A scholarly reappraisal of Luini's appropriation of Da Vinci's motifs
and compositions
This volume examines a selection of paintings from the 1520s by Italian
Renaissance painter Bernardino Luini (c. 1480/85-1532) that were highly
influenced by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), endeavoring to reconceive
Luini's much-criticized lack of originality vis-à-vis the older
master.
Luini's critics, the book argues, fail to consider the function of his
paintings as devotional images for the general public. Not only did
Luini simplify and clarify da Vinci's motifs--rendering them accessible
to uneducated viewers--but he also helped set a new standard for the
depiction of sacred subjects, drawing inspiration from other artists
such as Andrea Solario.
While little is known about the public's perception of religious art
during this period, the compositions of Luini's paintings provide
clues--as detectable in the way he foregrounds figures and frames their
interactions with one another and the beholder.