Francis I invites Leonardo to France. The artist crosses the Alps with Francesco Melzi and takes several paintings on which he is still working, including the Mona Lisa. His last patron does not commission the portrait: he receives the artist’s presence and, later, the work Leonardo had kept with him.
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People in this chapter
Leonardo da Vinci
Painter, engineer and investigator of nature who worked in Florence, Milan, Rome and France. His service to the Sforza, Cesare Borgia, the Medici and Francis I connects his artistic work with the courts and political networks of his time.
English profile ↗Full profile and sources in Spanish ↗Francisco I de Francia
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Full profile and sources in Spanish ↗Francesco Melzi
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Full profile and sources in Spanish ↗Sources and coverage
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Sources and methodology