Leonardo da VinciItalian, 1452–1519First Knot
May one see it?
Not receiving at present
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C., United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- 1961.17.55.a-e
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- National Gallery of Art
- Image: National Gallery of Art — Museum open access
Meanwhile, in the life of Leonardo da Vinci
The whole life1482–1500 · Workplace
Milan
1490
Salaì joins his household
Salaì — “the little unclean one”, that is, the devil — entered Leonardo's household as an assistant. Within a year Leonardo called him “a thief, a liar, stubborn, and a glutton”, yet treated him with great indulgence, and Salaì stayed in his household for the next thirty years.
16 July 1493
“Caterina came”: perhaps his mother
Leonardo wrote in his notebook: “16 July 1493, Caterina came.” An elderly woman came to keep his house, and according to one hypothesis she was his mother.
1499
The French take Milan
Milan was captured by the troops of King Louis XII of France. Leonardo left the city, and the model of the Francesco Sforza monument was badly damaged.
1500 · Residence
Florence
1502
In the service of Cesare Borgia
In Cesena Leonardo entered the service of Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander VI, travelling throughout Italy with him. To win his patronage he drew a town plan of Imola, after which Borgia made him his chief military engineer and architect.
![Wreath of Laurel, Palm, and Juniper with a Scroll inscribed Virtutem Forma Decorat [reverse], Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1474/1478](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/ff62e8d0-45c4-498f-ad36-6358de827e04/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
![Ginevra de' Benci [obverse], Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1474/1478](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/8f29e3c9-a289-4d53-abf0-31a66e9e98fa/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
