St. John the Baptist, by Leo
[the similarity this painting bears to Mona Lisa is
revealing ... the feminine, sexually ambiguous look of St. John
made Leo's homosexuality a public controversy]
Timeline
15 Apr 1452 | Leonardo born, illegitimate to Ser Piero da Vinci, in Vinci Italy. |
1472 | Member of the Painter's Guild, Florence. |
1476 | da Vinci and several other young men arrested for sodomy. The charges are dropped, but the scandal taints Leonardo's time in Florence. |
1482 | Moves to Milan to escape talk of buggery. |
1495 | Begins work on "The Last Supper." |
1499 | Finishes "The Last Supper." Because of his experimental technique in painting materials, the epic piece begins to disintegrate immediately. |
1502 | Meets Cesare Borgia, who becomes his patron, and Niccol Machiavelli, who becomes a lifelong friend. |
1504 | Returns to Florence, starts working on "Mona Lisa." |
1513 | Moves to Rome. |
1519 | Leonardo dies. |