The life of Leonardo da Vinci by John William Brown

Art in the Italy of Leo the Tenth

The reign of Leo the Tenth forms so striking an era in Italian literature, that one is too apt to confound him personally with the age in which he lived. Without at all wishing to deteriorate the good qualities which this magnificent Pontiff undoubtedly possessed, it appears from the history of those times, that the age contributed more to his elevation, than he did individually to the advancement of learning in fact, that the effect would have been much the same under any other Pope who was not an absolute bigot, obstinately determined to smother the blaze of knowledge which was then bursting forth to illuminate Christendom. On his accession to the pontificate, the course which Leo had to pursue was so plain before him, that it was almost impossible for any one to have mistaken his way.

Even policy forbade him to act otherwise, and his own ostentation and love of magnificence merely prompted him to complete, what the enterprising spirit and sound mime of Julius the Second had commenced. Scarcely any of the popes had ever assumed the tiara under more advantageous circumstances than Leo; he had merely to appropriate to himself the brilliant reputation which his predecessor had just died in time to bequeath him, and quietly time the credit of the happy results of all Julius's undertakings. Had the latter lived a few years longer, we should have talked of the Julian age of Rome, instead of " the golden days of Leo," and the advantages to mankind would have been much the same. The ruling principle of Lees policy was the aggrandisement of the House of Medici; and by simply following the taste of the age, and acting up to the spirit of the times, he could most easily attain his object, while he gratified his own taste for splendour by becoming the liberal patron of men of letters.

It is easy to be generous, even to profusion, of what does not belong to us; and few of St. Peter's representatives have ever made a freer use of his patrimony. Circumstances made Leo what he was, and unless he had abandoned the pontificate altogether, he must have been talked and flattered into virtues which he might not have otherwise possessed. It is certainly no proof of his discernment or good taste, that he either could not or did not appreciate the talents of Leonardo de Vinci sufficiently to fix him near his person; while it is well known that he neglected those of Michaelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo, however, during his short stay in Rome was not altogether unemployed, as he painted a picture for Messer Baldassare de Pescia, the Pope's datario (almoner), who seemed to have more feeling for his merits than his master.

This picture was painted on wood, and represented a Holy Family, consisting of the Virgin and Child, with St. Joseph and St. John behind, in which group was a portrait of a young lady in full length, of singular beauty and noble features. De Pagave in speaking of this picture observes, "that although the Vincian style is perfectly discernible, it is evident that he had imitated Raphael in this composition"; and for this reason he probably chose to distinguish it by the monogram of his own name, that it might not be taken for the work of any other artist. The beautiful lady whose portrait he introduced in this picture, is supposed to be the Pope's sister-in-law, as it is very natural that Leonardo should have paid this compliment to his patron's wife, Giuliano de' Medici having just married Filiberta of Savoy.

Whoever the lady might have been, the picture was so wonderfully executed that it attracted the Pope's attention, and occasioned him to employ Da Vinci, old as he was, in preference to Raphael and Michaelangelo, in the execution of a work which afterwards became the cause of his disgrace and of his departure from Rome. Vasari relates the story, that Leonardo, with his usual love of experiments, began to distil different herbs and out to make a particular kind of varnish, and that some ill-natured persons told this to the Pope, who exclaimed, "Oh ! this man will never do any thing, for he begins to think of the end of his work before the commencement." This hasty remark was immedidtely repeated to Leonardo, who, already disgusted with his Holiness for having sent for Michaelangelo to Rome, with whom he was on bad terms, determined on leaving it.