Leonardo da Vinci, whose 553rd birthday we are celebrating today, is said to have died in the arms of a French king. Is this story true?

TabbyTom

Francis I of France gave Leonardo the use of the château of Cloux, near Amboise, where the artist died on May 2, 1519. According to Vasari, on his deathbed Leonardo was visited by the King, who held his head to soothe his pain, and “the inspired Leonardo breathed his last in the arms of the king” (Penguin Books translation by George Bull). However, there seems to be good evidence that on the day before Leonardo died, the King was at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, just west of Paris. If so, he couldn’t have got to Amboise in time to be “in at the death.” The story is therefore probably false. Vasari also gives Leonardo’s age at death as 75 when it was actually 67, so we don’t have to believe everything he says. Apr 15 05, 12:33 PM

lanfranco

I never believe in everything Vasari says and neither should anyone else. But you are quite right: Francis was almost certainly not in Amboise at the time of Leonardo's death. Even so, artists have liked to believe that he was. For one interesting depiction of this touching but apocryphal moment, see the following site: http://www.abcgallery.com/I/ingres/ingres61.html Apr 15 05, 12:42 PM