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List of 5 Most Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential artists of all times. His artworks, characterized by extraordinary lively yet harmonic composition and subtle technique of shadowing had an enormous influence on the following generation of artists.

Mona Lisa

Oil on cottonwood, 76.8 x 53 cm (30.2 x 20.9 in), ca. 1503 – 06. One of the most famous paintings of all times is a mystery. It is uncertain whether the painting is a portrait of the wife of the Florentine citizen Francesco del Giocondo as traditionally believed, while Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile remains a subject of speculation. The painting can be seen in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

The Last Supper

Tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic, 460 x 880 cm (181 x 346 in), 1495 – 97. The mural represents Jesus and the twelve disciples when Jesus says that one of them would betray him. The painting which covers a wall at the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, is mainly a later reconstruction because much of it deteriorated relatively soon as a result of Leonardo’s experimentation with tempera and oil on dry wall.

Vitruvian Man

Pen and ink on paper, 34.3 x 24.5 cm (13.5 x 9.6 in), ca. 1490. The drawing which depicts a man in two superimposed positions within a square and circle is named after the architect Vitruvius because it is accompanied by a text which is based on the architect’s work. The Vitruvian Man is held by the Gallerie dell’Academia in Venice, Italy, but it is not permanently displayed.

Lady with an Ermine

Oil on wood panel, 55 x 40 cm (21.6 x 15.7 in). c. 1490. The model of the painting has been identified as Cecilia Gallerani who was a mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. The painting is one of only four Leonardo da Vinci’s female portraits next to La belle ferronniere (which is also thought to represent Cecilia Gallerani), Ginevra de’ Benci and Mona Lisa. Lady with an Ermine is displayed in the Czartoryski Museum, Krakow, Poland.

Self-portrait in red chalk

Red chalk on paper, 33.3 x 21.6 cm (13.2 x 8.5 in), c. 1512. The only Leonardo’s self-portrait was drawn around 1512 when the artist was 60 years old. However, not everyone agrees that the old man with long hair and a beard represents Leonardo da Vinci. The drawing which was identified as self-portrait is held by the Royal Library of Turin, Italy.