What can I say Leonardo Davinci. Letter from Leonardo da Vinci. The Vatican is guarded by the Masonic-Templar Guard

At the entrance to the museum, I came face to face with Perepelkin. The old man beamed with happiness.

Emma, ​​Emma! He kissed me on both cheeks. Today is the happiest day of my life! I turned out to be right! My hypothesis has been documented!

- What is the hypothesis? - I didn't get it.

- Well, remember, I told you that Leonardo da Vinci wrote two"La Gioconda"?! So, now I have irrefutable evidence! Look! .. - he handed me a piece of paper.

– What is it?

– A copy of a previously unknown letter from Leonardo to another great Renaissance artist, Michelangelo Buonarroti. I have just received this copy from Italy, from my colleague Cesare Vasari. Professor Vasari is the world's leading leonardo-davinciologist. Just the other day, in the repository of the Milan Library, he discovered this priceless document. Cesare immediately made a copy and sent it to me. Read Emma!

I stuck my nose into the paper.

But it's written in Italian here.

“Sorry,” Gleb Borisych took the letter. Listen, I will translate for you. He adjusted his glasses on his nose and excitedly began to translate: “Hello, my young friend Michelangelo. I will describe to you in detail my service with Caesar Borgia ... " Well, this is not interesting for you, Emma. Yep, here... “I recently completed a portrait of the Mona Lisa di Antonio Maria di Noldo Gherardini. And imagine, dear Michelangelo, I fell in love with my own creation. Yes, so passionately that he simply could not part with him. Unfortunately, the picture was painted to order, and I had already spent the advance payment received. But I found a way out of this situation by painting another exactly the same portrait in order to give it to the customer. But you won't believe it, Michelangelo, I fell in love with this painting too, and was also unable to part with it. Only on the third attempt did I manage to overcome the love for my own creation. It should be noted that Signor Giocondo was not stingy and generously paid for my work. So now I can, without worrying about my daily bread, devote myself entirely to scientific research ... "

“Wait a minute,” I interrupted Perepelkin. – It turns out that Leonardo da Vinci drew not two, but three"La Gioconda"!

Gleb Borisych slowly sank down onto the steps of the Hermitage.

"My God," he clutched at his heart. - Looks like three. How could I not have realized. Where is the third Mona Lisa then?

- I know where! I exclaimed.

- Where?! Perepelkin's eyes lit up.

“What other space virus?” I got worried. - Come on, come on, read on, Gleb Borisych!

Perepelkin, already reluctantly, began to translate further:

- “... And the other day, dear Michelangelo, a curious incident happened to me. During the meal, a meteorite fell into my plate. Yes, yes, a real meteorite. Only very small, the size of a pea. He broke through the roof of the house, the ceiling and landed on a plate of spaghetti.

Of course, you remember, dear friend, that, in addition to mechanics and geology, I also do astronomy. Therefore, I immediately carried out a chemical analysis of the celestial body. In the composition of the meteorite, I found carbonates resembling limestone. Inside these carbonates were particles of magnetic iron ore and iron sulfide, similar in structure and shape to similar substances produced by bacteria of terrestrial origin.

Undoubtedly, this pebble lay on the surface of some distant planet, and an asteroid crashed into this planet. As a result of the impact, pieces of sedimentary rocks were knocked out from the surface of the planet and fell into outer space. Among the victims was my pebble. For some time he flew in outer space, gradually shifting towards the Sun, until he fell into the gravitational field of the Earth. And as a result, fell to the ground, right in my spaghetti.

But what was my amazement, friend Michelangelo, when I discovered a living microorganism on a meteorite. You imagine?! However, my immeasurable amazement was soon replaced by an equally immeasurable horror! After careful study of the mysterious alien, I came to the conclusion that this is a deadly virus that can destroy all the people of the Earth. The virus itself cannot be destroyed by anything. I was convinced of this through numerous experiments and experiments. The only way to get rid of the killer virus is to send it back into space.

I am sure that our distant descendants will be able to create aircraft that will move beyond the Earth. But the whole trouble is, dear friend, that until that time the damned virus can sweep through the Earth with lightning speed, mowing down all of humanity at the root.

And that's what I came up with, Michelangelo.

I walled up a deadly enemy in one of the Mona Lisa portraits. He transferred it carefully to the canvas and applied a layer of special paint on top. God forbid he ever escape from captivity. It is terrible to imagine what will happen to poor humanity then ... "

Perepelkin read on, but I no longer listened. My cheeks were on fire. So, in one of the "Giocondas" a space virus is hidden that can destroy all of humanity. And Madame Death tried to steal the Mona Lisa from the Hermitage. Both of these facts docked in my brain like two spaceships.

Death does not need a picture, it needs– VIRUS!

- ... he flies on a business trip abroad. In London. And when he returns, I will definitely show him this letter.

Who flies to London? I asked automatically.

- Yes, our deputy director.

– Kosolapov?! I screamed. - When?!

Perepelkin was taken aback by my cry.

- Yes, right now. He looked at his watch. - Literally in three minutes.

I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and frantically dialed Aunt Moti's number. “If only she would return from Novgorod,” I prayed to myself.

Matilda Ernestovna, fortunately, was already at home.

“Emmochka, honey,” she immediately recognized my voice. - Come quickly. I will tell you about Novgorod. Oh what a beautiful city...

- Matilda Ernestovna, run into the bedroom and see if the Gioconda is hanging there or not!

- Why run away? I already know what's up.

- I am begging you! Look!

- All right, Emma.

She went to look. Precious seconds flew by.

“God, Lord…” an agitated voice was heard in the receiver. "She's not there, Emma!" She is not there!..

So I knew!

There was no time to listen to Aunt Motina's lamentations. I already dialed the helpline number.

“Twelfth,” said the telephone operator. - Speak.

- Girl, - I shouted into the phone, - urgently give the number of the airport security service! A terrorist act is being prepared there!

The telephone operator rattled off the number in fright.

I called the airport.

“Airport security,” a male voice replied.

There was no time to explain anything. And I applied Volodkin's tried-and-tested technique.

“Listen to me carefully, buddy,” I said with a hoarse voice. There is a bomb on the plane to London. Yeah I understood?

- Who is speaking?!

- Says the terrorist organization "Chizhik-Pyzhik".

Perepelkin looked like a fish that was washed ashore by a wave. He bulged his eyes and was speechless at my call to the airport. Meanwhile, I was already calling Anna Lvovna.

- Stallion on the wire! - chimed the general's wife.

- Anna Lvovna, go to the airport as soon as possible! Kosolapov must be arrested at all costs!

- All clear! Let's go! she said shortly.

Putting my cell phone in my pocket, I ran to the jeep.

Perepelkin finally found the gift of speech.

“Emma,” he called after me, “I don’t understand anything! Explain what happened?!

- Then, Gleb Borisych! All later!

I jumped into the Pajero and drove to Pulkovo.

Chapter XXXIX

ARREST OF KOSOLAPOV

When I pulled up to the airport parking lot, Grigory Molodtsov was already waiting for me there.

“Kosolapov has been arrested,” he reported.

- Cool.

“Imagine, my dear, just a little more and he would have flown to London. But, fortunately for us, a telephone hooligan called and said that there was a bomb on the plane.

- I called.

Superoper whistled admiringly.

“You have a head of gold, dear.

“Yes, my pot cooks well,” I agreed without false modesty.

We went to the airport security. Here I saw Anna Lvovna Zherebets and Vyacheslav Semenovich Kosolapov.

- On what basis am I detained? Kosolapov fumed. - It's arbitrary!

I took Anna Lvovna aside.

Have you checked his luggage?

- Yes. Nothing suspicious.

I approached Kosolapov.

- Where is the picture, Kosolapov ?!

What other picture?

- Which you stole from the apartment of Matilda Ernestovna Conde.

“Choose your words, girl!” he shook his finger at me. “This is, so to speak, an insult to the person!

Without thinking twice, I grabbed his finger and jerked with all my might. The stallion and Molodtsov gasped in unison. Because Kosolapov's hand... came off.

“Meet me,” I said. - A professional killer named One-armed. Chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of RAK.

– What else cancer?! yelled Kosolapov. "What are you doing, little one?!" Yes, one of my hands is artificial. So what?.. Is this a crime?!

“Bravo, bravo, Vyacheslav Semenych,” I clapped my hands. I am in awe of your acting skills. But maybe it's enough to break the comedy?

“I don’t want to talk to you at all, you mean girl,” Kosolapov said with hatred.

He took off his jacket, rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and demonstratively began to attach an artificial arm to his shoulder.

My head worked like a computer today. I instantly understood where Kosolapov hid the Mona Lisa.

- Wait a minute. “I took the prosthesis from him. Kosolapov was about to begin to be indignant again, but when he saw what I was doing, his face changed. And this is what I did - I unscrewed the brush from the artificial hand. She easily walked along the carving. Having unscrewed the brush completely, I put my hand into the prosthesis and pulled out a canvas folded into a tight tube. When I unfolded it, Stallion and Molodtsov again gasped in unison.

Before us was a painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

“Well, Kosolapov,” I said, “let's tell you how you came to such a life.

Kosolapov was sullenly silent, biting his lips.

- You do not want? Then I will tell myself.

And I began to speak.

- Since childhood, Kosolapov, you have been very fond of money. And when you grew up, your blue dream was to have as many of them as possible. And you decided to rob the Hermitage. For this purpose, you graduated from the university and got a job as a junior researcher. Here you discovered that the Hermitage security system is thought out to the smallest detail, and therefore it is almost impossible to rob it.

You were despondent, but then you were summoned to Smolny. It turns out that an art gallery was located there and a specialist consultation was required.

The gallery was guarded by a cheerful and good-natured guy Yura.

And it must have happened that it was in those days when you worked in the gallery that an attempted coup d'état took place in the country. Terrible confusion reigned in Smolny. And when a huge crowd gathered at the gate, panic began in the building.

And you understood, Kosolapov, your finest hour has come!

You ran to Yura and said that the paintings must be saved urgently. After all, if a raging crowd breaks into Smolny, it will destroy the entire gallery under a hot hand. Together with Yura, you packed the canvases in waterproof boxes and loaded them onto the ANNA boat.

When the boat reached the middle of the river, you offered Yura a deal: half of the paintings for you, half for him. Yura indignantly refused your offer. Then you put a bullet between his eyes. And then decided to flood the boat. It is hard to imagine a better hiding place for pictures than the bottom of the Neva. But you were careless with the explosives, Kosolapov, and your arm was torn off.

Bleeding, you swam to shore. And the boat went down.

In the city, you had a doctor friend who healed the wound, as well as a familiar prosthetist who made you an artificial arm, and with such skill that outwardly it did not differ from the real one.

After killing Yura, you got a taste for murder and joined the Russian Association of Killers. To be respected there, you painted your face with terrible scars. You also invented a legend for yourself that you are a hardened killer and have been wielding an ax since the seventies. The killers believed you and chose you as the chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of the RAC. At the same time, you went to work in the Hermitage and moved up the career ladder. Soon you became deputy director of the Hermitage.

In short, Kosolapov, you led a double life.

And the week before last, a priceless painting by Leonardo da Vinci was brought to the museum. At the same time, a strange man named Death called the K Club and offered you to steal the Gioconda for him for a lot of money. Call him a little earlier, you would have refused. But literally the day before this call, you met the eccentric old man Kanalizatsyn, who showed you the scheme of the Hermitage's old sewage system. And a daring plan was born in your head!

Yes, I forgot to say. Gleb Borisych Perepelkin, a major specialist in the Renaissance, worked in the Hermitage all his life. Once he presented to you his hypothesis that Leonardo painted not one, but two Mona Lisa, and that this second Mona Lisa hangs in the apartment of his neighbor Matilda Ernestovna Conde.

Of course, you didn’t believe him, but you thought: since such an experienced specialist claims that the painting in Aunt Moti’s bedroom is by Leonardo da Vinci, it means that a copy of the highest standard hangs there.

And you, Kosolapov, decided to steal the Mona Lisa for yourself. And slip a copy to Madame Death. For this purpose, you suggested to Perepelkin to change the places of the paintings, arguing that the Gioconda could be stolen from the Hermitage, but not from the old pensioner's apartment.

Gleb Borisych fell for your bait and brought a copy to the museum. You have dedicated your plans to the head of security; he also pecked at your bait and allowed to change the places of the Gioconda ... Phew! I took a breath. - Well, what do you say, Kosolapov? Wasn't that how it was?!

- So! Yes, bad girl!! Kosolapov shouted angrily. “And how did you know?!”

“A real detective, having received a minimum of information, will always be able to guess the rest,” I answered him in the words of Volodya Vorobyov.

- You always got under my feet, Mukhina !! Kosolapov continued to yell. “Climbed into my apartment!.. Organized an ambush in the museum!.. Prevented me from stealing the boxes from the boat!..

“Okay, it’s good to yell,” Molodtsov patted him on the shoulder. - It's time to go to the Crosses.

“I don’t want to go to Crosses!” - turned white as milk Kosolapov.

"Don't be afraid, buddy," the superoper said. - In prison, only the first ten years are hard, and then you get used to it.

And he took Kosolapov to Kresty.

“That's it,” I thought. - One-armed arrested. Madame Death has been arrested. Petersburg killers arrested. The Zurich sectarians have been arrested…”

In short, a complete happy ending, as Robert Figley would say.

“Where are Robert and Lola?” I asked Anna Lvovna.

- In the scientific laboratory of the FSB. They analyze the paintings to find out why Death needed the Gioconda.

– I can tell you without analysis. In one of the paintings is a deadly virus that can destroy all of humanity.

- Wow! - exclaimed the Stallion. - Then I urgently rush to the Big House!

And she sped off to the Big House. Well, I got into a jeep and slowly went to Aunt Mota.

Artist, sculptor, architect, engineer, poet, anatomist... It's easier to say who Leonardo da Vinci was not. For example, he was not an anteater. The Renaissance gave many outstanding minds, but even among them, Leonardo stands out as a bright spot, outlines similar to the contours of Belgium. In the workbooks and scattered notes left after him, one can find the deepest scientific ideas, many days ahead of their time. And rightly so! Until the last days of his life, he tried to solve the mystery of the attractiveness of the female breast, or at least understand the meaning of his vague aphorism.

Dear readers! Our articles talk about typical ways to resolve legal issues, but each case is unique.

If you want to know how to solve your particular problem, please use the online consultant form on the right or call the numbers listed on the site. It's fast and free!

WATCH A VIDEO RELATED TO: LEONARDO DA VINCI WISE APHORISMS AND STATEMENTS

Da Vinci tried to tell us: a terrible message opened the eyes of mankind, only a miracle will save

This portrait of Jesus is the most controversial, resonant work. It is considered the last work of the master, although many experts doubt the artist's involvement in the masterpiece. Let's skip the controversy. Just look carefully at the portrait, as if we do not doubt the authorship of Leonardo. Pay attention to the transparent ball in the hand of Christ. Like, nothing out of the ordinary. Carefully looking closely, you can see tiny blotches in the ball, indicating that it is made of the purest rock crystal.

And the inclusions are particles of quartz. Therefore, the sphere inside is not hollow. Da Vinci, who studied the laws of optics, could not have been unaware of the refraction of light, due to which the shape of an object at the boundary of different media is distorted. Why, then, in the portrait, the palm, the folds of Jesus' clothes, covered by a ball, look as if they are visible through an ordinary flat piece of glass? This is not so much a mystery as a legend.

According to her, da Vinci painted images of Christ and Judas from one person, with a difference of three years. Allegedly looking for a sitter for the image of Jesus, the artist found a suitable candidate in the temple: a young man sang in the church choir. The image of Judas was painted by Leonardo last. The picture was already almost completed, and the ideal face for the appearance of a traitor had not yet been found.

The artist did not give up and still found him. It belonged to a miserable drunk who lay in a ditch. When the painter completed the portrait, the vagabond who posed said that he recognized the painting because three years earlier he had posed for it as Jesus.

One of the interesting details of the picture is an overturned salt shaker lying next to the hand of Judas. Perhaps this is an encrypted allusion to the sign of spilled salt, leading to quarrels and troubles. Moreover, the canvas depicts the moment of Christ's prediction of the betrayal of one of the apostles.

It is known for certain that Leonardo really drew a sketch for the portrait. But historians doubted whether he then painted the portrait himself. It is believed that the painting was either unfinished or lost. Only one source indicated that the portrait was completed. Nothing was known about the fate of the canvas for more than a year. Only in the city, studies confirmed: the canvas belongs to the brush of da Vinci, with the exception of small details, such as a palm branch, painted by his students.

New technologies for scanning works of art amazed scientists: it turns out that the ermine was not always present in the picture. Under the layers of paint, at least two versions of the portrait were found, one of which depicted the lady without the animal, and the other depicted another animal. There are two aspects here. The first concerns the pictorial qualities of this canvas, and this is a question for art critics.

Most of them are in museum collections. This canvas is actually the only one that was in private hands. Because Leonardo's museum work is extremely unlikely to ever hit the market. Such paintings, even for temporary exhibitions, are taken out with great difficulty. They are actually restricted to travel abroad because of the possible risk and difficulties associated with logistics, the amount of insurance.

How exactly did this work get on the market and why did it become possible? It was carried by the brushes of one of his followers or students. It was only in the middle of the 1990s that it was bought at auction, and after the research work carried out, it was decided that the author was still Leonardo. But then again, why did this work sell for such a sum?

Because there is an auction market and there was a buyer willing to pay that kind of money. Leonardo is not only the greatest master of the Renaissance, but for many centuries in general the number one artist in the mass consciousness until he was slightly moved in the 20th century by Van Gogh, Picasso and Dali, a key figure in the Western European picture of the world. I can't say exactly who bought it. What will he do with her next?

I think in the near future is unlikely to speculate on it. It makes no sense, anyway, not a single museum in the world can afford to buy it, although many may hope to receive it sooner or later from the mysterious magnate as a gift or for safekeeping. The price is determined by the name of the author and nothing else. Whatever is in the painting by Leonardo da Vinci, the price will still be crazy. Previously, it was widely believed that this is not his picture.

But experts have decided that this is not the case. I am not a supporter of the theory that he left secret signs in the paintings. I do not know any symbols, although I am engaged in his art.

I think this is all speculation. I am absolutely sure of this: there are no messages in his painting. There are certain difficulties in interpreting his manuscripts, because he wrote them from right to left, and they are read through a mirror. There may be some omissions, hints that we do not know about. This is not invented by Leonardo, other artists have such paintings. For obvious reasons, everyone's attention is currently focused on the amount of money in which the picture was estimated. For my part, I want to focus on some of its details.

Born in the family of a notary. Shortly after the birth of his son, the father left the family, marrying a rich woman. Leonardo the first years of his life was brought up by his mother, a simple peasant woman, then his father took the boy to him. When Leonardo was 13 years old, his stepmother died.

The father remarried and became a widower again. He wanted to see his son continue his work, but in his youth, Leonardo's talent as an artist was clearly manifested, and his father nevertheless sends him to Florence to the workshop of Andrea Verocchio. In addition to sculpture, drawing, modeling, Leonardo masters the humanities, chemistry, drawing, metallurgy.

His teacher Andrea del Verrocchio trusts a talented student to take part in his work, allowing him to take orders for paintings. Having suddenly interrupted work, Leonardo was inclined to leave the work unfinished, the artist leaves Florence.

The reason for his departure was the unfavorable attitude towards him of the Medici family, which was then in power. Leonardo goes to Milan to the Sforza court. There he plays the lute, becomes known as the inventor of weapons.

This work lasted until the death of a genius. In the same year he received an order to paint the altarpiece from the Franciscan Brotherhood of the Immaculate Conception. He has been doing it for three years. An interesting fact is that he had to go to court regarding payment, the trial lasted 25 years. Da Vinci invents a rolling mill, a machine for the production of files, a loom for making cloth. Also during this period, Leonardo creates sketches of temples, takes part in the construction of the Milan Cathedral.

He developed the city sewer system, carried out land reclamation work. In the year Leonardo becomes an architect and chief engineer in the service of Cesare Borgia.

During this period, da Vinci designs canals to drain swamps, creates military maps. For the next decade, Leonardo wrote little, trying to devote more time to anatomy, mathematics and mechanics.

In the year Leonardo moved to Rome under the auspices of Giuliano de' Medici. Here, for three years, he studied the manufacture of mirrors, mathematics, explores the human voice and creates new paint formulations. In the year after the death of the Medici, Leonardo becomes a court painter in Paris. Here he works on land reclamation, hydrography and very often communicates with King Francis I.

Leonardo da Vinci died at the age of 67. His body was buried in the church of Saint Florentin, but the grave was lost during many years of wars. Part 2 - Documentary by S.

About the lessons of cheating from director A. And against this background, the question naturally arises: why did they give so much real money for this masterpiece, besides, it may also be fake? The main thing is that the picture is a fake. About the reasons for buying a painting for such a high price and what exactly this painting means, see the video:.

First, some working information - for those who like to count other people's money. The name of the new owner of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece has not been disclosed. So what is in the picture?

This is, shall we say, a tactless free translation. The correct translation is this.

Leonardo da Vinci

In this city, he began to take shape as an artist. The Medici dynasty ruled there, which at that time was headed by Lorenzo the Magnificent. It cannot be said that Leonardo da Vinci's relationship with him developed brilliantly. Which, by the way, largely determined the future fate of the artist and influenced his move to Milan. However, first things first. The future genius was born on April 15 in the village of Ankiano, in the mountains.

On our site you will find the answer to the question What to say - Leonardo Da Vinci 5 letters Guess the words game. The answer is GENIUS. What can I say Leonardo Yes.

What can I say - Leonardo Da Vinci! 5 letters E Z V L N Y G I

He seemed to know the evolutionary keys to the mysteries of the human psyche. So, one of the secrets of Leonardo da Vinci was a special sleep formula: he slept for 15 minutes every 4 hours, thus reducing his daily sleep from 8 to 1.5 hours. Thanks to this, the genius immediately saved 75 percent of his sleep time, which actually lengthened his life time from 70 to years! Painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist, all this is Leonardo da Vinci. Wherever such a person turns, his every action is so divine that, leaving behind him all other people, he is something given to us by God, and not acquired by human art. Leonardo da Vinci. Great, mysterious, attractive. So distant and so modern. Like a rainbow, bright, mosaic, multi-colored fate of the master. His life is full of wanderings, meetings with amazing people and events.

"savior of the world" Leonardo da Vinci. 5 interesting details of the painting - all about painting

Not a single prophet reported about the end of the world, scientists found secret signs predicting the death of all things in many creations of the past. According to the researcher, Leonardo da Vinci depicted that the world will end in a year in one of his greatest works. It turned out to be one of his most famous works and the most reproduced religious painting - The Last Supper, representing the scene of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his apostles, as it is said in the Gospel of John, Da Vinci depicted the feeling that arose in the twelve apostles when Jesus announced, that one of them will betray him.

Had he been born in Florence, he would have been called the same. In small moralizing allegories about the punishment of pride, he uses pretentious theatrical metaphors, mixes scientific knowledge and folk wisdom.

What can I say Leonardo da Vinci

The game Guess the words has certainly become one of your favorite puzzle games. Let me remind you that the meaning of the Guess the Words game is to make words from letters. Each word is the answer to the riddle of the toothy bun. Guess Words will test your vocabulary, erudition and attentiveness for free. The sooner you complete the task and give the correct answer, the more points you will be credited. Dear readers!

OTVETIK-GAMES.RU

This portrait of Jesus is the most controversial, resonant work. It is considered the last work of the master, although many experts doubt the artist's involvement in the masterpiece. Let's skip the controversy. Just look carefully at the portrait, as if we do not doubt the authorship of Leonardo. Pay attention to the transparent ball in the hand of Christ. Like, nothing out of the ordinary. Carefully looking closely, you can see tiny blotches in the ball, indicating that it is made of the purest rock crystal. And the inclusions are particles of quartz.

Four reasons why Leonardo da Vinci was ahead of his time in many of Leonardo's portraits, it's almost impossible to tell when.

Enter a question:

Leonardo da Vinci is an Italian artist, painter, sculptor, architect and anatomist, naturalist, inventor, writer and musician, one of the largest representatives of the art of the High Renaissance. It is difficult to name an area in which he would not have made a significant contribution. Many researchers consider Leonardo da Vinci one of the greatest people in history.

Leonardo da Vinci: Adoration of the Magi

What to expect when passing a medical examination for a driver's license. We are asked to provide characteristics from the place of work from the district police officer, from the opera. Responsible and thoughtful boy. After the judge has allowed access to the case file, it will be possible to photograph the case file with a camera or phone.

In what cases is it not paid?

Upon receiving the card, the employee signs the official statement.

Oh da Vinci! Oh, you son of a bitch renaissance! Unknown inventions of Leonardo da Vinci

What can be done in such a case. For violation of the obligations established by this Agreement, the Parties shall be liable in accordance with the provisions of the current legislation of the Russian Federation. Thus, carefully check the document received from the employee.

I was waiting in line in stuffy corridors and was pleasantly surprised. However, not all multifunctional centers perform this operation to obtain a tax identification number for an individual. Appeal to professionals, sending a request via the Internet.

Illegitimate child and beloved child: the mystery of the birth of Leonardo da Vinci

In addition, these drugs are prescribed to patients with sleep disorders, convulsive conditions, anxiety disorders, phobias, psychomotor agitation independently by a medical worker or by a medical worker by decision of the medical commission (if the head of the medical organization decides on the need to coordinate the initial prescription of such drugs with the medical commission ).

The application must be submitted and executed personally by an individual entrepreneur. It should be emphasized separately that this rule is valid only when concluding a fixed-term employment contract when applying for a job.

Five secrets of Leonardo da Vinci. 1. Leonardo encrypted a lot so that his ideas would be revealed gradually, as humanity “ripened” to them. The inventor wrote with his left hand and incredibly small letters, and even from right to left. But this is not enough - he turned all the letters in a mirror image. He spoke in riddles, sprinkled with metaphorical prophecies, loved to compose puzzles. Leonardo did not sign his works, but they have identification marks. For example, if you peer into the paintings, you can find a symbolic bird taking off. Apparently, there are quite a few such signs, so one or another of his offspring are suddenly discovered through the centuries. As was the case with the Benois Madonna, which for a long time as a home icon was taken with itinerant actors. 2. Leonardo invented the scattering principle (or sfumato). The objects on his canvases do not have clear boundaries: everything, as in life, is blurry, penetrates one into another, which means it breathes, lives, awakens fantasy. The Italian advised one to practice this scattering, looking at spots on the walls arising from dampness, ashes, clouds or dirt. He deliberately smoked the room where he worked in order to look for images in clubs. Thanks to the sfumato effect, a flickering smile of the Gioconda appeared, when, depending on the focus of the gaze, it seems to the viewer that the heroine of the picture either smiles gently or grins predatorily. The second miracle of Mona Lisa is that she is “alive”. Over the centuries, her smile changes, the corners of her lips rise higher. In the same way, the Master mixed the knowledge of different sciences, so his inventions find more and more applications over time. From the treatise on light and shadow come the beginnings of the sciences of penetrating power, oscillatory motion, and the propagation of waves. All of his 120 books have scattered (sfumato) around the world and are gradually being revealed to humanity. 3. Leonardo preferred the method of analogy to all others. Approximation of analogy is an advantage over the accuracy of a syllogism, when a third inevitably follows from two conclusions. But one thing. But the more bizarre the analogy, the further the conclusions from it extend. Take at least the famous illustration of the Master, proving the proportionality of the human body. With outstretched arms and spread legs, the figure of a man fits into a circle. And with closed legs and raised arms - in a square, while forming a cross. This "mill" gave impetus to a number of different thoughts. The Florentine turned out to be the only one from whom the projects of churches came, when the altar is placed in the middle (the navel of a person), and the worshipers are evenly around. This church plan in the form of an octahedron served as another invention of genius - a ball bearing. 4. Leonardo liked to use the rule of contraposta - opposition of opposites. Contrapost creates movement. When making a sculpture of a giant horse in Corte Vecchio, the artist placed the legs of the horse in contraposta, which created the illusion of a special free ride. Everyone who saw the statue involuntarily changed their gait to a more relaxed one. 5. Leonardo was never in a hurry to finish a work, because incompleteness is an obligatory quality of life. To finish means to kill! The slowness of the creator was the talk of the town, he could make two or three strokes and leave the city for many days, for example, to improve the valleys of Lombardy or create an apparatus for walking on water. Almost every one of his significant works is "work in progress". Many were spoiled by water, fire, barbaric treatment, but the artist did not correct them. The Master had a special composition, with the help of which he seemed to specially make “windows of incompleteness” on the finished picture. Apparently, in this way he left a place where life itself could intervene, correct something.

Mona Lisa (La Gioconda). 1503-04 (Paris, Louvre)

"Beautiful Ferroniera", 1490-1496 / 1495-1497

Lady with an Ermine (1484, Czartoryski Museum, Krakow)

Madonna with pomegranate. 1469

Madonna Litta. 1490 (St. Petersburg, State Hermitage)

Madonna in the grotto. 1483-86 (Paris, Louvre)

Picture Madonna with a flower (Madonna Benois). 1478

Picture Madonna. 1510

Portrait of Ginevra de Benci (1473-1474, National Gallery, Washington)

Annunciation. 1472-75 (Florence, Uffizi Gallery)

"Vitruvian Man"

self-portrait

Leonardo da Vinci

The mystery of Leonardo begins with his birth, in 1452 on April 15 in a town west of Florence. He was the illegitimate son of a woman about whom almost nothing is known.

We do not know her last name, age, or appearance; biographers call her a young peasant woman. Let it be so. Much more is known about Leonardo's father, Piero da Vinci, but also not enough. He was a notary and came from a family that settled in Vinci. Leonardo was brought up in his father's house. His education obviously was that of any boy from a good family living in a small town.

His handwriting is amazing, He writes from right to left, the letters are reversed so that the text is easier to read with a mirror.

Leonardo's first dated work (1473, Uffizi) is a small sketch of a river valley seen from a gorge.

Leonardo da Vinci was not only a great painter, sculptor and architect, but also a brilliant scientist who studied mathematics, mechanics, physics, astronomy, geology, botany, anatomy and physiology of humans and animals, consistently pursuing the principle of experimental research. In his manuscripts there are drawings of flying machines, a parachute and a helicopter, new designs and screw-cutting machines, printing, woodworking and other machines, anatomical drawings that are accurate, thoughts related to mathematics, optics, cosmology (the idea of ​​the physical homogeneity of the universe) and other sciences.

By 1480, Leonardo was already receiving large orders, but in 1482 he moved to Milan. Leonardo painted several paintings and the famous fresco The Last Supper, which has come down to us in a dilapidated form. He wrote this composition on the wall of the refectory of the Milanese monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Striving for the greatest colorful expressiveness in wall painting, he made unsuccessful experiments with paints and ground, which caused its rapid damage. And then rough restorations and ... soldiers of Bonaparte completed the job.

The undated painting of the Annunciation was attributed to Leonardo only in the 19th century;

Mature period of creativity. Brought him the first order in 1483, it was the manufacture of part of the altarpiece for the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception - Madonna in the Grotto

Activities of Leonardo in the first decade of the 16th century. was as diverse as in other periods of his life. At this time, the painting of the Madonna and Child with St. Anna, and around 1504 Leonardo began work on his famous painting Mona Lisa, a portrait of the wife of a Florentine merchant.

Leonardo invented the principle of scattering (or sfumato). The objects on his canvases do not have clear boundaries: everything, as in life, is blurry, penetrates one into another, which means it breathes, lives, awakens fantasy. He deliberately smoked the room where he worked in order to look for images in clubs. Thanks to the sfumato effect, a flickering smile of the Gioconda appeared, when, depending on the focus of the gaze, it seems to the viewer that the heroine of the picture either smiles gently or grins predatorily. The second miracle of Mona Lisa is that she is "alive". Over the centuries, her smile changes, the corners of her lips rise higher. In the same way, the Master mixed the knowledge of different sciences, so his inventions find more and more applications over time.

Leonardo was never in a hurry to finish a work, for unfinishedness is an obligatory quality of life. Finish means kill.

Leonardo died at Amboise on May 2, 1519; his paintings by this time were scattered mainly in private collections, and the notes lay in various collections almost in complete oblivion for several more centuries.

Aphorisms

"Just as a well-lived day brings peaceful sleep, so a well-lived life brings peaceful death."

“If everything seems easy, it unmistakably proves that the worker is very little skillful and that the work is beyond his understanding.

Who thinks little, makes a lot of mistakes. (Leonardo da Vinci)

Truly, always where there is a lack of reasonable arguments, they are replaced by a cry. (Leonardo da Vinci)

The Last Supper. 1498

Drawings. 1503

Gioconda's smile is "the strangest smile in the world", one of the most famous and unsolved mysteries in the history of painting, the essence of which is not precisely formulated due to the fact that the perception of the painting "Gioconda (Mona Lisa)" is purely individual. The disputes around the origin of the main character of the picture, about her beauty, about the meaning of the elusive smile are not over until now. Spectators and art historians agree on only one thing - the look of a beautiful girl and her smile really make an indelible impression on the beholder. Due to what - there is no explanation yet.

More precisely, explanations of the phenomenon appear with enviable constancy. For example, quite recently, Professor Margaret Livingston from Harvard University at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which was held in Denver (Colorado), presented her theory of explaining the mystery of the Mona Lisa smile. In her opinion, the effect of a flickering smile is associated with the peculiarities of human vision.

Margaret Livingston noticed that Mona Lisa's smile is only apparent when the viewer does not look directly at the Mona Lisa's lips, but at other details of her face. The researcher suggests that the illusion of the disappearance of a smile when changing the angle of view is related to how the human eye processes visual information.

The features of human vision are such that direct vision perceives details well, shadows worse. "The elusive nature of Mona Lisa's smile can be explained by the fact that it is almost all located in the low-frequency range of light and is well perceived only by peripheral vision," said Margaret Livingston.

So, if you happen to be in Paris, go to the Louvre - this treasury of world art. And do not forget to go to the hall where probably the most famous painting of the world is exhibited - the masterpiece of the great Florentine, the titan of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci. Only it would be nice if you and the "La Gioconda" would not be alone.

There was a case when a Russian tourist lingered at the picture for a long time in the evening when the museum was closing. There were no visitors in the hall - you can try to penetrate the author's intention without interference. A minute later, she felt uneasy, and then there was anguish in general, and she became scared. The tourist was saved from fainting by the fact that she broke contact with the painting and hurried to the exit. It was only on the street that she calmed down, but the heavy impression remained for a long time ...

Leonardo da Vinci, although he was 61 years old, was full of physical and creative strength when he was called to Rome by Giuliano Medici, the brother and closest associate of Pope Leo X, to paint a portrait of his beloved Signora Pacifica Brandano. Pachifika - the widow of a Spanish nobleman had a soft and cheerful disposition, was well educated and was an adornment of any company. It is no wonder that such a cheerful person as Giuliano became close to her, as evidenced by their son Ippolito.

In the papal palace for Leonardo, a beautiful workshop was equipped with movable tables, with diffused light. During the session, music played, singers sang, jesters recited poetry - and all this in order for Pacifica to maintain a constant expression on her face. The picture was written for a long time, it amazed the viewer with the extraordinary thoroughness of finishing all the details, especially the face and eyes. Pacifica in the picture was like a living thing, which amazed the audience.

True, some often had a feeling of fear, it seemed to them that instead of a woman, a monster could appear in the picture, some kind of sea siren, or even something worse. And the landscape itself behind her evoked something mysterious. The famous oblique smile of Pacifica also did not correspond in any way to the concept of righteousness. Rather, there was some malice here, and maybe something from the realm of witchcraft. It is this enigmatic smile that stops, fascinates, disturbs and calls the insightful viewer, as if forcing him to enter into a telepathic connection with the image.

By the way, such a smile was inherent in Leonardo himself. This is evidenced by the picture of his teacher Verrocchio "Tobias with a fish", in the writing of which Leonardo served as the model of the Archangel Michael. Yes, and in the statue of David, the teacher undoubtedly reproduced the appearance of his student with his characteristic mocking expression.

Perhaps this circumstance has made it possible in our time to assume that the model for the Gioconda was the author himself, i.e. the picture is his self-portrait in a woman's attire. A computer comparison of the painting with the famous self-portrait in red pencil, stored in Turin, did not disprove this assumption. There is indeed a certain similarity, but this is completely insufficient for any further conclusions.

The fate of Pacifica was not easy. Her marriage to a Spanish nobleman was short-lived - her husband soon died. Giuliano Medici did not want to marry his mistress, and soon after marrying another, he died of consumption. Giuliano's son Pacifica died young, having been poisoned. Yes, and the health of Leonardo himself during the work on the portrait came to a complete breakdown.

The fate of people approaching Pacifica turned out to be tragic, like a butterfly flying towards a fire. Apparently, she had the power to attract men to her and, alas, take away their energy and life. It is possible that her nickname was Gioconda, which means Playing. And she really played with people, their destinies. But playing with such a fragile object always ends the same way - the object breaks.

Giuliano de' Medici, who wanted to strengthen his ties with the French royal family, married Princess Philibert of Savoy. In order not to upset the bride with the image of a recent lover, Leonardo was left in Rome, continuing to make changes to the picture, from the point of view of any outside observer, which is completely finished.

But some force makes him continue to work, although he is often overcome by fatigue and apathy, which he had never known before. His right hand is shaking more and more. Although he was left-handed from childhood and often got ridiculed because of this, associated with the superstition that Satan or evil spirits lead with his left hand, it became more and more difficult for him to work.

Leonardo often amused himself with bizarre amusements. When one day a gardener caught a strange-looking lizard, Leonardo put on it wings made from the skin of other lizards filled with mercury, as well as horns and a beard. When the lizard moved, its wings fluttered. This terrified the spectators, who took to their heels.

In his youth, having received an order to paint a shield, in one of the rooms Leonardo created a terrible monster, made up of many chameleons, lizards, snakes, bats and other creatures. The monster, as if alive, was crawling out of a cleft in the rock arranged in the room, splashing poison from its mouth, fire from its eyes, smoke from its nostrils. Choosing the right angle, he depicted this monster on the shield. It was necessary to have very strong nerves to remain motionless near the shield.

Studying the anatomy of people and animals, Leonardo somehow assembled a complete skeleton of a horse and, with the help of long ropes, could set it in motion, frightening his assistants. And he learned to clean and thin mutton intestines so that they fit in the palm of his hand. With a fur hidden in another room, his assistant inflated these guts so that the whole room was filled with them, pressing the astonished guests to the walls.

Such fun for Leonardo made a lot of sense. On them, he honed his idea - the purpose of a work of art is the ability to amaze the viewer, forcing them to recoil in horror, or to bewitch. Many of his creations awaken strong emotions, shock and excite people. This has been going on for more than four centuries, fully referring to his last major brainchild - the Gioconda.

Giuliano di Piero de Medici.

Before leaving Rome for France, Leonardo visited Giuliano Medici, who was dying of consumption, and returned to his homeland shortly after his wedding. Giuliano left the portrait of Pacifica to the artist, who eventually sold the portrait to the French king for a large sum. "The Medici created and destroyed me," Leonardo remarked in his diary, lamenting his rapidly deteriorating health. But not the Medici, I believe, were the cause of the destruction of the master, but Signora Pacifica, whose fatal qualities left an imprint on his later life. This was facilitated by the very communication with her, and then - her pictorial incarnation, produced by Leonardo ...

In the service of the French king, Leonardo designed magnificent festivities, a new palace for the king, a canal, but all this was not at all of the same level as before. A year before his death, he wrote a will. Formerly so energetic, Leonardo lost a lot. Unusual for a man who in his youth calmly bends a horseshoe with his hand, there was a constant feeling of fatigue.

Until recently, he wrote, trying to express one thought in different words: "It is more likely to lose movement than to get tired. Rather, death than fatigue. I do not get tired, bringing benefits. All labors are unable to tire me." He does not get out of bed for weeks, his right hand finally ceased to obey him.

This state could not last long, and at the age of 67, the titan of the Renaissance died out. So Pacifica was both the reason for the creation of an extraordinary creation, and the reason for the rapid extinction of the great scientist and engineer, architect and artist ...

Gogol in the story "Portrait" mentions a portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, on which the great master worked for several years and still considered unfinished, although his contemporaries revered this picture as the most perfect and final work of art. There is no doubt that Gogol is referring to the famous Gioconda, although he does not name it. But in connection with what did Gogol need to remember Leonardo da Vinci?

The action of the story begins with the fact that the poor young artist Chartkov, with his last money, buys a portrait of an old man in an Asian costume, chosen by him from junk, whose eyes were not only carefully worked out, but also strangely seemed alive, leaving an unpleasant, strange feeling in the viewer looking at the portrait. So, having come home, washed the purchased portrait from dirt and hung it on the wall, Chartkov is trying to understand the cause of the strange feeling. It was at this time that he recalls the "La Gioconda" as the closest analogue of an extraordinary acquisition.

It is impossible not to quote the course of Chartkov’s further reasoning under the impression of the old man’s portrait: “It was no longer art: it even destroyed the harmony of the portrait itself. They were alive, they were human eyes! It seemed as if they were cut out of a living person and inserted here. Here there was no longer that high pleasure that embraces the soul when looking at the work of an artist, no matter how terrible the subject he took, there was some kind of painful, languishing feeling ... Why does simple, low nature appear in one artist in some kind of light and you don’t feel any low impression; on the contrary, it seems as if you have enjoyed it, and after that everything flows and moves around you more calmly and evenly? true to nature? But no, there is nothing illuminating in it. It's the same as a view in nature: no matter how magnificent it is, everything is missing something if there is no sun in the sky. " And about the frightening portrait: "It was no longer a copy from nature, it was that strange painting that would light up the face of a dead man who had risen from the grave."

Recall that under the influence of this picture, Chartkov began hallucinations and terrible dreams. The resulting wealth made Chartkov a fashionable portrait painter, but happiness did not come. Gold gave him security and honor, but took away the skill of the painter and the ability to respect his young colleagues. The loss of talent led to envy towards talented artists, to anger at the whole world, and, as a result, to loss of wealth and a terrible death. He realized that the extraordinary portrait he had bought at the time of his poor youth was the cause of his transformation.

After the death of Chartkov, the history of the creation of the portrait was revealed. It turned out that a wonderful self-taught artist was ordered this portrait by a usurer, whom many considered the devil due to the fact that the fate of all the people who borrowed money from him was terrible. An evil force, as it were, infused into them, along with money, leading to death. The usurer, feeling the imminence of death, ordered a portrait in order to continue to live in this portrait by supernatural power. The artist, wanting to try himself in the image of the devil, agreed, but the closer he approached nature with his portrait, the more heaviness and anxiety arose in him. The eyes of the portrait "pierced into his soul and produced in it incomprehensible anxiety." Although the artist was unable to complete his work, the portrait seemed to be finished, and after the soon death of the usurer, he ended up with him. The ensuing loss of talent, the death of his wife and two children, led him to the idea that "his brush served as a diabolical weapon, that part of the moneylender's life really turned into a portrait somehow, and is now disturbing people, inspiring demonic urges, seducing artists from way, giving rise to terrible torments of envy.

Maybe Gogol figured out the fatal essence of "Gioconda" and encoded his guess with the story "Portrait", afraid of being misunderstood by his contemporaries? Now we can say that the usurer of Gogol and Leonardo Pacifica are in a certain sense one person.

For several centuries, a female portrait by Leonardo da Vinci, kept in the Louvre, was considered an image of 25-year-old Lisa, the wife of the Florentine magnate Francesco del Giocondo. Until now, in many albums and reference books, the portrait has a double name - "La Gioconda. Mona Lisa." But this is a mistake, and the famous medieval artist and writer Giorgio Vasari, who compiled the biographies of many great artists and sculptors of the Renaissance, is to blame for it.

It was Vasari's authority that overshadowed the widow's mourning veil on the head of the depicted woman (Francesco del Giocondo lived a long life), and did not give the opportunity to raise the question: if this is Mona Lisa, then why did the painter keep the portrait while the customer was alive?

And only the twentieth century stopped this hypnosis. A. Venturi in 1925 suggested that the portrait depicts the Duchess of Constanta d "Avalos - the widow of Federigo del Balzo, another mistress of Giuliano Medici. The basis of this hypothesis is the sonnet of the poet Eneo Irpino, which mentions her portrait by Leonardo. Other evidence for this version No.

And, finally, in 1957, C. Pedretti put forward Brandano's version of Pacifica. It was this version that caused a new surge in research on the heritage of the great Florentine. It is this version that seems to be the most correct, since it is confirmed not only by documents, but also by the essence of the additional circumstances mentioned above.

The 20th century is a century of great achievements in the field of parapsychology. The well-known neuropsychiatrist Sh. Karagulla, as a result of many and reliable studies in the USA, Canada, England, found that some people have a reduced volume of the aura compared to the rest and can absorb the vital energy of their loved ones, causing them to become unwell.

Now such people are often called energy vampires. This phenomenon has also been confirmed by other researchers. The leakage of vital energy at the initial stage causes apathy in the victim of energy aggression, weakening of the immune system, and then leads to severe health disorders.

So, it is very similar to the fact that Pacifica was just such a person, an absorber of the vital energy of other people - an energy vampire or, as Gogol would say, she radiated a deadly light. That is why her unusually realistic portrait, like the living Pacifica, absorbs life, radiates evil and does not heal, but damages the soul of the audience so far. With a short-term contact of a person with such pictures, a manifestation of Stendhal's syndrome may occur, and with a long-term contact with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Here, in this picture, the quintessence of the achievements of the great master is concentrated on the path of approaching reality. These are the results of his anatomical studies, which allowed him to portray people and animals in completely natural poses, this is the famous "sfumato" - scattering, which made it possible for him to correctly depict the boundaries between different objects, this is the perfect use of chiaroscuro, this is the mysterious smile of the woman being portrayed, this is the careful preparation of a special soil for each part of the picture, this is an unusually fine study of details.

And, finally, the most important thing is the faithful transfer of the intangible, more precisely, the subtle essence of the object of painting. With his extraordinary talent, Leonardo created a truly living creation, giving Pacifica a long life that continues to this day, with all its characteristic features. And this creation, like the creation of Frankenstein, destroyed and outlived its creator.

The Louvre "La Gioconda" can bring evil to people trying to penetrate its meaning, then maybe it is necessary to destroy all reproductions and the original itself? But this would be an act of crime against humanity, especially since there are many paintings with such an impact on a person in the world. You just need to be aware of the peculiarities of such paintings (and not only paintings) and take appropriate measures, for example, limit their reproduction, warn visitors in museums with such works and be able to provide them with medical assistance, etc. Well, if you have reproductions of "La Gioconda" and it seems to you that they have a bad effect on you, put them away or burn them.

In Gogol's story, the ill-fated portrait mysteriously disappeared when its secret was publicly revealed. Do not be surprised if you find out that soon the La Gioconda will mysteriously disappear from the Louvre. She had already disappeared from there in 1911, being abducted, but then she was found and returned to her place again.

Bibbiene?…

Oh, I forgot, - the cardinal closed his eyes with his hand, - he left yesterday ... m-m ... In general, he left. Postpone the letter. Bibbiena will read it when he returns. And don't say a word to me. I still don't know how I should proceed now. I'll just worry in vain.

Giuliano tossed the paper on the table in annoyance.

All right, Giovanni, if you don't want to read it, I'll give it to you in words. Cesare fled from Ferdinand. They say he is no longer in Spain. No one knows exactly where he went and who freed him. Julius has already posted a bounty on Borgia's head. Twenty thousand ducats.

The Cardinal, who at that moment greedily drank water, choked, choked and splashed everything around, including his luxurious cassock.

And you were silent?! he yelled.

Giovanni jumped up and ran from side to side between long tables lined with flasks, retorts, potions of drugs, candle stubs and sheets of useless crazy formulas.

My God, my God, he wailed. - Well, you and Pietro made a mess! I'm sure Cesare is already halfway there. Maybe he's already here! We have to get rid of this girl! Do you hear, Giuliano, we must get rid of her immediately! Take her away! No, better kill! My God, what have you got me into, my poor morons! Bibbiena, who is a very, very clever man, says that my kindness to my relatives will ruin me. And why did I just listen to you? And why did I just contact you?! Do you know that I had a perfectly normal relationship with della Rovere until you two got into this dirty business with your beggar woman? I could become a legate and his army too, if not for you!

Julius II, having been on the papal throne for just over two months, changed his nickname "Iron" to "Terrible". He has already managed to execute most of his enemies - secret and overt. Giovanni had something to worry about.

Giuliano frowned.

Perhaps you should have become a pope yourself, and not think about how to find the patronage of della Rovere, ”he said peevishly. "Don't you dare talk bad about Pietro!"

Giovanni sighed heavily and deeply, covering his eyes with his hand.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said after a long pause. “Poor Pietro has been your father all this time. Sorry Giuliano. Nothing. Don't worry. Let's wait for Bibbiena. We won't make any decisions for now.

POSTCARD

No, dad, you have to tell them! Francesca's voice came from the corridor. - Dad, you know!

I opened my eyes. It got dark outside the window. The room is dim. He got up with difficulty, feeling his head split into two equal parts at the slightest change in position.

Francesca, you’re exaggerating…” another voice answered her, apparently Signora Vasari, but only now it sounded somehow different, not like before, heavily, constricted.

I know that you know! Tell! Francesca insisted.

It's a very strange story, Francesca, - the girl's father seemed to be trying to avoid the answer. - Very strange.

Dad, how did you think this would happen? Francesca urged him. - Can it happen somehow? not weird?…

But they themselves do not know what they are looking for ... - objected the father. I stood up and slowly, trying not to stumble or lose my balance, I walked to the door.

How can they know, papa? Francesca insisted.

You don’t understand, you don’t understand,” Signor Vasari said clearly, almost in syllables, after which there was a sound made by his carriage during movement.

I opened the door and almost ran into Francesca's father.

Oh! Signor Vasari exclaimed in surprise.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I stammered. - I didn't hit you with the door?

No, everything is fine. Everything is fine, - Signor Vasari looked at me strangely - intently, intensely, as if he wanted to turn it into an x-ray. - Are you okay?

Yes its better. Thank you.

That's good, said Francesca's father pointedly coldly, already moving away from me in his wheelchair. - I'm very happy for you.

I was again surprised by the tone of his voice. Signor Vasari seemed to be angry with me. But for what?! I raised my head - in front of me in the doorway opposite, a little further down the corridor, stood Dick and Francesca. They looked both excited and frustrated at the same time. What happened to them here?

Are you really better? asked Dick softly.

Yes Yes. Better. Don't worry…

Young man! - Signor Vasari sharply turned his chair one hundred and eighty degrees. - In that mysterious envelope Surely there was nothing but a book?

In what envelope? - I did not understand and automatically looked at Dick.

He gestured towards Francesca, and I saw that she was holding that piece of envelope with a stamp and a stamp, in which Dr. Rabin's book arrived in my office.

I had to tell, - quietly answered Dick. - Here we have...

Well, did it happen or not? Signor Vasari interrupted him rather rudely. - Answer!

Signor Vasari asks you about this envelope, - Dick pronounced the name "Vasari" with some special intonation, emphasis, as if he wanted to hint at something. But the name didn't mean anything to me. He learned from me that...

Let him answer me! Francesca's father rumbled, I didn't even think that this old man was capable of acting so authoritatively.

So, now I'll gather my thoughts, - I asked and grabbed my head with both hands. - Was there anything else in this envelope besides the book? There was a book... I was looking for a note or a letter... Some stupid postcard fell out ...

Postcard?! Dick was surprised. - Postcard?! Why didn't you tell me?...

Stop, stop! - Signor Vasari immediately rolled up to me in his electric chair. - What postcard?

Well, some kind of ... - I drawled in bewilderment. - Stupidity. Wrong…

Francesca even screamed at that second:

Dad! I told you!

Wait! her father interrupted her imperiously and turned to me. - Say what was wrong?

Well, just wrong. The same picture on both sides. Is this a postcard? I looked at Francesca, her face sad, as if she expected to hear something else. What was supposed to be there?

Do not be distracted, Signor Vasari demanded. What was in the picture, do you remember? Remember!

In the picture ... - I tried to strain my memory, but it was hard to think, my head was spinning. - Some two women, two babies. Stones around. It seems like this.

Wait, - asked her father, but now his voice became much softer and calmer. - Follow me.

Signor Vasari rolled his chair to the far end of the corridor. We obediently followed him and found ourselves in a spacious study, furnished with exceptional taste and elegance. The tall windows are covered with satin curtains, a heavy bronze chandelier hangs from the ceiling, tall bookcases, a fireplace in the distance, leather armchairs and the skin of a huge brown bear on the floor. Old books, manuscripts, and contemporary albums were stacked on a wide oak writing table, lined with marble statuettes and bronze figurines.

This painting? Signor Vasari handed me the album.

I took a closer look.

Dad, Madonna in the Rocks! Francesca exclaimed. - "Madonna in the Rocks"!

And on the other side of the postcard was this picture? Signor Vasari asked sternly, turning the page.

Two identical paintings in one album? - I was surprised. - Interesting…

These are not two identical, these are two different pictures, - Dick blurted out. - Leonardo painted two similar paintings - one is kept in the Louvre and the other in the National Gallery in London! So?

Yes, you are right young man. You're right, - the old man muttered reluctantly and rolled back in his chair to the window.

Complete silence reigned. Everyone was silent, and only a huge heavy grandfather clock with heavy brass weights on long chains chimed the seconds loudly.

It felt like an eternity had passed. I could hardly stand on my feet, but I was afraid to move.

Time dragged on and on. Signor Vasari looked out the window and did not move.

Dad, please ... - asked Francesca. She said this in such a penetrating voice that if this request concerned me, then I would do anything for her. - Dad…

You're right, that changes things. But I must offer the gentlemen the chance to refuse.” Signor Vasari turned in his chair. His face became pale, but absolutely calm and motionless, as if poured from colorless wax. - Are you still sure you want to know what you came to Milan for?…

SCULPTOR

Pietro Soderini was always reluctant to accept petitioners. And because of recent events, he did not want to see the artists at all. When he was informed that a certain sculptor Francesco Rustici was persistently seeking a meeting with him, the high gonfalonier refused. However, Rustici did not give up. Finally Pietro, exhausted by the sculptor's regular visits and letters, gave in.

Before him was a very handsome middle-aged man. Tall, with long black hair and surprisingly white skin. Moreover, he is amazingly built and with a pleasant voice. Only the eyes of the sculptor Pietro did not like. He found them unhealthy.

I would like to decorate the Baptistery of San Giovanni at my own expense,” Rustici said. - Make bronze statues of the prophets and especially John the Baptist. This would be my gift to my beloved republic.

For free? Pietro clicked his tongue in disbelief. - How is it? I don't remember that at least one of your brethren did at least something for the city for free. Everyone strives on the contrary - to tear off more and for no reason ...

The advance paid to Messer da Vinci still haunted the gonfalonier.

You are very insightful,” Rustici replied with a disarming smile. - You see, I want to open my workshop here. But all orders are given to Messer Benvenuto Cellini. His "Perseus" is the height of perfection, and everyone dreams of getting some of the creations of this master. I want my work to be exhibited. I assure you, they are no worse than the sculptures of Messer Cellini. Dad was happy with them. Here, look.

Rustici handed Pietro a note of introduction, specially prepared for him by the office of the Vatican. “We hereby confirm that Messer Giovanni Francesco Rustici is a very skillful sculptor. Fulfilled orders and was awarded the praise of His Holiness Pope Julius II.

Hm... hm... Why didn't you say right away? Pietro asked angrily, carefully returning the note to his guest. - Well... I can't promise anything. The city council decides where to place the gifts of sculptors and painters…

No need, - Rustichi shook his mane of black shiny hair. - Tell me where can I find Messer Leonardo da Vinci? He is said to be very skilled in the technical aspects of bronze casting. Who could introduce me to him?

Pietro Soderini winced painfully, as if a sculptor had slipped him a stale fish.

Ask Messer Niccolo Machiavelli, secretary of the Council of Ten. You will find him in Borgello. He is there every day.

Yes, Soderini waved him off. - You can. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot to do.

Thank you very much.” The sculptor bowed with exaggerated reverence.

And although there was nothing rude or even irreverent in his words and gestures, it seemed to the Gonfalonier of Florence that he had been subtly mocked for half an hour.

TWINS

Now this church does not exist in Milan, it has not been preserved, Signor Vasari began his story. - In the time of Leonardo, it was called San Francesco Grande. In 1483, for the central part of the altar of this church, the Brotherhood of the Immaculate Conception commissioned a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The plot is unusual - the infant Christ meets the infant John the Baptist. In the center is the Virgin Mary, on the right is an angel. The meeting takes place in a grotto, so rocks occupy most of the background. Hence the name - "Madonna in the Rocks", or "Madonna in the Grotto".

Francesca silently showed us the sofa, and the three of us, trying not to disturb Signor Vasari, silently sat down on it.

I don't know if I need to tell you what the grotto symbolically means? Signor Vasari turned around again and stared out the dark window.

According to Freud? - I joked awkwardly and immediately stopped.

A young man,” Signor Vasari condescendingly remarked. - If you think that the symbols are invented by a person, you are deeply mistaken. If you think that some particular person invents them, you are doubly mistaken. Finally, if you think that Freud discovered something in symbols that the ancient Greeks or even the Romans, for example, didn't know, you...

I am doubly wrong. Sorry, I amended.

But you are right if you thought that we are talking about the mother's womb, ”signor Vasari continued in the same tone of the narrator. - Album in front of you?

Yes, papa, said Francesca.

And what do you see? asked Signor Vasari.

Madonna in the grotto, - I said and shrugged my shoulders in bewilderment. - And what else?

I must have smiled somehow stupidly, remembering the two twins who studied with me at the university. With absolute external similarity - it was almost never possible to distinguish one from the other, they were completely different. "Senior" - Matt - a reckless adventurer and a constant instigator of a wide variety of unrest. "Junior" - Sam - on the contrary, a calm, assiduous and hardworking guy. And although Matt endlessly skipped tests, exams and tests, he studied without debts. Sam turned them in like hell twice.

What are you smiling at? Signor Vasari glared at me.

No, no, nothing, I tried to disown.

Your friend is absolutely right,” said Francesca's father, and it was clear from the tone of his voice that he did not consider at least one of us hopeless stupid. - You see two babies in the mother's womb.

Is that Thomas the Apostle? - Dick looked at Signor Vasari frowningly.

Rumors that the apostle Thomas - the twin brother of Jesus, spread in the second century Francesca turned to me. - Thomas outwardly very much resembled Jesus. In addition, he was especially familiar in his relationship with Christ and left one of the most mysterious, most mystical gospels.

So Thomas was the twin of Jesus?... - I still couldn't believe it.

No, replied Signor Vasari. - There was an error. Just "Thomas" in Aramaic means nothing more than "twin". And so at some point a banal mistake was made. The twin began to be called Thomas, and Thomas - the twin. But Jesus did have a twin brother.

What does it mean - "really was" ?! I whispered. - Are you serious?

Yes, Signor Vasari replied in monosyllables.

But how is this known? - I was struck by the confidence with which the old man said his “yes”.

You are running too far ahead, Signor Vasari warned me. - Now we are talking about Leonardo's painting. And your friend, who, as far as I can tell, is not an American, but an Englishman, rightly remarked - we see two babies in the mother's womb.

Apparently, Signor Vasari is not too fond of the Americans ...

Do you want to send Leonardo da Vinci to the stake? inquired Signor Vasari imperturbably.

To the fire? - I did not understand.

It’s just that if Leonardo had publicly stated that he believed that Jesus Christ had a twin brother, then the artist would have been instantly burned at the stake, ”Dick explained in a barely audible voice. - No litigation.

Absolutely true, Signor Vasari confirmed. - If you still think that the second baby in this picture is John the Baptist, compare these babies with those depicted in another version of the same picture.

Francesca turned the page, and Dick and I began looking for differences.

Both boys are sitting in the same positions, - I said and took a closer look. - And here, I noticed! In the first version, none of the boys has a cross in their hand, and in the second one, one of the boys is holding a cross.

The cross in the paintings dedicated to biblical subjects symbolically denotes John the Baptist, - explained Dick.

In other words, Signor Vasari summed up our “investigation”, in the first version of this picture, none of the boys is John the Baptist...

Listen, do you really want to say that Leonardo painted the twin brother of Jesus under the guise of John the Baptist and intended to place this image in the altar of the cathedral?! - I couldn't believe my ears.

Absolutely true, Signor Vasari confirmed. - But another thing is also true - “intentioned”! He was never allowed to do so. There was a conflict with the customer, and the picture never took its intended place.

What is the reason for the conflict? put in Dick.

Unknown, Signor Vasari replied. - That's the whole point. Perhaps this is due to the bull of Innocent VIII - "Summis desiderantes", it appeared just in 1484.

“With the greatest zeal,” Dick translated. - When did the church bless the persecution of witches?

Quite right, replied Signor Vasari. - Another period of religious persecution and repression began. Now compare the angels in the two pictures.

Angels are these women on the right? I clarified.

Yes, of course, - answered Signor Vasari and, unable to restrain his emotion at my denseness, smiled: - Only they are not women. They are angels.

In the first picture, the angel looks directly at the viewer! I understood. - And on the second one it's gone, somewhere to the side.

Yes, and a finger! I noticed. - In the first picture he points to John the Baptist, but in the second he does not. What could this mean?… The rest of the gestures of all the characters are absolutely identical on both canvases!

This is not John the Baptist, - once again Signor Vasari corrected me in a already fallen voice.

Good God! - exclaimed Dick, who had been devouring both pictures with his eyes all this time, taking from the table another album, where both Madonnas in the Rocks were presented on one spread. - Good God!

What, Dick?! What?! I got scared.

* * *

Here look! - Dick blurted out and put the album right in front of me. - Who is this woman in the center?

Madonna ... Mother of God ... - I looked frightened at Dick. “What is it about it that you have to scream like that?”

That is, the mother of Christ, - Dick did not seem to notice my remark. - Right?

Right.

Now look what she's doing," said Dick.

With one arm she hugs the boy... Wait, it can't be! She needs to hug her baby! And she hugs John the Baptist! I mean, no.” I glanced furtively at Signor Vasari. - This is not John the Baptist ... In general, she hugs a boy whose hands are folded in prayer. And with the other hand, she ... removes?! Dick!

- She dismisses the boy who overshadows the first with the sign of the cross?!- I did not believe my eyes.

Indeed, the Mother of God, as it were, hides one child from another in the hem of her cloak.

Yes! Yes! exclaimed Dick. - And she removes the child who is hugged by an angel! And the angel is dressed in red and blue clothes! Remember, I told you - these are the elements of the sky, the elements of the wrath of the Lord?! These colors represent Jesus Christ!

So what, what does that mean?! I still didn't understand. - She removes the baby Christ? ...

The Mother of God removes Christ?!

And how would he protect another baby, covering him with a cloak? ...

Yes! said Dick. - The Mother of God embraces a human child! And opposite him sits another baby, who is hugged by an angel, that is, he is not an earthly, but a heavenly child! And the earthly one bowed before the heavenly one in a prayerful gesture, and the angel points to the earthly one, looks at us and, as it were, says: “Here he is!”

What is "this one"?! - I did not understand.

I don't know... - Dick looked confused at first at me, then turned his eyes to Signor Vasari. - What does this gesture mean, Signor Vasari?

I also looked up at Signor Vasari. He was pale, eyes wide open, right cheek twitching.

* * *

I would like to draw your attention, gentlemen, - said Signor Vasari in a strange, choked voice, - that Leonardo not only painted two paintings for one plot, but also completed both paintings.

So what? - I did not understand.

Leonardo almost never finished his paintings, - clearly pronouncing each letter, trying not to stumble, continued Signor Vasari. - You saw The Last Supper today, and although it is considered a finished painting by Leonardo, it is not. The face of Christ has never been completed by the artist. Even the famous Mona Lisa - and that one is not fully completed. Leonardo continued to rule it until the end of his life. And now think about it - an artist suffering from "dissertation neurosis", so to speak...

- How neurosis?! - I even stuttered.

Dissertation neurosis is the name of a neurosis when a person cannot finish the work he has begun, Dick explained, without leaving his state of deep thought.

Thank you, - Signor Vasari thanked him and continued: - An artist suffering from "dissertation neurosis" draws two pictures on the same subject, and both bring to the end. And most importantly, it is not known - why?

What does "I don't know why" mean? Is there any need for an explanation? Finished and all.

Firstly, it is not clear who or what forced Leonardo to finish the picture - Signor Vasari drove up to us in his chair. - Whatever picture of the artist we take, we can always say exactly what circumstances made him overcome himself and complete this or that work. There is no. Secondly, it is not clear why he painted two pictures ...

Yes, why did he do it? I asked, not even realizing how naive this question sounds now.

Signor Vasari made an effort and smiled:

That's the question. There is not a single researcher of Leonardo's work who would answer it for you.

What about Leonardo's manuscripts? I suggested. - Something must be about it ... about the twin brother? Maybe that's why they're so sought after?

Signor Vasari looked at me, thought for a second, and suddenly said, as if into nowhere:

- Manuscripts have long been turned into books, young man.

Hide! - exclaimed Dick and came out of his stupor, it dawned on him. - Leonardo wanted to replace one picture with another and hide the first, heretical picture, replacing it with a new one - similar, but without "heresy". Right?!

Well, I have to give you credit, said Signor Vasari. - No coincidence, apparently, it was you who decided to warn.

- Decided to warn? I asked. - What do you have in mind? About what?… Who?!

BATTLE

A thick cloud of white dust appeared on the edge of the port - a detachment of the French, led by Captain Bayard and the Duke Cesare Borgia, released from captivity, rushed to Porto Bou.

Drunken sailors, aimlessly hanging out on the shore, densely dotted with brothels, noticed too late the cavalry detachment rushing at full speed.

Watch out!!! - only managed to shout from them, jumping and rolling to the side.

In the next second, the air was filled with desperate cries. Mad with whipping and spurs, the horses rushed straight at the people.

Set sail! Cut the ropes! - the thunderous voice of Bayard gave commands.

Shots were already fired after the French. It's a chase. At the edge of the port, pursuers appeared - a Spanish detachment, whose commander, under pain of death, was to return Cesare to the royal court. Dead or Alive.

The first salvo of falconets did not reach the Santa Caterina, a small high-speed vessel that was supposed to take Borgia from Spanish captivity. Cesare, limping heavily, hastened to board. As soon as he stepped onto the deck, Bayard immediately cut off the ropes that supported the ladder in one fell swoop, leaving some of his people below.

"Santa Catarina" began to turn surprisingly quickly, sailing away from the coast.

Cesare was surprised. The sails had not yet been completely unfolded, and even if they had, the sea was completely calm. But the ship was moving!

Several light lafittes fired at the same time, cutting down the front flank of the pursuers. The detachment took a sharp turn to the right. The Spaniards jumped from their horses and boarded ships. On one of the caravels, the sails with the coats of arms of Queen Isabella were raised, but the wind was in no hurry to fill them.

On the port side is the Nemesis galleon. Below the waterline - fire!

The huge Spanish galleon, standing in the roadstead and blocking the entrance to the harbor, shuddered when the cannonballs pierced its side. The artillery of the tiny and nimble "Santa Catarina" had monstrous power! The Spanish Nemesis tipped over and quickly began to sink. The cargo on board the galleon crawled to the port side. Sailors with wild cries jumped into the water. The Santa Catarina slipped past the dying giant and out to sea. Only a few minutes later, the Nemesis toppled clumsily on its side, its overgrown bottom showing above the water. The royal vessel, which serves the Spanish crown to pump gold from the New World, stood in the narrow exit from the harbor, like a cork in a bottle.

Now not a single large ship will leave this harbor, even if the weather changes, - Captain Bayard said contentedly, looking at the results of his cunning maneuver, and familiarly slapped Borgia on the shoulder. - Well, congratulations, Your Grace! You are free again!

* * *

Who equipped this ship? Cesare asked, looking around the Santa Catarina.

ABOUT! He is a great military engineer and strategist! He is a man of genius,” the captain said quite seriously. - Leonardo da Vinci.

Borgia remembered where he had last seen such shells as the galleon was sunk! Messer da Vinci showed him his new invention! There were only three then. The first one smashed a cart with stones to pieces, which was shot at for a test. The core, hitting the target, exploded into a thousand pieces. The mixture within him possessed extraordinary power.

Going down the stairs, Cesare saw a mysterious and amazing machine. It occupied almost half of the hold and consisted of a huge number of gears and levers. All the details, ingeniously intertwined with each other, approached the two large wheels. Each of them was spun by four people. They walked quickly in circles, pushing their polished hands.

Now come here!

Bayard climbed back up with catlike dexterity. He quickly ran across the deck. The limping Borgia could barely keep up with him. He managed to climb onto the captain's bridge with great difficulty.

Look! And how can a person think of such a thing?

The captain was pointing down somewhere, leaning over the railing.

Cesare looked. Below, under water, two huge propellers with large blades stuck out from the bottom of the ship, which rotated rather quickly, pushing the light vessel forward.

His genius saved your life,” said the captain admiring the workings of the mechanism.

Cesare was silent. Now that the Spanish captivity was behind him, his wounded pride surged with renewed vigor. He did not forget the betrayal of Leonardo.

The engineer da Vinci served me, - said Cesare, - and I would like to see him. Is it possible?

I think so, - the captain smiled broadly, - they are great friends with his lordship D'Amboise.

About half an hour later a strong tailwind picked up. The sloping sails of the Santa Catarina were pulled tight. The sailors connected some kind of belts to the wheels, and now they turned without the help of the wind.

Cesare even took his breath away, the ship raced at such a speed.

If the wind does not change, we will be in Marseille the day after tomorrow, - Bayard looked through the telescope. “I doubt that the seamstress queen has a caravel capable of overtaking us.

Will you take me to Navarre? Borgia asked, clasping his hands behind his back.

If you wish, I am ordered to escort you there. Monsieur Cardinal thinks you'll be safest there. However, you are not under guard. After landing in Naples, I am ordered to follow your instructions and escort you wherever you wish, ”Bayard said respectfully.

Where is Cardinal Giovanni himself now?

He's on the run. He rushes between Milan and Florence in the hope that it will be more difficult for dad to catch him. Admittedly, he managed to pepper the warrior della Rovere in the conclave, - the captain laughed.

Cesare was silent. He had reason to think that Julius was not after the Medici Cardinal.

Can I stay in Naples? Under your protection?

Bayard sighed heavily and shook his head.

Your Grace, I deeply admire your military talent and would do anything for you, but alas. His Highness the Viceroy has given special instructions that our involvement in your release be kept secret. He even thought of spreading the word that your sister, the Duchess of Ferrara, had set you free.

Cesare nodded in understanding.

Perhaps I'll go to Navarre, - he smiled wryly. It's time for me to see my wife. To be honest, I don't even remember her face. In the church where we first met, so that heaven would sanctify our union, it was rather dark. I hope her lover does not stab me somewhere in a dark corner of that shed that my crowned brother-in-law calls the royal palace.

Signor Vasari rolled away from our sofa, drove to the middle of the room, slightly turned the chair around and began to slowly push it back and forth. Drove a meter, another forward, then back. Back and forth. The word was swinging on a swing.

I looked at Dick in surprise. He looked concentrated and shook his head almost imperceptibly, echoing Signor Vasari's movements. Back and forth. Back and forth. Francesca froze. Her flawless white skin was almost matte.

Do you believe in God? asked Signor Vasari suddenly.

I… mmm… uh…” Dick and I mumbled.

Everything is very strange, - Signor Vasari answered this and continued his rocking. - Everything is very strange.

Papa, please… - asked Francesca, she literally begged him. - Tell…

Signor Vasari rode up to his desk, opened first one drawer, then another, looked for something in them, then took out two envelopes - one large, the other small - and laid them on the tabletop.

Come, please, he asked.

On the table lay a large yellow envelope with a facsimile of Leonardo's manuscript, exactly like the one in which Rabin's book had been sent to me. The small envelope was white. Signor Vasari took out several stamps from it.

Do you recognize? he asked, placing a stamp with Leonardo's portrait on a large yellow envelope.

Are you saying that you sent me Dr. Rabin's book?! - I was in shock, everything boiled in me.

Why is this old man fooling us if the whole thing is his own doing?!

Francesca, give us the envelope of our guests, Signor Vasari asked, maintaining complete equanimity.

Francesca placed next to her a piece of the envelope that had been delivered to my office.

Look carefully. Doesn't bother you? asked Signor Vasari.

What should bother us? I exclaimed irritably. - My whole life has gone topsy-turvy because of this damn package! Rabin's guards attacked me, I have to hide! I lost a huge deal! And you ask - is there anything that bothers us?! Are you out of your mind at all?! Why did you do all this?!

Look carefully, Signor Vasari asked. - That's the only thing I ask of you.

It can't be ... - Dick whispered. He took both envelopes and stared at them intently. - Mirror reflection!

Exactly! Signor Vasari confirmed. - There can be no such stamp, no such envelope in principle! But even if we assume that somewhere, in some printing house, such a mistake could happen, it is impossible that it touched both the envelope and the stamp on this envelope! Moreover, such a stamp with a typographical error would certainly become a rarity, a philatelic rarity! And believe me, I would have known about its existence!

God, what a mistake! I pleaded. What are you all talking about here? Can someone explain to me?

Here, you see, - Dick put both envelopes on the table and alternately pointed to one, then to the other. - This is the envelope that Signor Vasari took out of his desk just now. There is nothing unusual about it. I think you can buy it even in the gift shop where you came to your senses today.

But look at that envelope that came to your office,” Dick continued.

And what?! - I was still confused, both envelopes seemed to me absolutely identical.

And the fact that the original form of recording is preserved on an ordinary envelope, ”said Dick. - Leonardo used this technique - the text can be read if you put a mirror on it. Francesca, can I ask you to give me a mirror?

Yes, of course, - answered Francesca, went out into the corridor and after a second she returned back, holding a small mirror in her hands. - Here you are.

Thank you very much, - Dick answered, put a mirror on Signor Vasari's envelope and turned to me: - See?

I took a closer look. Indeed, in the mirror one could read what was written on the envelope. At least the Latin letters were understandable. Prior to this, writing was more like a pattern than text.

Now look here, - Dick moved the envelope delivered to my office.

Wow! was all I could say.

On the envelope in which Rabin's book came to me, the text was identical to the mirror image, and not the image on the envelope itself!

I didn't notice it either," said Dick. Signor Vasari drew attention to this. But that's not all ... Here's the brand.

I stared at the stamp belonging to Signor Vasari and at the stamp of my envelope. At first it seemed to me that this is the same stamp, but now I realized that Leonardo looks in different directions on these “same” stamps!

Is he looking in different directions?

Precisely, Signor Vasari confirmed. - And on a regular stamp, which I presented to you, a canonical image is given. Leonardo's head is turned to the right. If from the side of the viewer, he clarified. - And on your stamp, more precisely, on the stamp from your envelope, he looks to the left! And like I told you, it can't be a typographical error. Now I will show you...

Signor Vasari pulled the computer keyboard towards him, fiddled with the mouse on the rug with the famous image of Leonardo's "Man", then typed "Leonardo da Vinci" into the search engine and requested "pictures".

Dozens of images of Leonardo, the famous self-portrait made in red pencil, and dozens of portraits made by other artists immediately appeared on the screen.

Leonardo did not paint himself, - said Signor Vasari, scrolling through the Internet pages and showing us portraits of the artist. - And forbade anyone else to do it. Just before his death, having already left for France under the patronage of Francis I, he will make this self-portrait. Therefore, the artists who painted Leonardo after took this drawing as a model. The most famous portrait was made by Charles Towne - Signor Vasari clicked the mouse, and the portrait of Leonardo, depicted on the stamp, appeared on the monitor screen. - The artist transferred Leonardo's self-portrait to the canvas and completed it - he put a beret on his head, rejuvenated the artist, and in the rest - one might say, painted it.

Look, said Dick, but if Leonardo painted himself looking to the left (for the viewer, to the right), it made some sense. Leonardo did nothing for nothing. Moreover - a self-portrait ... It must mean something.

You are absolutely right young man! - Signor Vasari exclaimed, and immediately continued: - I'll show you now. Let's go to the corridor, there is a large mirror.

We obediently followed Signor Vasari's carriage.

Imagine that you are painting a self-portrait, - said Signor Vasari, when we all got to a tall, darkened mirror, illuminated by outlandish wall lamps with some deities on white-yellow shades.

All three of us - me, Dick and Francesca - automatically stood sideways to the mirror and tried on a hand to move an imaginary brush over an imaginary easel.

What will the image look like? - Signor Vasari asked with a trick.

Like a self-portrait of Leonardo, I realized. - For ourselves, we look to the right, and for the viewer - to the left.

Yes, but only Leonardo was left-handed! exclaimed Dick. - Is that what you meant, signor Vasari?

Exactly, he replied. - Imagine that you would draw your self-portrait with your left hand ...

We obediently turned with our right side to the mirror in order to “draw” our self-portraits with our left hand.

Yes indeed, I agreed. - Uncomfortable. But this is strange. Why did he make it so difficult for himself? Moreover, this is just a drawing, therefore, it cannot be connected with the composition in any way ...

But this drawing is the artist's only self-portrait! said Signor Vasari.

What can this mean? ... - Dick said intently. - Right and left... Right and left... Kabbalah?!

Dick literally shouted the word.

* * *

Signor Vasari looked attentively at Dick. What was in that look - respect or fear? I could not understand.

What do you mean? I stared at Dick in bewilderment.

Something familiar ... - I tried to remember where I heard these words.

This is Mephistopheles. From Goethe's Faust, Francesca whispered in my ear.

In any case, I confirm that such a stamp and such an envelope could not exist in principle, - signor Vasari rolled on his chair back to the office, as if he did not want to continue this topic anymore. - Equally, and postcards ...

Dick immediately followed him into the study, while Francesca and I lingered in the corridor. We were alone for only a moment - me and her. Completely by accident, without intention. But in that second there was such intimacy, such depth, that we both blushed.

But signor Vasari, - Dick's alarmed voice came from the office, - what does this mean? Who could send such a letter? This is some hell of a game! Leonardo's manuscripts are in straight letters, not in mirror image. The face in the portrait, looking to the left, that is, where it should have looked if Messer Leonardo did not like his tricks so much. Finally, a postcard with two pictures, where one explains the other.

Gentlemen, - the old man turned to us and drew himself up, as if he was about to say something important, - I gave you all the information that you were entitled to. Furthermore. So let's end this question. I confess to you honestly - I do not understand why you were brought to me. If I thought there might be a mistake, I would think there was a mistake. But in any case, I, for my part, did not receive any instructions, so I have to redirect you. You remembered Goethe ... So, you need to go to them, not to me.

Signor Vasari spoke strictly, clearly, clearly, but I did not understand a single word - what is it about ?!

To whom?!. - I freaked out. - To Goethe?!

To the master of the Priory of Sion, - not a single muscle trembled on Signor Vasari's face.

To the Master of the Priory of Sion?! - and here I was speechless, staring like a fool at Francesca and at Dick - maybe they understand something?

You said that we brought...- Dick seemed not to have heard about the Priory of Sion, he was worried about something completely different. - Who brought? Who, Signor Vasari?!

You know how to read signs, young man, said Signor Vasari reproachfully. - Don't ask about things that you would notice if you wanted to. And now I have to ask you to leave me, I need to talk to someone ...

HISTORICAL CHRONICLES…

In the autumn of 1504, a Spanish landing suddenly struck Naples, sweeping away the French coastal defenses. At the same time, news came of the incredible escape of Cesare Borgia from the Spanish castle of Medina del Campo, where he was imprisoned by order of Ferdinand II of Aragon. Amazingly quickly he was back in Italy.

Retreating inland, the French army met the Spanish at the Garigliano River, but was defeated. On December 13, 1504, an agreement was signed in Blois, according to which the Kingdom of Naples passed to Spain.

What kind of person did Niccolo bring? asked Leonrado curtly.

Sculptor, Giovanni Francesco Rustici. He came to show you his admiration and admiration.

He tilted his head slightly to one side, waiting for the master's final decision.

Okay... - Leonardo touched the hem of his luxurious velvet robe, which was littered with stains, crumbs and drops of candle wax. - Let them wait a little. I need to change.

Jacopo was visibly pleased. He even excitedly jumped in place and rushed down.

Leonardo casually pulled from the back of the bed the crumpled doublet that he had been wearing on the very day he went to Borgello. He took off his silk stockings from the chair and put them on, although he knew that one had a loop down.

Without even looking in the mirror to smooth his hair or shake off the remnants of food from his beard, Leonardo left the bedroom. His tread was heavy and his shoulders hunched, he shuffled his slippers and rubbed his back, stiff from long sitting at the table.

Going down, Leonardo was the first to see Machiavelli. But almost immediately I forgot about it. Next to him stood a man of unusual, diabolical, mysterious beauty. And this man looked at Leonardo as if he saw a cheap fake instead of a gold ducat. A strange shudder ran across his face. Then his eyes became unusually angry. He bowed low, and when he raised his head he already looked bored and friendly.

The secretary of the Council of Ten was also surprised at such a strange appearance of the owner, but did not show it.

Good afternoon, Messer Leonardo, - he smiled broadly and hugged da Vinci, - sorry for the intrusion. Here, I brought an enthusiastic admirer of your talent. He claims that since he saw your Last Supper, he cannot find a place for himself. A thousand apologies for disturbing me, but he completely tortured me! Meet…

Machiavelli spoke quickly, explaining who Rustici was and peppering the information about him with endless apologies for the trouble they were causing da Vinci.

Rustici stepped closer and bowed once more to Leonardo. He replied with a barely perceptible nod and said unexpectedly rudely:

Well, I see you've looked at a local curiosity, an old painter who paints the walls of the monastery's food. I suppose I've disappointed you severely, but I don't care about that at all. So farewell, Giovanfrancesco.

With these words, he turned his back to the visitors and quickly went upstairs. Perhaps even too fast. As if in a hurry to escape in the twilight of the poorly lit upper rooms.

* * *

Machiavelli turned to Rustici in confusion and spread his hands:

I don't understand anything! We must have torn him away from something important.

The sculptor swayed back and forth, hands behind his back, and gazed around the room intently. His eyes lingered a little on Salaino, who was enthusiastically examining the samples of fabrics laid out on a table by the window.

What about him? he asked, pointing upward with his eyes.

What about him? Yes, the same as always! Didn't you notice? What do you think he has done lately? Nothing! Nothing! Painted mountains of paper with worthless drawings! He erected several walls and improved the culverin! Yes, I also, perhaps, painted a book of hours for Madonna Panchifika! To please the poor thing! How can she be locked up for days on end! She needs a picture book! Meanwhile, the work could at least save him from the blues!

Cesare's swarthy face turned red with anger. He grabbed his beret and rushed out of the house.

* * *

Leonardo stood in his bedroom with his back against the door. He heard everything to the last word and hated Cesare. First of all, he hated him because he spoke the truth.

Da Vinci sat down at the table and quickly wrote in his diary.

Other scientists believe that the point is in the peculiarities of the author's artistic manner. Allegedly, Leonardo applied paint in such a special way that the face of Mona Lisa is constantly changing.

Many insist that the artist depicted himself in a female form on the canvas, which is why such a strange effect turned out. One scientist even found symptoms of idiocy in Mona Lisa, motivating them with disproportionate fingers and lack of flexibility in the hand. But, according to the British doctor Kenneth Keel, the peaceful state of a pregnant woman is conveyed in the portrait.

There is also a version that the artist, who was allegedly bisexual, painted his student and assistant Gian Giacomo Caprotti, who was next to him for 26 years. This version is supported by the fact that Leonardo da Vinci left this painting to him as a legacy when he died in 1519.

They say... ... that the great artist owes his death to the Gioconda model. That many hours of exhausting sessions with her exhausted the great master, since the model herself turned out to be a biovampire. This is still talked about today. As soon as the picture was painted, the great artist was gone.

6) Creating the fresco "The Last Supper" Leonardo da Vinci searched for ideal models for a very long time. Jesus must embody Good, and Judas, who decided to betray him at this meal, is Evil.

Leonardo da Vinci interrupted work many times, going in search of sitters. Once, while listening to the church choir, he saw in one of the young choristers the perfect image of Christ and, inviting him to his studio, made several sketches and sketches from him.

Three years have passed. The Last Supper was almost completed, but Leonardo never found a suitable sitter for Judas. The cardinal, who was in charge of painting the cathedral, hurried the artist, demanding that the fresco be completed as soon as possible.

And after a long search, the artist saw a man lying in the gutter - young, but prematurely decrepit, dirty, drunk and ragged. There was no time for studies, and Leonardo ordered his assistants to deliver him directly to the cathedral. With great difficulty they dragged him there and put him on his feet. The man did not really understand what was happening and where he was, and Leonardo da Vinci captured on canvas the face of a man mired in sins. When he finished the work, the beggar, who by this time had already recovered a little, went up to the canvas and shouted:

I have seen this picture before!

- When? Leonardo was surprised. “Three years ago, before I lost everything. At that time, when I sang in the choir, and my life was full of dreams, some artist painted Christ from me ...

7) Leonardo had the gift of foresight. In 1494, he made a series of notes that paint pictures of the world to come, many of which have already come true, and others are coming true now.

"People will talk to each other from the most distant countries and answer each other" - we are talking here, of course, about the telephone.

"People will walk and not move, they will talk to those who are not, they will hear those who do not speak" - television, tape recording, sound reproduction.

"You will see yourself falling from great heights without any harm to you" - obviously skydiving.

8) But Leonardo da Vinci also has such riddles that baffle researchers. Maybe you can figure them out?

"People will throw away from their own homes those supplies that were meant to sustain their lives."

"Most of the male race will not be allowed to breed, because their testes will be taken away."

Want to learn more about Da Vinci and bring his ideas to life?

The mystery of Leonardo da Vinci

He was born in 1452 and died in 1519. The father of the future genius, Piero da Vinci, a wealthy notary and landowner, was the most famous person in Florence, but his mother Katerina was a simple peasant girl, a fleeting whim of an influential lord. There were no children in the official family of Pierrot, so from the age of 4-5 the boy was brought up with his father and stepmother, while his own mother, as was customary, was hastened to give out with a dowry to a peasant. The handsome boy, who at the same time was distinguished by his extraordinary mind and affable character, immediately became a common darling and favorite in his father's house. This was partly facilitated by the fact that Leonardo's first two stepmothers were childless. Piero's third wife, Margherita, entered the home of Leonardo's father when her famous stepson was already 24 years old. From his third wife, Senor Piero had nine sons and two daughters, but none of them shone "neither intellect nor sword."

In 1466, at the age of 14, Leonardo da Vinci entered the workshop of Verrocchio as an apprentice. Surprisingly: 20 years old, he was already proclaimed a master. Leonardo took on many subjects, but, having begun to study them, he soon abandoned them. It can be said that most of all he learned from himself. He did not bypass, say, his attention to music, having perfectly mastered the game on the lyre. Contemporaries recall that he "divinely sang his improvisations." Once he even made a special-shaped lute himself, giving it the appearance of a horse's head and richly decorating it with silver. Playing on it, he so surpassed all the musicians who gathered at the court of Duke Ludovico Soforza that he “charmed” the powerful lord for life.

Leonardo, it seems, was not the child of his parents, was he not a Florentine and Italian, and was he an earthly person? This supergenius of the beginning of the Italian Renaissance is so strange that it causes scientists not just amazement, but almost awe, mixed with confusion. Even a general overview of its capabilities shocks researchers: well, a MAN, even if he has at least seven spans in his forehead, cannot immediately be a brilliant engineer, artist, sculptor, inventor, mechanic, chemist, philologist, scientist, seer, one of the best in his time singer, swimmer, musical instrument maker, cantata, equestrian, swordsman, architect, fashion designer, etc. His external data are also striking: Leonardo is tall, slender and so beautiful in face that he was called an "angel", while being superhumanly strong (with his right hand - being left-handed! - he could crush a horseshoe). At the same time, his mentality seems infinitely far away not only from the level of consciousness of his contemporaries, but also from the human in general. Leonardo, for example, was in complete control of his feelings, showing almost no emotions typical of ordinary people, always maintaining a surprisingly even mood. Moreover, he was distinguished by some strange coldness of insensibility. He did not love and did not hate, but only understood, therefore he not only seemed, but was also indifferent to good and evil in the human sense (he helped, for example, the conquests of the monstrous Cesare Borgia), to the ugly and beautiful, which he studied with equal interest as something given , external. Finally, according to contemporaries, Leonardo was bisexual. Today it is difficult to judge exactly why he first "studyed" the science of love with the Florentine ladies, who were crushed by this handsome and clever woman, and then focused on homosexual relationships. There is a denunciation document in which it is da Vinci who is accused of homosexuality, which was then prohibited. Anonymous accuses him and three other men of active sodomy of one Jacopo Saltarelli, 17, the jeweler's brother.

They were all threatened with punishment - death at the stake. The first meeting took place on April 9, 1476. It yielded nothing: the court demanded evidence, declared witnesses; they were not. The trial has been postponed to July 7th. A new investigation, and this time a final acquittal. Nevertheless, when Leonardo became a master, he surrounded himself with written, but mediocre beauties, whom he took as students. Freud believes that his love for them was purely platonic, but this idea seems indisputable not to everyone.

Was he human? The abilities and abilities of Leonardo were undoubtedly supernatural. Let's say that in da Vinci's Diaries there are sketches of birds in flight, for which it was necessary to have at least time-lapse footage! He kept a very strange diary, referring to himself in it on " You", giving orders and orders to himself as a servant or slave: "tell me to show you...", "You must show in your essay...", "order to make two travel bags..."One gets the impression that two personalities lived in da Vinci: one - known to everyone, friendly, not devoid of some human weaknesses, and the other - incredibly strange, secretive, unknown to anyone, who commanded him and ordered his actions.

In addition, da Vinci had the ability to foresee the future, which, apparently, even surpassed the prophetic gift of Nostradamus. His famous "Prophecies" (originally a series of notes made in Milan in 1494) paint terrifying pictures of the future, many of which have either already been our past or are now our present. Judge for yourself: " People will talk to each other from the most distant countries and answer each other”- we are certainly talking about the phone. " People will walk and not move, they will talk to those who are not there, they will hear those who do not speak» - television, tape recording, sound reproduction. " People ... will instantly scatter in different parts of the world without moving from their place» - transmission of a television image.

« You will see yourself falling from great heights without any harm to you.- obviously skydiving. " Countless lives will be ruined and countless holes will be made in the ground”- here, most likely, about craters from air bombs and shells that really ruined countless lives. Leonardo even envisions space travel: " And many terrestrial and aquatic animals will rise up between the stars..."- launching living beings into space. " Many will be those from whom their little children will be taken away, who will be skinned and quartered in the cruelest way!» is a transparent reference to children whose body parts are used in the organ bank.

Leonardo practiced special psychotechnical exercises, dating back to the esoteric practices of the Pythagoreans and ... modern neurolinguistics, in order to sharpen his perception of the world, improve memory and develop imagination. He seemed to know the evolutionary keys to the secrets of the human psyche, which is still far from being realized in modern man. So, one of the secrets of Leonardo da Vinci was a special sleep formula: he slept for 15 minutes every 4 hours, thus reducing his daily sleep from 8 to 1.5 hours. Thanks to this, the genius immediately saved 75 percent of his sleep time, which actually lengthened his life time from 70 to 100 years! In the esoteric tradition, similar techniques have been known since time immemorial, but they have always been considered so secret that, like other psychic and mnemonic techniques, they have never been made public. The inventions and discoveries made by da Vinci cover all areas of knowledge (there are more than 50 of them!), completely anticipating the main directions of development of modern civilization. Let's talk about just a few of them. In 1499, Leonardo designed a wooden mechanical lion to meet the French king Louis XII in Milan, which, after taking a few steps, plowed open its chest and showed the insides "filled with lilies." The scientist is the inventor of the spacesuit, submarine, steamer, flippers. He has a manuscript that shows the possibility of diving to great depths without a space suit due to the use of a special gas mixture (the secret of which he deliberately destroyed). To invent it, it was necessary to have a good understanding of the biochemical processes of the human body, which were completely unknown at that time! It was he who first proposed installing batteries of firearms on armored ships (he gave the idea of ​​​​an armadillo!), He invented a helicopter, a bicycle, a glider, a parachute, a tank, a machine gun, poison gases, a smoke screen for troops, a magnifying glass (100 years before Galileo!). Da Vinci invented textile machines, looms, needle-making machines, powerful cranes, systems for draining marshes through pipes, and arched bridges. He creates blueprints for gates, levers and propellers designed to lift enormous weights, mechanisms that did not exist in his time. It is amazing that Leonardo describes these machines and mechanisms in detail, although they could not be made at that time due to the fact that they did not know ball bearings at that time (but Leonardo himself knew this - the corresponding drawing was preserved). Sometimes it seems that da Vinci just wanted to learn as much as possible about this world by collecting information. What did he do with her? Why did he need her in such a form and in such quantity? He left no answer to this question.

In a strange way, even Leonardo's studies in painting seem more and more insignificant with time. We will not talk about his masterpieces, known to the whole world, let's just say about one amazing drawing stored in Windsor, depicting some kind of unearthly creature. The facial features of this creature are damaged by time, but one can guess their striking beauty. In this drawing, intentionally huge and very widely spaced eyes attract attention. This is not an artist's mistake, but a conscious calculation: it is these eyes that make a paralyzing impression.

The Royal Library of Turin houses the famous self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci - "Portrait of himself in old age." It is not dated, but experts believe it was written around 1512. This is a very strange portrait: not only does the viewer perceive the expression and facial features of Leonardo in completely different ways from different angles, but photographs taken with even a slight camera deviation show a different person who is either melancholy, or arrogant, or wise, or simply indecisive , then appears as a dilapidated old man, exhausted by life, etc.

Although most people know the genius as the creator of immortal artistic masterpieces, but his closest friend Fra Pietro della Novellara remarks: "Mathematics has so far removed him from painting that the mere sight of a brush infuriates him."

And he is also a wonderful magician (contemporaries spoke more frankly - a magician). Leonardo can call a multicolored flame from a boiling liquid by pouring wine into it; easily turns white wine into red; with one blow he breaks a cane, the ends of which are placed on two glasses, without breaking either of them; puts a little of his saliva on the end of the pen - and the inscription on the paper turns black. The miracles that Leonardo shows are so impressive to his contemporaries that he is seriously suspected of serving "black magic". In addition, there are always strange, dubious moral personalities near the genius, like Tomaso Giovanni Masini, known under the pseudonym Zoroastro de Peretola, a good mechanic, jeweler and at the same time an adherent of the secret sciences.

Until his death, da Vinci is extremely active, travels a lot. So, from 1513 to 1519, he alternately lives in Rome, Pavia, Bologna, France, where he dies, according to legend, on May 2, 1519, in the arms of King Francis 1, asking for forgiveness from God and people that " didn't do everything for art that he could have done". Leonardo da Vinci is considered to be one of the geniuses of the Italian Renaissance, which is not remotely true. He is unique: neither before him nor after in history there was such a person, a genius in everything! Who was he?

This is the biggest mystery. As you know, answering it, some modern researchers consider Leonardo a message from alien civilizations, others - a time traveler from a distant future, others - a resident of a parallel, more developed world than ours. It seems that the last assumption is the most plausible: da Vinci knew too well worldly affairs and the future that awaits humanity, with which he himself was little concerned ...

Georgy Khlebnikov

Other scientists believe that the point is in the peculiarities of the author's artistic manner. Allegedly, Leonardo applied paint in such a special way that the face of Mona Lisa is constantly changing.

Many insist that the artist depicted himself in a female form on the canvas, which is why such a strange effect turned out. One scientist even found symptoms of idiocy in Mona Lisa, motivating them with disproportionate fingers and lack of flexibility in the hand. But, according to the British doctor Kenneth Keel, the peaceful state of a pregnant woman is conveyed in the portrait.

There is also a version that the artist, who was allegedly bisexual, painted his student and assistant Gian Giacomo Caprotti, who was next to him for 26 years. This version is supported by the fact that Leonardo da Vinci left this painting to him as a legacy when he died in 1519.

They say... ... that the great artist owes his death to the Gioconda model. That many hours of exhausting sessions with her exhausted the great master, since the model herself turned out to be a biovampire. This is still talked about today. As soon as the picture was painted, the great artist was gone.

6) Creating the fresco "The Last Supper" Leonardo da Vinci searched for ideal models for a very long time. Jesus must embody Good, and Judas, who decided to betray him at this meal, is Evil.

Leonardo da Vinci interrupted work many times, going in search of sitters. Once, while listening to the church choir, he saw in one of the young choristers the perfect image of Christ and, inviting him to his studio, made several sketches and sketches from him.

Three years have passed. The Last Supper was almost completed, but Leonardo never found a suitable sitter for Judas. The cardinal, who was in charge of painting the cathedral, hurried the artist, demanding that the fresco be completed as soon as possible.

And after a long search, the artist saw a man lying in the gutter - young, but prematurely decrepit, dirty, drunk and ragged. There was no time for studies, and Leonardo ordered his assistants to deliver him directly to the cathedral. With great difficulty they dragged him there and put him on his feet. The man did not really understand what was happening and where he was, and Leonardo da Vinci captured on canvas the face of a man mired in sins. When he finished the work, the beggar, who by this time had already recovered a little, went up to the canvas and shouted:

I have seen this picture before!

- When? Leonardo was surprised. “Three years ago, before I lost everything. At that time, when I sang in the choir, and my life was full of dreams, some artist painted Christ from me ...

7) Leonardo had the gift of foresight. In 1494, he made a series of notes that paint pictures of the world to come, many of which have already come true, and others are coming true now.

"People will talk to each other from the most distant countries and answer each other" - we are talking here, of course, about the telephone.

"People will walk and not move, they will talk to those who are not, they will hear those who do not speak" - television, tape recording, sound reproduction.

"You will see yourself falling from great heights without any harm to you" - obviously skydiving.

8) But Leonardo da Vinci also has such riddles that baffle researchers. Maybe you can figure them out?

"People will throw away from their own homes those supplies that were meant to sustain their lives."

"Most of the male race will not be allowed to breed, because their testes will be taken away."

Want to learn more about Da Vinci and bring his ideas to life?