Sir Anthony Blunt is one of the few writers that points to the fundamental differences between Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. He writes about what makes these artists different at their fundamental core. His evidence: Leonardo and Michelangelo’s own writings.
Leonardo writes, “The good painter must paint principally two things, which are man and the ideas in the man’s mind.” This quote points to the fundamental issue with Leonardo’s art. If we look at all the art Leonardo ever produced, we can see that struggle. A perfect example is Mona Lisa; we all recognize the lady with the half-smile with the lonely, rocky background. It is also a perfect example for understanding how Leonardo looked at the world. We easily see the woman that is the easy part, according to Leonardo. What he and we struggle with is seeing the “ideas in the man’s mind.” He struggles with that in all his paintings, however, his struggles lead to some of the most life-like paintings of the time. The background of the Mona Lisa may allude to the ideas within this woman’s mind. Also the expression on her face allows the viewer to get into her mind, into her personality. All of the elements that have puzzled the public and the art world are Leonardo’s way of reconciling with the “ideas of the man’s mind.”
Michelangelo, on the other hand, has many writings reveal that Michelangelo believed that “the human figure is the particular form in which [Michelangelo] finds this divine beauty most clearly manifested.” Again, like Leonardo, we can see this idea within Michelangelo’s work. Especially within the male figures he paints. In the Doni Tondo, we see the Holy Family front and center. However, the male nude figures in the background are a prime example of Michelangelo’s belief that divine beauty is within the human form. While seemingly out of place, these nude figures are actually angles. Michelangelo has manifested his idea of divine beauty into these figures. To him there is no greater beauty than the male figure, so in the Doni Tondo, he made the actual figures holy.
