Francesco Melzi, or Francesco de Melzi, was an Italian painter born into a family of the Milanese nobility in Lombardy.
22 Facts About Francesco Melzi
2.
Francesco Melzi became a pupil of Leonardo da Vinci and remained as his closest professional assistant throughout his career.
3.
Francesco Melzi was reasonably talented in the arts and worked very hard.
4.
Francesco Melzi is described in literature as charming and graceful, an adolescent without the awkwardness or lack of manners typical of boys around this age.
5.
Shortly after they met, Francesco Melzi began studying and working at Leonardo's workshop and quickly became his master's favorite pupil, and the most devoted as well.
6.
Francesco Melzi's career is inextricably linked to Leonardo da Vinci, and this could be a reason that he is not well-known, because his master overshadowed him.
7.
One of his main tasks was to scribe his master's Codex Trivulzianus, a manuscript of learned words and ideas, which is presumed to have been written entirely in Milan because Francesco Melzi scribed "Milan" on the last page.
8.
Francesco Melzi was Leonardo's only pupil who stayed with him until his death, traveling and working with him in Milan, Rome, and France.
9.
Francesco Melzi accompanied the master painter to Milan, where the French governor of Milan Charles d'Amboise was Leonardo's patron, and went to Rome with him in 1513.
10.
Francesco Melzi was the executor and heir of Leonardo's will.
11.
Francesco Melzi's responsibility attaching him to Leonardo da Vinci was to care for his late master's works after he passed.
12.
Francesco Melzi is known for creating the Codex Urbinas, which is a selection and careful compilation of Leonardo's thousands of pages of notes and sketches under the title "On Painting", and was later known as the Tratatto della Pittura [Treatise on Painting].
13.
Francesco Melzi loaned out these pre-publication versions of Leonardo's work to scholars of the time, such as Vasari, Lomazzo, Antonio Gaddiano, Cardano, among others; their names are inscribed on numerous surviving manuscript copies.
14.
Girolamo created two paintings which are references to his predecessors; his Madonna and Saints is thought to be inspired by Francesco Melzi's Vertumnus and Pomona, and his Portrait of Margherita Colleoni references Leonardo's Mona Lisa, which is a testimony to the continuation of Leonardo's teachings after his death.
15.
Francesco Melzi became like a son to his master, and Leonardo like a father, and followed him up until his death in 1519.
16.
Francesco Melzi quickly became aware of his master's loneliness, seeing past his legendary fame and genius, and felt impelled to care for him, essentially devoting his whole life to him.
17.
Leonardo's second Milanese period, when he resided with the Francesco Melzi family, is by some considered his most creative years in art and canal engineering.
18.
Francesco Melzi described in his letter Leonardo's love for his pupils as "sviscerato e ardentissimo amore", ["uncontrolled and passionate love"].
19.
Leonardo da Vinci chose only very handsome boys, as was Francesco Melzi, to be his pupils and cared for them considerably as if they were family.
20.
Francesco Melzi created the chalk drawing Five Grotesque Heads, in addition to Seven Caricatures and Two Grotesque Heads, all in similar style.
21.
Francesco Melzi is responsible for some paintings, some of which are relatively well-known.
22.
Francesco Melzi's Flora appears on the cover of Mango's 2009 album Gli amori son finestre.