Whether it is the theater, music or painting, an artist brings to his or her work the events that have effected their lives, including those that took place during their early childhood. Today, through the study of psychology, these influences can be analyzed in relation to the work created in a fairly thorough and accurate manner. But during the Italian Renaissance, Sigmund Freud and others who explored the psychology of man, were still centuries away so we can only theorize from the limited information available and the work created what drove an artist during that era to produce what he/she did and how.
Such is the case with the well-renowned artist, scientist and architect Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). Considered a genius not only during his life but up to the present day, da Vinci startled his contemporaries with his many and varied talents, including his translation of the human body to canvas and stone. And this interpretation has been the source of discussion and study by many twentieth century experts, including art historians and psychologists. In particular, da Vinci's representation of women is the source of much analysis. The purpose of this paper is to take an in-depth look at da Vinci's work in relation to women with special emphasis on the formative experiences in Leonardo's childhood that might have affected his work. As part of this review, several studies will be presented, including Freud's explanation for Leonardo's unique construction of gender.
Freud describes da Vinci as an enigma. "He was a universal genius 'whose outlines can only be surmised, never defined'" (Freud, 1989, p. 9). The illegitimate son of Piero da Vinci and a peasant woman, Caterina, Leonardo was to rise above this position in society to become a master painter, a great natural scientist and one of the greatest men of the Italian renaissance (p. 8). He was able to tackle a wide range of subjects easily, his mind constantly sear...