Is da vinci gay

In Leonardo, the character is shown to be gay – something that chimes with the current academic consensus. The subject of da Vinci’s sexuality has been discussed for decades, with historians. Was Leonardo da Vinci gay or asexual? So far as Leonardo da Vinci is concerned, the document is the only specific written evidence from his own lifetime that we have concerning the artist’s sexuality.

Leonardo da Vinci was described by his early biographers as a man with great personal appeal, kindness, and generosity. He was generally well loved by his contemporaries. According to Vasari, "Leonardo's disposition was so lovable that he commanded everyone's affection". Humiliated into celibacy Abbott describes da Vinci as homosexual — a term that would not have been understood in Renaissance Italy, where male love was accepted and celebrated.

leonardo da vinci full name

Up first, Leonardo Da Vinci! Yup! The man who painted the Mona Lisa, the same person historians dub “the Renaissance man,” has essentially been proven to be gay — and I, personally, am all for Da Vinci becoming a queer icon (almost exactly) years post-mortem. But a new opera is shining fresh light on his private passions — by depicting his intense relationships with two of his assistants.

But what do we know of the man, of his passions, of Leonardo in love? Leonardo left nothing that could be read directly as a diary or journal: his interest was in the outer, rather than the inner, world. Nevertheless, writers, from the 16th-Century biographer Giorgio Vasari to Sigmund Freud, have scoured the thousands of pages of written notes left by Leonardo for clues. Five hundred years after his death — with exhibitions around Europe celebrating his art, engineering, science and ideas — a new opera celebrates a more private side of the Renaissance master.

The work of composer Alex Mills and librettist Brian Mullin, Leonardo focuses on the relationship between the great artist and two of his assistants. This young man, by contrast, was from a noble Milanese family, and developed a role in the workshop akin to private secretary. He and Leonardo soon developed a closer intimacy that Mills and Mullin liken to father and son. To both composer and librettist, the relationships appear to have been more intense and profound than simply artist and assistants.

In , Sigmund Freud speculated that despite surrounding himself with beautiful young men, Leonardo's homosexuality was latent rather than acted upon. He judged Melzi capable of protecting his legacy, and of such wealth and character that he would not be tempted to exploit it. A residue of shame. However in an attempt to control the practice, the city government encouraged citizens to denounce it. Aged 23, Leonardo was among four artists publicly accused of sodomy following an anonymous tip-off.

An exhibition will naturally privilege drawings, paintings and diagrams over the 4, folios of written material left by Leonardo after his death. Leonardo is being performed at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, on 8 and 9 November 8 November performance includes a panel discussion. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.

And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc. Skip to content. The men who Leonardo da Vinci loved. Hettie Judah Features correspondent. Share Save. More like this:. His male muse. Getty Images. Classical music.