Leonardo: The Virgin of the Rocks

The Virgin of the Rocks is a complex and mysterious painting.

It was painted for an altarpiece for a chapel in Milan, long since lost.

It shows the Virgin Mary,

Christ's cousin, Saint John the Baptist,

and an angel.

They kneel to adore Christ, who raises his hand to bless them.

They are in a grotto overhung with rocks and dense with vegetation.

The setting reflects Leonardo’s fascination with the natural world:

The mountains resemble Leonardo's native Tuscan landscape.

Their upward energy contrasts with the water’s flat stillness.

The wilderness is fertile: plants tickle John the Baptist’s and Christ's feet,

... and even sprout from the rocks.

But they don’t resemble real flowers – they are invented hybrids of different plants.

The painting demonstrates Leonardo’s technique of contrasting light and shadow, known as ‘chiaroscuro’.

The figures emerge from the darkness, as if spot-lit.

Leonardo uses a smoky, blurry effect around the edges of forms,

such as around the Virgin’s temples and nose.

This makes the figures appear three-dimensional.

The technique is called ‘sfumato’ – from the Italian ‘turn to smoke.’