The Mona Lisa and the Last Supper are two of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous paintings. One of his most famous techniques is the use of chiaroscuro to create depth in his paintings with shadows. From the Florence area, Leonardo studied under Andrea del Verrocchio, another old master. His talent was recognized from the start, and he was a favored student. Because Northern Italy was home to the Italian Renaissance, da Vinci had the opportunity to study the works of many other famous artists.
Influenced by his first teacher, del Verrocchio, da Vinci worked with a great many other artists throughout his career. He was also famous for his experiments in new and differing techniques. The Last Supper, actually a fresco, was done in oil on fresh plaster that had not yet dried. He was trying a new technique to widen the color palette available at the time. The wet plaster did not always hold the paint well, and portions of this famous portrait have crumbled over time. What is left still has the power to amaze viewers of the modern world.
