Museums · cities · routes
Where to see the works from Leonardo da Vinci?
From Paris to Florence, from Milan to Krakow: the paintings of Leonardo and his studio to see, museum by museum.
The short answer
Paris first, then Florence and Milan
To see as many paintings as possible, start at the Louvre. Florence is the best step to understanding young Leonardo, while Milan brings together his most ambitious mural and a rare male portrait.
Other cities often have a single, but irreplaceable, work: The Lady with the Ermine in Krakow, Ginevra de' Benci in Washington, Saint Jerome in the Vatican or La Scapigliata in Parma.
Overview
Museums at a glance
Click on a city to join its detailed guide.
| N° | City | Museum | Main works |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris | Louvre Museum | The Mona Lisa · The Virgin of the Rocks |
| 2 | Florence | Uffizi Gallery | The Annunciation · The Adoration of the Magi |
| 3 | Milano | Cenacolo Vinciano and Pinacoteca Ambrosiana | The Last Supper · Portrait of a musician |
| 4 | London | National Gallery | The Virgin of the Rocks, London version |
| 5 | Krakow | Princes Czartoryski Museum | The Lady with the Ermine |
| 6 | Washington | National Gallery of Art | Ginevra de' Benci, front and back |
| 7 | Vatican City | Vatican Pinacoteca | Saint Jerome in the desert |
| 8 | Munich | Alte Pinakothek | The Madonna with the Carnation |
| 9 | Parma | Galleria Nazionale, Complesso della Pilotta | The Scapigliata |
| 10 | St. Petersburg | Hermitage Museum | Madone Benois · Madone Litta, attribution discussed |
| 11 | Madrid | Museo Nacional del Prado | The Prado Mona Lisa |
Guide by destination
Eleven cities to see his paintings
The course now focuses exclusively on paintings, with a clear distinction between autograph works, collaborations and workshops.
Enlarge ↗Priority destination
Louvre Museum
- The Mona Lisa
- The Virgin of the Rocks
- La Belle Ferronnière
- The Virgin, the Child Jesus and Saint Anne
- Saint John the Baptist
No other museum preserves so many of Leonardo's essential paintings. Start with the Mona Lisa, then look at how the sfumato becomes more mysterious in Saint John the Baptist and how the composition expands in Saint Anne. The Virgin of the Rocks finally allows us to study the geological landscape and atmospheric unity.
Official website of the place ↗
Enlarge ↗Florentine youth
Uffizi Gallery
- The Annunciation
- The Adoration of the Magi
- The Baptism of Christ, with Verrocchio
The Léonard room offers the best summary of his training. Baptism still shows the collective work of Verrocchio's workshop; the Annunciation reveals his observation of plants, air and wings; Adoration, which remained unfinished, allows his research to be seen directly beneath the surface.
Official website of the place ↗
Enlarge ↗Two essential places
Cenacolo Vinciano and Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
- The Last Supper
- Portrait of a musician
Milan retains two essential milestones: The Last Supper, fragile mural visible in Santa Maria delle Grazie, and the Portrait of a musician from Pinacoteca Ambrosiana.
Official website of the place ↗
Enlarge ↗An essential painting
National Gallery
- The Virgin of the Rocks, London version
The National Gallery exhibits the second version of The Virgin of the Rocks. Its composition, lighting and certain details allow a direct comparison with the version kept at the Louvre.
Official website of the place ↗
Enlarge ↗A unique portrait
Princes Czartoryski Museum
- The Lady with the Ermine
The Lady with the Ermine is Leonardo's only painting in a Polish collection. The cross movement of the bust, face and animal transforms the portrait of Cecilia Gallerani into a living scene, linked to the court of Ludovico Sforza.
Official website of the place ↗
Enlarge ↗The only painting in the United States
National Gallery of Art
- Ginevra de' Benci, front and back
Ginevra de' Benci is Leonardo's only painting preserved on the American continent. Its painted reverse, with the juniper and the motto Virtutem Forma Decorat, is essential to understanding the work as a two-sided object.
Official website of the place ↗
Enlarge ↗The Radical Unfinished
Vatican Pinacoteca
- Saint Jerome in the desert
Saint Jerome is an interrupted painting, almost an x-ray of Leonardo's process. The face, the anatomy of the neck, the gesture of the arm and the barely indicated lion show different degrees of elaboration on the same panel.
Official website of the place ↗
Enlarge ↗A Madonna of Youth
Alte Pinakothek
- The Madonna with the Carnation
The Madonna with the Carnation belongs to the first independent works associated with Leonardo. The crystal vase, the jewel, the fabrics and the landscape allow us to observe how the young painter transforms Florentine precision into atmospheric depth.
Official website of the place ↗
Enlarge ↗A head that has become an icon
Galleria Nazionale, Complesso della Pilotta
- The Scapigliata
The Scapigliata contrasts a delicately modeled face with hair and support left almost raw. This tension between appearance and incompleteness makes it one of the most modern images of the Leonardo corpus.
Official website of the place ↗
Enlarge ↗Two Madonnas, access to check
Hermitage Museum
- Madonna Benois
- Madonna Litta, attribution discussed
The Madonna Benois is one of Leonardo's first self-contained paintings. The very famous Madonna Litta is generally presented with more caution as to the exact part of the master and his studio.
Official website of the place ↗
Enlarge ↗Workshop painting
Museo Nacional del Prado
- The Prado Mona Lisa
The copy of the Prado was painted in the studio at the same time as the original from the Louvre. The changes to the underlying drawing follow several corrections by Leonardo, making it an exceptional testimony to the collective work around the master.
Official website of the place ↗Gallery of paintings
Twelve paintings to look at in detail
Paintings only: portraits, Madonnas, religious works, unfinished paintings and documented studio copy.
Madrid · Leonardo's workshop
The Prado Mona Lisa
Museo Nacional del PradoPainted alongside the original, this copy follows several corrections by Leonardo and documents the functioning of his workshop.
See reproduction →
Paris · Leonardo da Vinci
The Virgin of the Rocks
Louvre MuseumThe Parisian version is one of the museum's most important autograph paintings.
Paris · Leonardo da Vinci
La Belle Ferronnière
Louvre MuseumA court portrait of exceptional presence, constructed by the gaze and the modeling of the face.
Paris · Leonardo da Vinci
Saint John the Baptist
Louvre MuseumThe figure emerges from the shadows in one of the peaks of late sfumato.
Paris · Leonardo da Vinci
The Virgin, the Child Jesus and Saint Anne
Louvre MuseumThree generations follow one another in a pyramidal composition of great complexity.
Milan · Leonardo da Vinci
Portrait of a musician
Pinacoteca AmbrosianaThe only male portrait painted on panel generally accepted in Leonardo's corpus.
Florence · Unfinished painting
The Adoration of the Magi
Uffizi GalleryThe unfinished state reveals movements, repeats and searches for composition.
Florence · Verrocchio and Leonardo
The Baptism of Christ
Uffizi GalleryYoung Leonardo intervenes in this workshop work, particularly for the angel seen in profile.
Vatican · Unfinished painting
Saint Jerome in the desert
Vatican PinacotecaDifferent degrees of completion make the creative process visible.
Parma · Attribution to Leonardo
The Scapigliata
Galleria NazionaleA delicately modeled face emerges from deliberately free hair.
Saint Petersburg · Leonardo da Vinci
The Benois Madonna
Hermitage MuseumA living maternal scene, among the master's first independent paintings.
Washington · Leonardo da Vinci
Ginevra de' Benci
National Gallery of ArtThe only Leonardo painting preserved on the American continent also has an iconic painted reverse.
Compose the trip
Three itineraries depending on your time
Paris essential
Dedicate half a day to the Louvre and complete with places related to the Italian Renaissance. This is the densest option for paintings.
Florence and Milan
At the Uffizi, follow the birth of the painter; in Milan, confront The Last Supper at Portrait of a musician.
European Grand Tour
Paris, London, Florence and Milan form the backbone. Add Krakow or the Vatican depending on whether you favor portrait or unfinished.
Continue the visit
Related guides and collections
Official sources
Check the paintings before the visit
Louvre Museum
The five essential paintings of the museum.
FlorenceUffizi Gallery
The room dedicated to the three early works.
MilanoCenacolo Vinciano
La Cène official website and visit information.
LondonNational Gallery
The London version of The Virgin of the Rocks.
KrakowLady with ermine
Notice from the National Museum of Krakow.
WashingtonGinevra de' Benci
National Gallery of Art file.
FAQs
Prepare your visit
Which museum has the most Leonardo paintings?
The Louvre Museum in Paris preserves five essential paintings, the largest group in the world.
Where to see The Last Supper?
At the Cenacolo Vinciano Museum, in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Prior reservation is strongly recommended.
Is the Prado Mona Lisa by Leonardo?
It is attributed to Leonardo's workshop. Painted alongside the Mona Lisa of the Louvre, it follows corrections visible in the underlying drawing and constitutes a major testimony to the collective practice of the workshop.
What painting of Leonardo to see in the United States?
Ginevra de' Benci, kept at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, is the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci permanently presented on the American continent.
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