The Virgin of the Rocks of the Louvre and London
Two almost twin versions, separated by more than twenty years of work, a conflict of orders and pictorial choices which completely change the reading.
The Louvre version is the first: warmer, more mysterious and animated by the angel who looks at the viewer pointing to Saint John. The London version is the second: colder, more readable and supplemented by religious attributes - halos and crosses - absent from the Parisian painting.
The compositions remain very close: Mary forms a shelter with her hands, Saint John prays, Jesus blesses and the angel accompanies the group to a cave. But London is not a simple copy. Leonardo resumed his invention, changed the light, simplified the exchange of glances and reconstructed several passages during a performance spread between the years 1490 and 1508.
A scene without human architecture
Leonardo places an image of devotion in a mineral, humid world almost predating history. The cave replaces the throne; light replaces the gold of a sacred background.
In the center, the Virgin extends her right hand behind the young Saint John the Baptist. His left hand floats above Christ, like a protective vault. Jesus raises his hand to bless his cousin. The angel, traditionally identified as Uriel, closes the group on the right.
The bodies make up a pyramid, but nothing is still. The hands circulate the gaze of Saint John to Mary, of Mary to Jesus, then of Jesus to the angel. The landscape extends this movement: cliffs, waters and luminous openings create depth without visible architectural perspective.
The decisive common point: in both versions, the sacred does not descend from a golden sky. It seems to emerge from earthly matter - stone, water, vegetation and darkness.
Look before looking for differences
The Louvre: a more disturbing vision
The angel looks out of the painting and points to Saint John. The red of his coat, the warm skin tones and the misty transitions give the group a carnal presence, while the landscape seems to recede in a milky light.
The National Gallery: a clarified image
The angel turns away from the viewer and no longer points. The halos and the small cross of Saint John identify the characters. The blues, earths and more assertive contours structure a more hieratic scene.
| Comparative point | Louvre | London |
|---|---|---|
| Place in the series | First known version | Second version intended for the Milanese altarpiece |
| Angel | Look at the viewer and point at Saint John | Inner gaze, hand placed, no indicator gesture |
| Attributes | No halos or visible crosses | Aureoles and crosses of Saint John |
| Color | Reds, ochres and warmer skin tones | Tight palette of blues, browns and yellows |
| Light | Melted transitions, humid atmosphere | Colder contrasts and more isolated forms |
| Support | Painting on wood transferred to canvas in the 19th century | Poplar panels still preserved |
| Destination | Probably sold out of the original order | Installed in the altarpiece of San Francesco Grande |
The differences that change the story
The details are presented in the same order: Louvre on the left, London on the right. The identical framing makes it possible to distinguish real decisions, and not simple variations in reproduction.
Angel's look
At the Louvre, the angel sees us and associates us with the stage. In London, his gaze descends towards Christ: the circuit becomes interior, quieter and more devotional.
The disappearing finger
In the first version, the angel designates Saint John. This gesture almost competes with the blessing of Christ. London removes it and gives the duo of children a clearer hierarchy.
The signs added
In London, Saint John wears his reed cross and the figures receive halos. The Louvre version asks the viewer to identify the characters solely through gestures.
Two geologies, two climates
Paris opens onto distant pale blue and almost vaporous waters. London reinforces the blue-green of the lake and further detaches the peaks. The English rocks seem more constructed, while the Louvre favors unstable passages between matter, steam and light.
This setting is not a survey of a specific location. Leonardo assembles geological observations and invention to suggest a primitive world, subject to the slow forces of water.
An order, a conflict, then a replacement
On April 25, 1483, Leonardo, Ambrogio de Predis and Evangelista de Predis signed a contract for the altarpiece of the Brotherhood of the Immaculate Conception in San Francesco Grande, Milan.
The altarpiece was a sculpted and painted ensemble. There Virgin of the rocks was to occupy the central part, accompanied by panels of musical angels. The archives then show a long financial disagreement between the artists and the brotherhood.
The scenario generally chosen is as follows: the first painting, today at the Louvre, was not delivered or was sold because the artists considered the remuneration insufficient. A second version was therefore undertaken to take its place in the altarpiece. The National Gallery, however, recalls that the documents do not answer all the questions; the exact timeline remains reconstructed from payments, style and material examination.
Pay attention to the "refused version" formula: it oversimplifies the matter. The conflict seems first and foremost to concern money and the evaluation of work. There is no evidence that the first painting was rejected because its iconography would have displeased.
Signature of the altarpiece contract by Leonardo and the brothers of Predis.
Execution of the first version, today at the Louvre.
Probable start of the second version, with several work campaigns.
Leonardo's return to Milan, completion and final payment.
The National Gallery purchased the London version from the Earl of Suffolk.
London hides another composition
Infrared reflectography revealed a very different first project under the visible painting, notably another head and another hand for Virgo.
This discovery rules out the idea of a mechanical copy. Leonardo began a composition, abandoned it, then reconstructed the current scene. The technical examination distinguishes three main phases of execution: a probable beginning in the 1490s, changes of position - notably for the head of Christ - then a final campaign after the painter's return to Milan in 1506.
A hidden drawing
A different figure existed beneath the visible Virgin. The painting therefore preserves the memory of an abandoned invention.
A narrow palette
The National Gallery highlights the importance of blues, yellows and browns, as well as the addition of overseas in the final phase.
A measured restoration
In 2008 -2009, the gradient varnishes were reduced without trying to expose the surface, in order to regain the readability of the models.
Which one is the "real" one?
Both are true historical versions of the same invention. The Louvre retains the first; London, the second, made to replace the first in the Milanese altarpiece.
Paris and London: useful benchmarks
The first version
- Inventory: INV 777 /MR 320
- Advertised location: denon Wing, Level 1, Room 710
- To be observed on site: the hand of Mary, the gaze of the angel and the fade from the distance
The second version
- Inventory: NG1093
- Support: three poplar panels assembled
- To be observed on site: the halos, the reed cross and the deliberately less finished areas
Choose the version that speaks to you
The boutique offers the two compositions separately. The Louvre version suits a warm and mysterious atmosphere; that of London offers a colder, vertical and meditative reading.
The Virgin of the Rocks of the Louvre
Find the direct gaze of the angel, the red coat and the distant mistiness of the first version.
See the reproduction of the LouvreThe Virgin of the Rocks of London
Choose the second version, with its halos, reed cross and tighter blue-brown palette.
See the London reproductionLeonardo da Vinci
Explore the other works available and compose a coherent whole around the Italian Renaissance.
Discover the collectionWhat to remember
Why are there two Rock Maids?
The first version is linked to the commission of 1483, but a financial conflict pits the artists against the brotherhood of the Immaculate Conception. A second painting is created for the altarpiece of San Francesco Grande. However, the documentation does not allow each step to be reconstructed with certainty.
Which version was painted first?
The Louvre version, dated around 1483 -1494, is the first. The National Gallery version was probably started in the 1490s and completed in a new campaign between 1506 and 1508.
How to quickly recognize the Louvre version?
The angel looks at the viewer and points to Saint John the Baptist. His red coat is very visible, and the characters have neither halos nor reed crosses.
How to recognize the London version?
The angel no longer points at Saint John and looks away. The halos are visible and Saint John wears a thin cross. The palette appears colder and darker overall.
Are both paintings entirely by Leonardo?
Both institutions present them under the name Leonardo da Vinci. The participation of collaborators, particularly in certain passages of the second version, remains a question studied by historians and technical specialists.
Is the London version a simple copy?
No. Infrared reflectography reveals a first hidden composition and important changes. Leonardo redesigned his image instead of mechanically reproducing the Louvre painting.
Where are they on display today?
The first version is kept at the Louvre Museum in Paris, the second at the National Gallery in London. The rooms may change: always consult the official notices before a visit.
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