In 1481, Leonardo Da Vinci, at 29 years old, attempted the most magnificent portrayal of one of the most important events in history — the birth of Christ.
In Francesca Fiorani’s “ The Shadow Drawing, How Science Taught Leonardo How to Paint,” Fiorani describes the fascinating story of how Da Vinci conceived the composition of The Adoration, partly using the Bible story with wise men and shepherds, and partly from his imaginative attempt to transcend time and suggest the future adversity that Christianity would face, as depicted by the combatants on horseback in the distance.
The composition would end up having over 70 individuals with very challenging perspective. To a perfectionist like Da Vinci, seeking to paint each figure precisely based on the exact conditions of light, space and reflected surroundings, it became an overwhelming task that was never completed.
However, in studying the preparatory drawings, Fiorani explains how Da Vinci made a sketch at this same time of an early barometer, “to weight air and learn when it breaks the weather.” This sketch pre-dated Torricelli’sinvention of the barometer by 170 years.
As a result of his failure to complete The Adoration, Da Vinci simplified his compositions and accelerated his understanding of optics. His meticulous study and precise consideration of light diffusion through the atmosphere made The Virgin of the Rocks, The Mona Lisa and many other paintings some of the greatest masterpieces of all time.
