Leonardo: The Virgin of the Rocks (One Painting, One Story)

Leonardo'sThe Virgin of the Rocks is one of the most famous paintings in the National Gallery. With a composition that was developed and revisited by the artist throughout his life, the work encapsulates many of Leonardo's diverse interests: in the science of perception, in geology, in anatomy and in new painting techniques that create a more lifelike depiction of the human form. In this publication Leah Kharibian tells the fascinating story behindthis mysteriouswork,initially commissioned as an altarpiece when Leonardo was a young artist working in Milan. From charting Leonardo's innovative painting techniques to exploring the work's changing designs, this bookilluminates therich history of this Renaissance masterpiece. Published by National Gallery Global/Distributed by Yale University Press