Virgin of the Rocks facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This painting by Leonardo da Vinci is called The Virgin of the Rocks. It's a famous artwork that actually has two versions! Both paintings show four important figures: Mary, John the Baptist, Jesus, and an Angel.

In the painting, Mary is shown with a calm and graceful look, which was a popular style during the Renaissance period. One interesting thing about this painting is that it's one of the first times a Renaissance artist completely stopped using halos around the heads of the holy figures. Halos were usually painted as golden circles to show that someone was holy.

The Two Versions of the Painting
- Why Two Versions?
- Where Are They Now?
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The Two Versions of the Painting

Leonardo da Vinci created two different versions of The Virgin of the Rocks.

Why Two Versions?

The first version of the painting caused some discussion. In that painting, Mary was not touching Jesus at all. This was a bit unusual for the time, so Leonardo decided to paint a second version. In the second painting, Mary's hand is shown gently touching Jesus. This change made the painting more accepted by people back then.

Where Are They Now?

One version of The Virgin of the Rocks is kept at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The other version is displayed at the National Gallery, London in England. Both are amazing examples of Leonardo's skill!