Did Michelangelo and Leonardo know each other?
Florence was, and still is, the world’s most important ‘artistic’ city. This region embraced the Renaissance and brought about revolutionary changes in the art of canvas and oil painting.
Two of the leading figures in these artistic ‘disciplines’, known and celebrated throughout the world, were Michelangelo and Leonardo. One was the other’s rival. The other was the first’s provocateur. A clash of titans that remains a source of questions and debate to this day.
Who were Michelangelo Buonarroti and Leonardo da Vinci? A fierce rivalry, played out in Tuscany, for ‘artistic supremacy’ over the city of Florence.
Throughout their lives, historians have classified one as a visionary and the other as a rival. Others describe one as a genius and the other as a talented artist. We liken them a little to Batman and the Joker. Their rivalry drove them to push themselves further. The aim of their challenge was to excel, and that cannot be achieved without a worthy rival.
Did Michelangelo and Leonardo know each other?
Without keeping you in suspense, here’s the answer to that question: did Michelangelo and Leonardo know each other? Yes! They did know each other, but they certainly didn’t like each other. Their story began with a clash of ‘fame’.
Leonardo da Vinci was born in Vinci, a town near Florence. This alone began to fuel the Florentines’ desire for an outstanding artist. Meanwhile, Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in Caprese, in the capital city, Rome.
The former was hugely famous throughout the Kingdom of Tuscany, whilst the latter was the Vatican’s favourite sculptor; the Vatican sought to become the cradle of art and culture in order to enhance the reputation of Christianity. Thus, the fame of the two was absolutely a mirror image of each other.
It must be said, however, that Florence, in the midst of the Renaissance, enjoyed greater renown than Rome. The latter had no intention of conceding that only Florentine artists were the best in their field.
Ultimately, if we analyse the reality of the time, it all boiled down to political and economic power.
Let us return to the subject of the one and only bizarre encounter between Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. We must say it was bizarre because the two, despite having engaged in this ‘fame’ contest, had not yet met.
Michelangelo, whilst strolling through Florence along the main street known as the ‘pubblica via’, was deep in conversation with a group of men about a passage from Dante. The debate went on for hours on end, and Leonardo, passing by on the street, noticed the heated discussion and joined in. The two recognised each other because, in those days, people would introduce themselves before taking part in a discussion.
From there, the situation got out of hand. As it was not an official meeting, it has always been thought to be a legend.
Is there any evidence that the two actually met?
Today, there are written records of the encounter between the marble sculptor and the visionary genius.
In fact, after the ‘legendary discussion’ in the street, Michelangelo returned to his lodgings literally furious. He began to rant about everything he disliked about Leonardo da Vinci, using unprintable language and the like. One of his friends recorded what had happened in a number of letters and messages to his cousin.
A similar situation occurred at Leonardo da Vinci’s home, where one of his pupils, a scribe, decided to transcribe this encounter, as it had been recounted to him. This account was then sent to the Bishop of ‘Florence’.
Not only that, but as many as three accounts have also been found, written by certain Florentine nobles who witnessed the verbal altercation in the street and subsequently recounted it, as they saw it, to friends and relatives.
A splendid Tuscan legend that has more than a grain of truth to it.
