The Controversy of The Virgin of the Rocks

Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks. There are two versions of this painting, one in Louvre in Paris, and the National Gallery in London. The painting in the Louvre thought to be an early version of the work. The paintings use of chiaroscuro, or contrast between light and dark, and sfumato are very obvious in this painting. The second, an almost identical painting, is in the National Gallery in London. It is slightly different in that Jesus and his mother have halos and the angel in the painting is not pointing to John the Baptist. Many think that Leonardo may not have painted the version in the Louvre because of these inconsistencies. Although some believe that the Louvre version is the work of Leonardo, because it is stylistically close to Leonardo's other works of the 1480s. In the novel The Da Vinci Code it is claimed the earlier Louvre version contained hidden symbolism that contradicted orthodox Christian belief; most art historians are dismissive of the "hidden meaning". You can clearly see in the painting that Jesus is blessing his cousin John the Baptist while Mary is trying to unite them. The angel’s presence next to Jesus shows his connection to the supernatural and when he blesses John the Baptist it is to show his closeness with God.