In all his works Leonardo used the most characteristic device of almost all High Renaissance artists-fitting the figures into a specific geometric pattern.

Leonardo’s genius as an artist can be clearly seen in his most famous works “The Mona Lisa” and “ The Last Supper”.

“ The Last supper” was painted on the walls of the refectory of Santa Maria Monastery in Milan in 1495. Christ announces his disciples that soon one of them will betray him.The Christ’s followers are divided into four groups of three each. By means of a skilful use of light and shadow Leonardo portrays the mixed emotions of surprise,horror , innocence and guilt on disciples’ faces.

Unfortunately, he tried out new ideas with the paint and the picture began peeling off .The thing is , that ”The Last Supper” was painted not in true fresco but in experimental oil technique.

As for “Mona Lisa”,it is considered to be Leonardo’s greatest work.The personality of Mona Lisa makes a vivid impression on us.Most researchers are prone to think that Lisa de Gherardini del Giokondo, a wife of the merchant,Francesco del Giocondo is portrayed in this picture.At the foreground we can see a figure, who sits in a relaxed position with her hands crossed.There is a faint gentle smile on her face. At the background one can observe a beautiful landscape.”The Mona Lisa” reflects Leonardo’s interest in moods of the human soul. There is something mysterious about Mona Lisa, that we can not grasp at first sight.He created a problem to which gives no answer.He makes a viewer reconsider it.” Mona Lisa” is a supreme example of Leonardo’s ability to create a masterpiece, showing a complex inner world of his figures.

All of the preserved Leonardo’s works are fascinating.

Learn presumably unfamiliar words:

discovery-винахід, відкриття

mankind-людство

to be concerned with- пов’язаний з;

investigation-дослідження

glittering- яскравий, блискучий

curious- допитливий

inventive-винахідливий

notary-нотаріус

peasant-селянський,сільський

workshop-майстерня

marble-мармур

amazed-дивовижний, вражаючий

brush-пензель

skill-майстерність

to arrange-розташовувати

to be deprived- бути позбавленим

device-прийом

refectory-трапезна(у монастирі)

disciples-1)учні,послідовники;2)апостоли

to betray-зраджувати

mixed-змішаний

innocence-невинність

guilt-провина

to peel off- лущитися; облізати

prone-схильний

foreground- передній план ( картини)

background-задній план (картини)

mysterious- загадковий; таємничий

grasp-вловлювати; сприймати

sight-погляд

reconsider-обдумувати;розмірковувати

fascinating-прекрасний,захоплюючий

Мake sure you know the names of most famous pictures of

Leonardo da Vinci:

“ Baptism of Christ”- „Хрещення Христа”

“ Adoration of the Magi”- „Поклоніння волхвів”

“Madonna of the Rocks”-„Мадонна в гроті”

“Madonna and Child with St. Ann”-„Мадонна з святою Анною та немовлям”

“Last Supper”-„Таємна вечеря”

“Mona Lisa”-„ Мона Ліза”

Answer the following questions:

1. Where and when was Leonardo da Vinci born?

2. What did his parents do?

3. Can you enumerate the most famous representatives of the Renaissance epoch?

4. What is the most typical feature of the “Renaissance man”?

5. Why did Leonardo’s father send him to a teacher to study art?

6. Who was Leonardo’s teacher?

7. What activities was a young Leonardo introduced in the workshop?

8. Do you know any other fields Leonardo da Vinci was engaged in?

9. What work did Leonardo execute that his teacher was astonished?

10. Was “The Adoration of the Magi” completed? Why?

11. What do you think are the greatest works of Leonardo da Vinci?

12. What is the main device of all Leonardo’s works?

13. What technique helped Leonardo to skillfully render his disciples’ emotions in the “Last Supper”?

14. Why did it start peeling off?

15. Whom did Leonardo portray in his picture ”Mona Lisa”?

16. Is it easy to grasp the real meaning of the picture at first sight?

17. What did Leonardo try to reveal in his works?

Exercise №1. Give synonyms of the following words:

famous, disciple, gifted, typical, to complete, to portray, to reveal, to grasp,fascinating.

Exercise № 2. Give Ukrainian equivalents of the following words and phrases:

workshop, to fit figures into geometric composition, the most characteristic device, to sit in a relaxed position, to be concerned with investigations, to record, to evince an interest in painting, innocence, guilt, to be prone, to grasp the problem.

Exercise № 3. Give English equivalents of the following words and

phrases; compose your own sentences with them:

детально вивчати, бути враженим, пензель, передній план, задній план, пейзаж, бути позбавленим кольору, учні Христа, лущитися(злізати), на перший погляд, вражаючий, зображати на картині.

Exercise № 4. Tranlate the given sentences into English:

1. Постать людини- основна тема картин художників епохи Ренесансу.

2. Уся епоха Відродження поділяється на два етапи: раннє та пізнє Відродження.

3. Найвидатнішою постаттю епохи пізнього Ренесансу був Леонардо да Вінчі.

4. Він займався не тільки писанням картин, а й музикою,філософією, інженерною справою,анатомією,математикою.

5. У майстерні Верроккіо, юний Леонардо спостерігав як вчитель створює скульптури з мармуру та бронзи.

6. Коли Леонардо намалював ангела у картині „Хрещення Христа”, його вчитель був вражений.

7. Основним прийомом художників Ренесансу було розміщення постатей у певній геометричній композиції.

8. У картині „ Таємна вечеря” Леонардо да Вінчі за допомогою світла та тіні показав реакцію апостолів на слова вчителя.

9. Доля фрески- трагічна через експерименти Леонардо з фарбами.