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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1513-1516

Saint John the Baptist

Leonardo da Vinci · c. 1513-1516

Believed to be Leonardo's final painting, showing John the Baptist emerging from darkness with an enigmatic smile.

Considered Leonardo's last painting, showing his final artistic style and techniques.

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Painting of a curly-haired young man with reddish-brown hair, smiling faintly, bare-shouldered, with his right hand raised pointing upward against a dark background. A cross-shaped staff is faintly visible behind him.
Leonardo da Vinci, Saint John the Baptist, c. 1513-1516. Louvre, Paris.

About this source

What it is

This is an oil painting on walnut wood by Leonardo da Vinci, likely completed between 1513 and 1516. It is believed to be his final painting and is now in the Louvre in Paris.

Why it matters

The painting shows Leonardo's late style, with deep shadow (chiaroscuro) and a mysterious smile similar to the Mona Lisa. It broke from tradition by showing John the Baptist as youthful rather than a gaunt ascetic, influencing later artists, and Leonardo kept it with him when he moved to France.

Look closer

  • How does the use of light and shadow change the mood of the painting?
  • Why might Leonardo have chosen to show Saint John smiling rather than looking stern?
  • What does the painting's journey from France to England and back suggest about how valuable it was considered?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Leonardo da Vinci on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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