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Anecdotes
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Giorgio Vasari Vasari wrote "The Lives of the Most Eminent Italian Architects, Painters and Sculptors ..." which was first published in 1550 with a revised edition in 1568. In it he makes various claims about Leonardo which have been often repeated as truth: "Lionardo da Vinci, whose personal beauty could not be exaggerated, whose every movement was grace itself and whose abilities were so extraordinary that he could readily solve every difficulty. He possessed great personal strength, combined with dexterity, and a spirit and courage invariably royal and magnanimous..." Vasari says of Leonardo that "he loved all animals, and trained them with great kindness and patience. Often, when passing places where birds were sold, he would let them out of their cages and pay the vendor the price asked." Leonardo writes about vegetarianism in a manuscript from the collection in the Royal Library at Windsor - "Now does not nature produce enough simple [vegetarian] food for thee to satsify thyself?" |
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The Last Supper Anecdote Here as told by Vasari: "It is said that the prior incessantly importuned Lionardo to finish the work, thinking it strange that the artist should pass half a day at a time lost in thought. He would have desired him never to lay down the brush, as if he were digging a garden. Seeing that his importunity produced no effect, he had recourse to the duke, who felt compelled to send for Lionardo to inquire about the work, showing tactfully that he was driven to act by the importunity of the prior. Lionardo, aware of the acuteness and discretion of the duke, talked with him fully about the picture, a thing which he had never done with the prior. He spoke freely of his art, and explained how men of genius really are doing most when they work least, as they are thinking out ideas and perfecting the conceptions, which they subsequently carry out with their hands. He added that there were still two heads to be done, that of Christ, which he would not look for on the earth, and felt unable to conceive the beauty of the celestial grace that must have been incarnate in the divinity. The other head was that of Judas, which also caused him thought, as he did not think he could express the face of a man who could resolve to betray his Master, the Creator of the world, after having received so many benefits. But he was willing in this case to seek no farther, and for lack of a better he would do the head of the importunate and tactless prior. The duke was wonderfully amused, and laughingly declared that he was quite right. Then the poor prior, covered with confusion, went back to his garden and left Lionardo in peace, while the artist indeed finished his Judas, making him a veritable likeness of treason and cruelty." |
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Leonardo and Michelangelo There was said to be some animosity between these two artists. Michelangelo is reported to have said of Leonardo that "He cannot create, only imagine." This anecdote was told by the writer known as Anonimo Magliabecchiano about an incident in 1503: "One day, Leonardo, strolling in the company of Giovanni di Gavina de Santa Trinita, walked past the benches of the Spini Palace, where a group of gentlemen where discussing a passage from Dante. They called to da Vinci and begged him to explain it to them. At that moment, Michelangelo also happened to pass, and Leonardo told them: 'Michelangelo will explain it to you.' Michelangelo answered angrily, thinking that Leonardo was making fun of him: 'Explain it yourself, you who made a design for a horse to be cast in bronze and, unable to cast it, abandoned it, to your shame.' Leonardo remained silent and blushed. To embarass him more, Michelangelo called after him: 'And those Milanese idiots believed you!'" |
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