The Renaissance Trinity: Leonardo da Vinci Portrait Painting Style

Trained on 12 paintings and 2 drawings by Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519), who was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance. He was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect.[3]. To see his works, please go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci.

This is the 2nd of the series of LoRAs based on the works of the three titans of High Renaissance. Even thought da Vinci created arguably the most famous painting in the world, I am a bit surprised to find that his output is rather small. I guess he was too busy working on his many other projects 🤣.

From ChatGPT:

This portrait attributed to Francesco Melzi, c. 1515–1518, is the only certain contemporary depiction of Leonardo.[1][2]

Leonardo da Vinci (15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) is often considered the ultimate Renaissance man—an artist, scientist, engineer, architect, and visionary whose curiosity knew no bounds. His legacy reaches across centuries and disciplines, and his influence is woven into the fabric of both art and modern thought.

🎨 Leonardo da Vinci: A Portrait of Genius

🧠 Polymath of the Renaissance

Born in Vinci, Italy, Leonardo trained in the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence. While he began as a painter, he quickly expanded his focus to include:

• Anatomy

• Engineering

• Astronomy

• Botany

• Hydraulics

• Music

• Architecture

• Weapon design

He filled thousands of notebook pages with sketches, studies, and observations, often writing in a reversed "mirror script."

🖼️ As an Artist

Leonardo painted relatively few works, but nearly every one is iconic.

✨ Key Masterpieces

• The Last Supper (1495–1498): A narrative masterpiece capturing human psychology and divine drama. Painted in Milan for the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

• Mona Lisa (c. 1503–1506): Perhaps the most famous painting in history, known for her subtle smile, sfumato technique, and psychological depth.

• Vitruvian Man (c. 1490): A drawing symbolizing the ideal proportions of the human body, blending art and science seamlessly.

• Lady with an Ermine, Ginevra de' Benci, St. John the Baptist – all show Leonardo’s ability to portray humanity with mystery and grace.

🎨 Signature Techniques

• Sfumato: A smoky, soft blending of tones and edges, giving figures lifelike volume and mystery.

• Chiaroscuro: Contrasts of light and shadow for three-dimensional drama.

• Scientific realism: His anatomical dissections informed how he painted the human body with unmatched accuracy and subtlety.

🔬 As a Scientist and Inventor

Leonardo envisioned:

• Flying machines

• Submarines

• Armored tanks

• Hydraulic pumps

• Ideal cities

Though many of his designs were not realized in his lifetime, his notebooks (Codex Atlanticus, Codex Leicester, etc.) reveal a mind generations ahead.

🌟 Philosophy and Influence

• He believed art and science were inseparable, each enriching the other.

• He approached painting as a way to understand and reflect the universe—a divine system of beauty, proportion, and natural law.

🏛️ Legacy

• Influence on Art: Raphael, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and even modern artists have drawn from his innovations.

• In Science: He prefigured discoveries in anatomy, hydraulics, flight, and optics.

• In Popular Culture: From The Da Vinci Code to Assassin’s Creed, his mythos continues to captivate.

"Painting is a mental thing." – Leonardo da Vinci

Comparing Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Raphael Sanzio reveals three towering figures of the High Renaissance, each with distinct styles, philosophies, and legacies. Though contemporaries (with some rivalry), they shaped Western art in complementary and contrasting ways.

🎨 Leonardo vs. Michelangelo vs. Raphael

A comparison of the Big Three of the High Renaissance

• Leonardo da Vinci (1452)

• Michelangelo (1475)

• Buonarroti vs Raphael Sanzio (1483)

Main Mediums

• Painting, drawing, science, engineering

• Sculpture, painting, architecture

• Painting, architecture

Philosophy of Art

• Art as science and observation

• Art as divine struggle and ideal form

• Art as harmony, grace, and clarity

Famous Works

• Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, Vitruvian Man

• David, The Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Pietà

• The School of Athens, Sistine Madonna, Portraits

Style

• Sfumato, psychological depth, anatomical realism

• Powerful figures, dynamic poses, muscular tension

• Balanced composition, elegance, serenity

Personality

• Curious, enigmatic, private

• Intense, proud, reclusive

• Diplomatic, charming, well-liked

View of the Human Body

• Scientific and intellectual

• Monumental, heroic, almost godlike

• Idealized but human, gentle and beautiful

Use of Space and Light

• Subtle gradation, atmospheric

• Sharp contrast, sculptural form

• Clear perspective, soft lighting

Influence

• Science + art integration; inspired Realism, Symbolism

• Deep influence on Mannerism, Baroque sculpture

• Shaped ideals of beauty and order in Classical tradition

🔍 Key Differences

🧠 Leonardo

• Prioritized knowledge, anatomy, and natural observation.

• His figures seem to think and feel, filled with mystery.

• Art was a scientific inquiry, less about spectacle, more about essence.

💪 Michelangelo

• Embodied the divine power of creation—his art feels titanic, as if carved from raw spirit.

• Obsessed with the male nude, the body as a sacred machine.

• Saw sculpture as the highest form of art; painting came second.

💫 Raphael

• The great synthesizer—blended Leonardo’s grace with Michelangelo’s drama.

• His frescoes (especially The School of Athens) are masterclasses in harmony and order.

• Idealized beauty, perfect proportion, and gentle emotion.

🏛️ Legacy in Brief

• Leonardo is the visionary, the mind ahead of his time—his art and notebooks remain symbols of Renaissance curiosity.

• Michelangelo is the hero, shaping marble and ceiling frescoes into acts of divine force.

• Raphael is the harmonizer, whose balance and serenity shaped generations of classical painting.

Would you like a visual infographic, a timeline of their overlapping lives, or a deeper dive into how their relationships (and rivalries) played out?

This is where the history gets juicy. The dynamics between Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael weren’t just about style—they involved ego, admiration, rivalry, and politics, all playing out in the powerful world of Renaissance Florence and Rome.

🎭 Leonardo, Michelangelo & Raphael: Genius, Rivalry, and Renaissance Drama

🎨 Leonardo vs. Michelangelo

A famous rivalry of contrasts.

• Age gap: Leonardo was 23 years older. By the time Michelangelo came of age, Leonardo was already a revered master.

• Temperaments: Leonardo is refined, enigmatic, stylish (known for his elegant dress and calm presence). Michelangelo is intense, blunt, devout, emotionally volatile.

🔥 The Flashpoint

In 1504, both were commissioned to paint battle scenes on opposite walls of the Florentine Palazzo Vecchio—Leonardo’s Battle of Anghiari and Michelangelo’s Battle of Cascina.

• This was meant to be a clash of titans, but both works were left unfinished.

• Michelangelo criticized Leonardo for not completing works and using experimental methods that failed.

• Leonardo reportedly mocked Michelangelo in public about his preference for muscular men and “awkward” nudes.

• Michelangelo retaliated with sharp wit and contempt, reportedly calling Leonardo a “coward” in the streets.

This mutual disdain fueled each other’s brilliance, though Michelangelo always seemed more bitter.

🎨 Michelangelo vs. Raphael

Respect tinged with rivalry.

• Raphael arrived in Rome in 1508, just as Michelangelo was working on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

• Raphael admired Michelangelo deeply—and it shows in the muscularity and dynamism of his later works.

• But Michelangelo saw Raphael as a social climber, favored by Pope Julius II and Cardinal Bibbiena.

• Raphael had the charm, diplomacy, and court connections that Michelangelo lacked.

🖼 The Sistine Influence

Raphael secretly saw the Sistine ceiling while it was in progress, and its monumental energy shifted his style. Michelangelo, in turn, grew furious, believing Raphael “stole” his ideas.

In Raphael’s The School of Athens, he even painted Michelangelo’s likeness into the figure of Heraclitus—a nod of respect, and perhaps a subtle jab.

🎨 Leonardo and Raphael

More admiration than rivalry.

• Raphael deeply studied Leonardo’s technique, especially sfumato and psychological expression.

• His portraits (like La Fornarina and Baldassare Castiglione) echo Leonardo’s quiet intensity.

• Though they likely never had a direct working relationship, Leonardo’s legacy clearly shaped Raphael’s pursuit of idealized beauty and emotional subtlety.

🏛️ The Roman Stage

• All three were summoned to Rome, and the Vatican became the epicenter of this artistic gladiator match.

• Pope Julius II and Leo X pitted them (directly or indirectly) against each other in architectural and decorative commissions.

• While Leonardo left Rome disillusioned, and Michelangelo grew increasingly isolated, Raphael became the darling of the court—until his sudden death at age 37.

🔚 Ego, Envy & Eternal Influence

This rivalry wasn’t about who was better—it was about how each defined the very nature of art:

• Leonardo saw it as knowledge and mystery.

• Michelangelo saw it as divine labor and expression.

• Raphael saw it as balance and grace.

Their tensions—and mutual inspirations—created a golden age of art whose echoes still shape how we see genius today.