A different drawing by Leonardo da Vinci discovered under the “Madonna of the Rocks”
A preliminary sketch by Leonardo Da Vinci, revealing the legendary Italian artist’s initial concept for his renowned painting, “Our Lady of the Rocks”, has been uncovered beneath the artwork itself.
The painting will be the centerpiece of an exhibition dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci at the National Gallery in London. The gallery’s experts stumbled upon the sketch during technical research on the painting. The unfinished image shows the angel and the Divine Child in a significantly different form compared to the final painting. The reason why Da Vinci decided to change his initial composition remains unknown, according to a gallery spokesperson.
In January, a team of six experts began analyzing the composition using state-of-the-art imaging techniques. Thanks to the zinc-containing material used in the sketch, they managed to reveal it through X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, coupled with an infrared imaging technique. Interestingly, this is the same technology that US Marines used to investigate Osama bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan in 2011.
The exhibition focuses solely on Leonardo’s work as a painter, with a particular emphasis on the Madonna of the Rocks. The painting was originally situated on the altar of a church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. To recreate this context, a room in the gallery will be transformed into a ‘temple environment’ for the duration of the exhibition, allowing visitors to envision how the painting would have looked in its original location.
Gabrielle Finaldi, the gallery’s director, believes that the exhibition will offer visitors an opportunity to “explore Da Vinci’s creative journey while crafting this masterpiece”. Larry Keith, the gallery’s head conservator, anticipates more revelations as his team continues to study the painting.
Sources: The Guardian, CNN