Afterward - Leonardo

The Virgin and Child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist
(c. 1499–1500)‍—‌National Gallery, London

Image: Leonardo Da Vinci

Tonight’s Da Vinci film was subtitled in English.

Sub-titles keeps my eye busy, doing the sub-titles, then up to the images, then down to the sub-titles again.

That being said I don’t know when I have enjoyed one of the offerings from the Gallery Series as much.

There was a mix of biography, images, re-creation of words that have been attributed to Leonardo or his friends, pictures of Milan, the canals, and paintings of his contemporaries.

A slick hour and a half.

I came away with more questions than answers.

At home I found myself out on the internet, finding out more about the following since I knew next to nothing about any of them:

1. Bramante (known to Leonardo and the architect of St. Peter’s Basilica),
2. Catarina (Leonardo’s mother)
3. Salai (according to Da Vinci, “a thief, a liar, stubborn and a glutton” and in Da Vinci’s employ from the age of 10 until Da Vinci died decades later)
4. Isabella d’Este (for whom there is only a study for a portrait)
5. Count Melzi (the artist’s favourite student)
6. Le Belle Ferronniere’s eyes (In the show I thought, hey, wait a minute, the irises of those eyes look like mine. I know. I have been looking at them for years and years.)

Usually I come home from this series, beating myself up for having fallen asleep during the presentation.

Before I left for the show Richard told me just to listen to the rhythms of my body and sleep when I need to.

No sleep for me during this showing.

Arta