, but more than a century later, in 1991, Carlo Pedretti, a recognized connoisseur of Leonardo's work, was able to obtain permission from the owner of the drawing and present the "Angel in the Flesh" at an exhibition in Stia, Tuscany. Be that as it may, experts agree that Leonardo is the author of this sketch.

It is difficult to imagine an image that is more distant from everything that is usually associated with the concept of "asceticism" than this pampered young man. His food was clearly not "locust and wild honey." Thousands of art historians, writers and other lovers of beauty tried to understand what exactly the master Leonardo wanted to express by depicting St. John the Baptist in such an unexpected, to put it mildly, form. Not without reason, this portrait has always served as fertile nourishment for legends and rumors, stubbornly linking Leonardo with various secret communities, depicting him as the owner of "hidden", "secret" knowledge, a heretic, "magician", "initiated", in other words, connecting him with the hermetic tradition of the Renaissance.

Thus, strictly speaking, there is no reason to associate the feminine youth depicted by Leonardo da Vinci with John the Baptist. However, this circumstance in no way removes the question: why was such an association created, even if not by Leonardo himself, but by someone else? Well, in fact, why attach to a young man of a clearly non-Christian appearance the attributes of one of the most revered Christian saints? What is the complex of ideas behind this? Is there some hidden – hermetic – meaning in this?

The transformation of the canonical image of John the Baptist into the Prophet Elijah, Hermes Trismegistus, the Angel of the Covenant and the legendary Metatron will seem absurd and perhaps even blasphemous to adherents of any church! But the argumentation and steadfastness of the arguments in this work are irresistible.

Let us give one more argument in favor of such an interpretation: let us compare the image with Giambologna's famous "Mercury". The right arm of Mercury is raised and bent at the elbow in the same way as in the portrait of John the Baptist and in the painting “The Angel Bringing Good News”, and in the same way the pointing finger is directed to heaven.

The pointing finger is present on many canvases and drawings by Leonardo da Vinci; art critics could somehow convincingly explain the meaning of this symbolic gesture. It is quite possible that this symbol in Leonardo has many meanings, however, when interpreting the image of John as Enoch-Metatron, his gesture in the da Vinci painting receives a clear and logical explanation: the Jewish tradition calls Metatron the pointing finger of God, since he showed the way to the promised land in the desert to the Jewish people .

The symbol of the pointing finger is also found in Raphael, who was a student and follower of Leonardo da Vinci. For example, Raphael painted a portrait of John the Baptist, which is naturally associated with the painting by Leonardo.

In the gesture of Leonard's John, Plato's right hand is raised on Raphael's fresco "The School of Athens". And the very image of Plato is very similar to the self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci. Therefore, in the image of Plato, the connection Plato - Leonardo - John the Baptist is declared. In addition, it must be borne in mind that in the Renaissance, Plato was considered the heir to the wisdom of Hermes Trismegistus.

Marsilio Ficino wrote that Hermes passed on the secret knowledge to his student Orpheus, he - Aglaofem, who was succeeded by Pythagoras, whose student was Philolaus, the teacher of the divine Plato. Thus, the fresco indicates that Leonardo was a successor of Plato and, thus, an adherent of the teachings of Hermes Thrice Greatest. Therefore, Plato-Leonardo tells us, lifting up forefinger As you look at the image of John, think of the unsurpassed wisdom and holiness of the divine Hermes.

…
And finally, one more alternative version, about where the finger is pointing anyway.

Images of Virgo on the zodiacs are easily recognized. As a rule, this is a female figure with an ear in her hands. Often the Virgin was depicted pointing to the tail Lion, as shown in the figure by A. Dürer. On it, the Virgin touches the tassel at the end of the Lion's tail with her hand. As if holding it slightly. This tassel depicts the star of Denebola.

Looking at the Virgin with a pointing finger, the question naturally arises: “was there a boy”? Or was John-Hermes originally conceived as the Virgin pointing to Denebola? At least this explains the effeminate face of John, who, before Leonardo, was portrayed as an ascetic man, advanced in years.

And here is another character, supposedly an Angel with a pointing finger (on the Alexandrian column). And for comparison, the image of the Virgin, on astronomical charts XVI-XVII centuries. As they say, find ten differences:

1. The statue crowning the Alexandrian column.
2. Andreas Cellarius, The Harmony of the Macrocosmos, 1661 edition.
3. "Phenomena and Predictions" Arata, 1569-1570, Mark Hofeld, Luxembourg.
4. Durer, 1515. Northern hemisphere of the sky.

The name of Denebola's star comes from Deneb Alased, from the Arabic phrase ذنب الاسد danab al-asad "lion's tail", or, according to Balinger, "Judge", "Coming Master". An angel pointing to the Cross, as if calling to remember the coming Judgment of God?

In astrology, Denebola was considered a harbinger of misfortune. It is believed that it "launches" world catastrophes in mundane maps (R. Ebertin, G. Hoffman "Fixed Stars"). An interesting characteristic of the star, on which Virgo focuses our attention. As they say, what does that mean? Isn't it the apocalypse?

Well, to complete the picture: Caduceus, an attribute of Hermes, in the hands of the Virgin, from medieval astronomical atlases.

1. Hugo Grotius, "Construction according to Arat", 1600.
2. Gigin, Astronomy, 1485 edition.
3. Gigin, Astronomy, 1570 edition.
4. Manuscript, IX century.
5. Sacrobusto (Sacrobusto "Sphaera Mundi" 1539).

However, should we be surprised? After all, the Ruler of the Virgo sign is Mercury, i.e. the same Hermes. Various peoples associated the Virgin with their Great Goddesses, from Isis and Atargatis to Artemis and Themis. The Greeks associated her with Aphrodite. From here we have Hermaphrodite - this is the essence of Hermes and Aphrodite in one bottle. Maybe Leonardo meant it? Unknown...

Restoration of works by Leonardo da Vinci is a delicate topic for the Louvre. Not so long ago, a flurry of reproaches fell upon him in connection with the results of the restoration of "St. Anne with the Madonna and the Christ Child" (1503-1519), so he had to be careful to work on the "Beautiful Ferroniera" (1490-1496), and to the upcoming restoration "John the Baptist" (1513-1516) the museum takes very seriously.

Leonardo da Vinci. "John the Baptist". Fragment. 1513-1516

In matters relating to the restoration of paintings by Leonardo, the opinions of experts are regularly divided; at the same time, only about a dozen of his paintings that have survived to this day are known for certain. The restoration in 2011-2012 of "St. Anne with the Madonna and the Christ Child" caused fierce controversy: some experts advocated the removal of the varnish layer from most of the surface of the painting, others insisted that its removal should be much less radical. Upon completion of the work, the former head of the painting restoration service of the National Museums of France, Segolene Berjon-Langle, noted that the contour of the Madonna's face had partially lost its clarity (not all experts shared her opinion).

Leonardo da Vinci. "Saint Anne with the Madonna and the Christ Child". 1503-1519. Before and after restoration

Berjon-Langle also expressed concern about the subsequent restoration of the La Belle Ferronière, which was completed in 2015, but now describes it as a success due to the fact that the “changes were moderate,” as she told our colleagues from the French newspaper Le Journal des Arts.

“Caution and pragmatism are our main principles,” says Sebastian Allard, director of the Louvre’s painting department. At the end of January, "John the Baptist" will leave its place in the Grand Gallery not far from the Mona Lisa Hall. Although the painting was last restored in the 19th century, it has been repeatedly covered with additional layers of varnish - which is not always documented - "to give the work depth." During this time, the varnish layers had time to oxidize and acquire yellow and brown hues, and dirt accumulated between them.

The work is a half-length image of a smiling saint. His body seems to glow with an inner light, while the traditional clothes and the cross in his hand are barely visible against the dark background. According to Allar, upon close examination, one can see that the cross-staff of the saint is surrounded by a subtle radiance, now completely lost its visibility. “In order to restore the painting to its original clarity, it is necessary to thin the varnish layer,” he says.

Restoration will be led by Regina Maurierara, together with the Restoration and Research Center of French Museums C2RMF. Berjon-Langle thinks it is "a superb choice" as it was Maurière who conserved Rembrandt's Bathsheba (1654), "working very delicately without overdoing the cleaning and preserving the softness of the painting."

An international committee, which will include about a dozen experts, will oversee the progress of the work. “His activities will be purely advisory in nature, and his approval will not be necessary condition”, says Allar, adding that all specialists in the work of Leonardo da Vinci will have the opportunity to come and personally observe how the restoration is progressing. It is possible that it will be possible to find out why the saint’s hand looks “rather rough”: due to overly aggressive cleaning in the 16th or XIX centuries or by the will of the master himself, who left this work unfinished, which is considered his last work.

And to forestall possible concern that the Louvre plans to hold an exhibition dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci in the coming years, the museum assures that there are no plans to restore the Mona Lisa yet.

Margot Butge, Victoria Stapley Brown

Interest in the personality and work of Leonardo da Vinci is not weakening. For example, in the film “The Secret Life of Mona Lisa”, the authors claim that they have discovered the secret of the Gioconda and know who posed for the artist for the immortal image that has become a symbol of 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 limitless, he certainly possessed some secret knowledge obtained 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 your right hand. It is not only directed upwards - it is also depicted without the 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 of the 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. He was able to sign the finished work only 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 painting contains an allusion to the ancient custom of 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 lap of the elderly sister Elizabeth (mother of John) (the younger sister would be more suitable for a surrogate mother - then the name of the picture would be more understandable "Virgin and Child with St. Anne", i.e. Virgin - 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 by Leonardo "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 portrayed 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 sons of Israel did not know that they killed him ... "

H There is something very interesting in the picture, which is a Russian treasure (kept in the Hermitage):

Madonna Litta (enlarged version)
The work was named after its owner in the 19th century. Duke Antonio Litta.
The painting was created in a Milan studio (1488-1490) presumably by Marco d'Oggiono or Boltraffio. Leonardo brought in only details, among which they recognize the baby's signature curly hair, the Madonna's muted complexion and neck. on Madonna's head.

The curly-haired baby is usually depicted as a rule of John the Baptist, a mourning net on his mother Elizabeth (Lisa) about the death of her husband, father John.

Before I understand the picture, let me remind you that at that time, Lorenzo Medici (head of the Florentine Republic) decided to push his son to the papacy.
He marries his daughter Magdalena to the illegitimate son of Innocent VIII - Franceschetto. And with the help of his new "relative" he makes his 13-year-old son Giovanni (future Pope Leo X) a cardinal.

Let's try to find symbols that confirm the guess.

What is this bird in the baby's left hand?

This is a goldfinch.

Goldfinch - Cardellino (Italian) comes from Italian. Cardo is a thistle, the seeds of which this bird often feeds on.
Cardo (lat.) means "axis, rod" from this word is formed and another Italian. the word cardinale (cardinal).

Actually, on Italian"little cardinal, cardinal", probably, so it will be "Сardinallino". It is useless to find a word in dictionaries because of the "nonsense" of its meaning, however, different things happen in History.
Pay attention to the goldfinch Leonardo not only red cheeks (as in nature), but also a red "cardinal" cap (an allusion to the Medici) (!)

Another interesting detail is the signs on the grid:

This is the sign of the Gnostics: .
And the first line looks like numbers (date): X III C V

Known as Giovanni Medici On March 9, 1489, he was appointed a cardinal (at the age of 13) with the condition of wearing cardinal insignia no earlier than 3 years later.

Actually, it was precisely this fact that Leonardo wanted to emphasize with Roman numerals.

So the signs can be deciphered as: XIII year old continues the work Since the summer of Cosimo de Medici (born 1389), his palace was the first major humanistic center in Florence.

So: in a mourning cape - Elizabeth, a curly baby - John the Baptist (John in Italian. Giovanni (Allusion to Giovanni Medici), holding "Cardellino" in his hands.

According to another version, these are Kabbalistic signs:

?

Among Leonardo's students was Tommaso di Giovanni Masini, a member of the Platonic Academy of Ficino, where he was given the name "Zoroastro". He goes to Milan after Leonardo and succeeds there in the art of magic (here they call him "Indovino" [fortune teller]). So Leonardo's "kabbalistic signs" had someone to suggest.

It turns out like this, see (Correction: Jester - 0 Tarot card, and the Universe - 21)

16. Ain, OYN, translated as "Eye": O, a "a, Ain, (o) - 70 - Capricorn - Tower

17. Pe, PH or PA, translated as "Mouth": P, Pe (Fe), (p, f) -80, 800 - Mercury - Star

21. Tau, ThV, translated as "Cross": Th, Tau, (t)-400-Sun-Universe

9. Tet, TYTh, translated as "Snake": T, Tet, (t) -9- Leo - Hermit

So, we try to match each letter with the meaning of Tarot cards:

ע - card IX L "Eremita (The Hermit)

A man in a monastic robe is depicted standing on top of a mountain. He holds in his hand a lantern in which a star burns, with the other hand he leans on a staff of gold.
Christian hermits considered their predecessors Elijah the Prophet and John the Baptist .

פ - map XXI Il Mondo (World (Universe))

ח - map XVII La Stella (Star)

The card shows a woman kneeling on one knee at the water's edge. In each hand she has a jug, from which she pours water into the stream. She returns to the source part of what she received.

Meaning: Wisdom, immortality, spiritual enlightenment.

ט - map XVI La Torre (Tower)

Meaning: incl. exile, excommunication.

In the painting by Leonardo da Vinci "John the Baptist", the artist depicts a long-haired, effeminate young man who holds a cross in one hand and points to the sky with the other.

The study of this painting in monochromatic light showed that the skin (the robe of John the Baptist) and the reed cross (its typical attribute on paintings) were added later by another artist. After that, the picture became known as "John the Baptist". Although this young man does not fit in with the image of the Baptist.

Here is an example of how John the Baptist is depicted Andrea Verrocchio, who had the young Leonardo as a student. While working on the painting "The Baptism of Christ", the teacher instructs the young Leonardo to paint an angel holding the clothes of Christ.

Art critic Silvano Vinchetti voiced the theory that the prototype of the mysterious Mona Lisa is Leonardo da Vinci's student Jean Giacomo Caprotti. Caprotti, also known as Salai, has worked with the renowned artist for over 20 years. The young man's face bears a striking resemblance to the image of the Mona Lisa. "Salai was Leonardo's favorite model," says Vinchetti, "it's safe to say that the artist added his facial features to the image of Mona Lisa."

Regarding the striking resemblance to the Gioconda - the remark is appropriate. An equally striking resemblance can be found with Anna in his other paintings.

It is worth noting that there is a similar portrait by Leonardo da Vinci "Angel Bringing Good News". It can be assumed that John, before he drew a cross, was also the same Angel. Recall now that there is a famous sketch by Leonardo da Vinci, the so-called "Angel in the Flesh."

The history of the sketch is rather obscure. It is known that in the 19th century it was part of the royal collection at Windsor, along with eleven other erotic drawings by Leonardo. According to the British art critic Brian Sewell, one fine day this collection was examined by a “famous German expert”, and some time later the drawings disappeared (it is possible that with the tacit consent of Queen Victoria), and subsequently ended up in Germany. The names of the subsequent owners of the drawings are not advertised, but more than a century later, in 1991, Carlo Pedretti, a recognized connoisseur of Leonardo's work, was able to obtain permission from the owner of the drawing and present the "Angel in the Flesh" at an exhibition in Stia, Tuscany. Be that as it may, experts agree that Leonardo is the author of this sketch.

It is difficult to imagine an image that is more distant from everything that is usually associated with the concept of "asceticism" than this pampered young man. His food was clearly not "locust and wild honey." Thousands of art historians, writers and other lovers of beauty tried to understand what exactly the master Leonardo wanted to express by depicting St. John the Baptist in such an unexpected, to put it mildly, form. Not without reason, this portrait has always served as fertile nourishment for legends and rumors, stubbornly linking Leonardo with various secret communities, depicting him as the owner of "hidden", "secret" knowledge, a heretic, "magician", "initiated", in other words, connecting him with the hermetic tradition of the Renaissance.

Thus, strictly speaking, there is no reason to associate the feminine youth depicted by Leonardo da Vinci with John the Baptist. However, this circumstance in no way removes the question: why was such an association created, even if not by Leonardo himself, but by someone else? Well, in fact, why attach to a young man of a clearly non-Christian appearance the attributes of one of the most revered Christian saints? What is the complex of ideas behind this? Is there some hidden – hermetic – meaning in this?

The transformation of the canonical image of John the Baptist into the Prophet Elijah, Hermes Trismegistus, the Angel of the Covenant and the legendary Metatron will seem absurd and perhaps even blasphemous to adherents of any church! But the argumentation and steadfastness of the arguments in this work are irresistible.

Let us give one more argument in favor of such an interpretation: let us compare the image with Giambologna's famous "Mercury". The right arm of Mercury is raised and bent at the elbow in the same way as in the portrait of John the Baptist and in the painting “The Angel Bringing Good News”, and in the same way the pointing finger is directed to heaven.

The pointing finger is present on many canvases and drawings by Leonardo da Vinci; art critics could somehow convincingly explain the meaning of this symbolic gesture. It is quite possible that this symbol in Leonardo has many meanings, however, when interpreting the image of John as Enoch-Metatron, his gesture in the da Vinci painting receives a clear and logical explanation: the Jewish tradition calls Metatron the pointing finger of God, since he showed the way to the promised land in the desert to the Jewish people .

The symbol of the pointing finger is also found in Raphael, who was a student and follower of Leonardo da Vinci. For example, Raphael painted a portrait of John the Baptist, which is naturally associated with the painting by Leonardo.

In the gesture of Leonard's John, Plato's right hand is raised on Raphael's fresco "The School of Athens". And the very image of Plato is very similar to the self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci. Therefore, in the image of Plato, the connection Plato - Leonardo - John the Baptist is declared. In addition, it must be borne in mind that in the Renaissance, Plato was considered the heir to the wisdom of Hermes Trismegistus.

Marsilio Ficino wrote that Hermes passed on the secret knowledge to his student Orpheus, he - Aglaofem, who was succeeded by Pythagoras, whose student was Philolaus, the teacher of the divine Plato. Thus, the fresco indicates that Leonardo was a successor of Plato and, thus, an adherent of the teachings of Hermes Thrice Greatest. Therefore, Plato-Leonardo tells us, raising your index finger, looking at the image of John, think about the unsurpassed wisdom and holiness of the divine Hermes.

…
And finally, one more alternative version, about where the finger is pointing anyway.

Images of Virgo on the zodiacs are easily recognized. As a rule, this is a female figure with an ear in her hands. Often the Virgin was depicted pointing to the tail Lion, as shown in the figure by A. Dürer. On it, the Virgin touches the tassel at the end of the Lion's tail with her hand. As if holding it slightly. This tassel depicts the star of Denebola.

Looking at the Virgin with a pointing finger, the question naturally arises: “was there a boy”? Or was John-Hermes originally conceived as the Virgin pointing to Denebola? At least this explains the effeminate face of John, who, before Leonardo, was portrayed as an ascetic man, advanced in years.

And here is another character, supposedly an Angel with a pointing finger (on the Alexandrian column). And for comparison, the image of the Virgin, on astronomical maps of the XVI-XVII centuries. As they say, find ten differences:

1. The statue crowning the Alexandrian column.
2. Andreas Cellarius, The Harmony of the Macrocosmos, 1661 edition.
3. "Phenomena and Predictions" Arata, 1569-1570, Mark Hofeld, Luxembourg.
4. Durer, 1515. Northern hemisphere of the sky.

The name of Denebola's star comes from Deneb Alased, from the Arabic phrase ذنب الاسد danab al-asad "lion's tail", or, according to Balinger, "Judge", "Coming Master". An angel pointing to the Cross, as if calling to remember the coming Judgment of God?

In astrology, Denebola was considered a harbinger of misfortune. It is believed that it "launches" world catastrophes in mundane maps (R. Ebertin, G. Hoffman "Fixed Stars"). An interesting characteristic of the star, on which Virgo focuses our attention. As they say, what does that mean? Isn't it the apocalypse?

Well, to complete the picture: Caduceus, an attribute of Hermes, in the hands of the Virgin, from medieval astronomical atlases.

1. Hugo Grotius, "Construction according to Arat", 1600.
2. Gigin, Astronomy, 1485 edition.
3. Gigin, Astronomy, 1570 edition.
4. Manuscript, IX century.
5. Sacrobusto (Sacrobusto "Sphaera Mundi" 1539).

However, should we be surprised? After all, the Ruler of the Virgo sign is Mercury, i.e. the same Hermes. Various peoples associated the Virgin with their Great Goddesses, from Isis and Atargatis to Artemis and Themis. The Greeks associated her with Aphrodite. From here we have Hermaphrodite - this is the essence of Hermes and Aphrodite in one bottle. Maybe Leonardo meant it? Unknown...