In the
early 16th Century, Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint scenes from the Battle
Of Anghiari at the Great Council Chamber Of Florence. It follows that da Vinci was
supposedly miffed that a rival artist, Michelangelo Buonarroti, had also been commissioned to
paint scenes from another battle (Battle Of Cascina) in the same
room.
Legend has it that da Vinci never finished this painting. Around 1517,
the King Of France, Francis 1, offered him the position of Premier Painter and Engineer and
Architect Of The King. Accordingly, Leonardo brought along his two favorite apprentices, Salai
and Melzi, and three paintings: the Mona Lisa, John The Baptist, and The
Virgin and Child With St. Anne. It is this last work
that is officially considered to be Leonardo's last painting. Three years ago,
the Louvre finished a restoration of The Virgin and Child With St. Anne.
Despite this, there are new claims that the above work may not
have been Leonardo's last. One astounding claim is that made by
McLaren, who claims that a family painting is really the last Leonardo masterpiece.
Her book, Da Vinci's Last Commission: The Most Sensational Detective Story In The
History Of Art , details her hypothesis. To date, her claim has not been fully
verified by experts.
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