after Leonardo da Vinci

Available for sale from Big Sky Fine Art in the English county of Dorset is this oil painting by an unknown artist of the Italian School dated 1863. The painting is signed Gianni.<br> The painting is a copy of the famous self-portrait painting by and of Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519 which held in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. There were several portraits of da Vinci, but this particular image appears to be the primary inspiration for the painting we offer. The painting is offered in its original frame, which is consistent with this period.<br> This antique painting is in very good condition, commensurate with its age. It wants for nothing and is supplied ready to hang and display.<br> <br> This painting is a superb example of the genre of works created for purchase by those undertaking the Grand Tour. Although it strongly resembles the more famous self-portrait by da Vinci it has been created as a work in its own right and for its own purpose, rather than any attempt to be passed off as the much earlier work. <br> <br> The Grand Tour is a term used to describe the fashionable European trips undertaken by cultural and socially conscious tourists to the great centres of classical Renaissance and Baroque architecture, sculpture and painting. The cities generally visited included Paris, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Dresden, Berlin, Amsterdam and Antwerp. The earliest Grand tours took place in the early seventeenth century, but the fashion continued into the early nineteenth century. The Grand Tour was considered to be the best way for a gentleman to complete his education and was very popular with the nobility of Europe. As many of these tourists used the experience to purchase art and antiquities to decorate their homes, artists in Florence became adept in producing good quality copies of original works for this lucrative market. This was, in most cases, not an attempt to pass off art as anything other than a ‘good copy’ of the original and unobtainable work. Indeed, often details were included specifically to differentiate them from the original. The purpose was to use their own skills to produce a new original work in the style of the original. These ‘copy’ works have since become respected and highly collectable in their own right. The painting which is offered for sale here is an excellent example of this genre. <br> <br> © Big Sky Fine Art<br> <br> Leonardo da Vinci is an historical figure who is universally recognised and this note is by no means an attempt to provide a comprehensive biography of the great man! His full name was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, abbreviated to refer to the region near Vinci where he was born. He was in a polymath of the High Renaissance, making contributions as an artist, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor and architect. He studied and made detailed notes in anatomy, botany, cartography, palaeontology and painting, and is now recognised as a genius. He epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal, and his collective works are matched only by those of his younger contemporary, Michelangelo. <br> <br> Although he made significant contributions in many fields Leonardo is best known as one of the most famous artists in history, with his principal works including the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, Vitruvian Man and Salvator Mundi. <br> <br> © Big Sky Fine Art<br> <br> We provide a professional shipping and delivery service which is free to customers in the UK, Europe, USA and Canada. We can also provide other worldwide delivery on any purchase. Please contact us for further information.<br> <br> For UK deliveries, prices are inclusive of VAT. We will supply a VAT invoice under the margin scheme for Work of Art as per the HMRC definition.<br> <br> For deliveries outside of the UK you will be liable for any import duties to the country of destination and any local sales/consumer taxes applicable to the delivery address. We will ship the consignment with the appropriate harmonized commodity code and with a comprehensive invoice. The appropriate Common Customs Tariff number is 9701000000 if you need to check before purchasing. All duties and taxes, if any, will be collected by the courier or delivery company and they will charge a modest standard administration charge, including on Duty Free goods, for performing this function on your behalf.