Leonardo da Vinci has fascinated society since his own time, and fictional depictions of him began to sprung up as early as the 16th century. Already during his lifetime, others were using him as a source of inspiration for further works. He had artistic “cameos” even while alive. And they haven’t stopped since.
On the contrary. Leonardo’s cameos or representations in popular works of art and media have only increased with time. And it’s only fair we remember them on his birthday. From paintings to novels, TV shows, video games, and movies, here are the best, funniest, and most memorable historical and pop culture references about Leonardo da Vinci.
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Paintings: hidden in plain sight (or, the first cameo in history)
Between 1509 and 1511, Renaissance artist Raphael painted one of the most famous frescoes in the history of art: The School of Athens. This fresco, deemed by some as “Raphael’s masterpiece and the perfect embodiment of the classical spirit of the Renaissance,” represents Philosophy, and depicts many of the most famous philosophical figures of all.
But, of course, Raphael didn’t have access to the original models of the ancient philosophers, who had died more than a millennia before he came along. So, he sought inspiration from his contemporaries. Central to the painting are two key figures: Plato and Aristotle, and it is widely believed that Raphael painted a portrait of Leonardo to represent Plato himself.
See for yourself:
That was finished as Leonardo was alive, making it a true cameo of the legendary genius in a legendary painting.
Other than that, there have been paintings actually depicting Leonardo as Leonardo, most notably Ménageot’s The Death of Leonardo da Vinci (1781) and Ingres’ painting by the same name (1818).
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Literature appearances
Leonardo has appeared, or reference, in over 15 major works of literature, and one of them’s particularly prominent. You’ve probably heard of The Da Vinci Code, the 2003 bestselling novel by thriller author Dan Brown. The Da Vinci Code was immensely popular when it came out, and has remained in the uneasy trends of pop culture and public imagination for nearly two decades now.
Though Leonardo himself doesn’t appear in the novel, his works and public persona are heavily referenced throughout the text, as is obvious by the title. Several conspiracy theories and mysteries surround the legendary artist, and his genius as a motif gives rise to some incredible stories that lead modern-day characters to a thrilling chase looking for secrets that delve deep into the very core of the Catholic Church and Western society as a whole.
Other novels, from The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci (1901) to The Secret Supper (2006), fundamentally rely on Leonardo’s fame and reputation, with many of them centering around his extraordinary intellect—obviously. They often play with alternate history, secret achievements, or even time-traveling (what would Leonardo think of the current world if he were transported right into it?)
In the film industry
The first film about the famed genius came out in 1919, a silent feature called—wait for it—Leonardo Da Vinci. Many other movies followed, including The Life of Leonardo da Vinci (1971), Nothing Left to Do But Cry (1984), Quest of the Delta Knights (1993), Ever After (1998), and Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014). All of them are about Leonardo’s life, or at least feature him as a character.
Even more films refer to his inventions or works, including a 2006 adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, with Tom Hanks on the leading role.
The man on the silver screen
Leonardo has had appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the past decades, ever since he was first portrayed in the science fiction sitcom My Favorite Martian in 1966. There, Martin the Martian uses his time machine to bring the artist to the present—which eventually leads to Leonardo stealing his own painting (the Mona Lisa).
A 1967 episode of Bewitched also involved a time traveling Leonardo summoned to paint a house. In 1969, an episode of Star Trek depicted the genius as an immortal creature who’ve had many aliases since 3834 BC. Among other such series in which Leonardo has appeared are Ironside, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Doctor Who, Futurama and Family Guy (where he’s hilariously revealed to be one of Stewie’s ancestors).
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On stage
The artist has made its way to theatre too, particularly in two notable productions: Peter Barnes’ 1969 play Leonardo’s Last Supper, and David Davalos’ 2002 play Daedalus. Each depict a fictionalized account of Leonardo’s life.
In the sound of music
Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine is an opera by Charles Anthony Silvestri and Eric Whitacre based on Leonardo’s works, in particular by his sketches and concept of a flying vehicle.
Additionally, American pop and R&B singer Kimberley Leadbetter chose her stage name to be Mona Lisa, based on that painting that also served as the inspiration for the Panic! at the Disco song “The Ballad of Mona Lisa”. Finally, James LaBrie performed as Leonardo in the album Leonardo: The Absolute Man, a musical exploration of the genius’ life.
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Leonardo in comic books
The legend of Leonardo da Vinci has made its way even to the imagination of superhero comic books. How could it not? DC Comics, for instance, issued a story called “Black Masterpiece,” in which Leonardo’s apprentice becomes the “Renaissance Batman,” using the Master’s inventions to fight crime in 16th century Florence. DC’s Vertigo division also published a miniseries wholly dedicated to Leonardo, called Chiaroscuro: The Private Lives of Leonardo da Vinci.
As for Marvel, they also featured a Leonardo character in the mini series The Light and Darkness, and in the current S.H.I.E.L.D. series as the time-traveling leader of the sacred order known as the Brotherhood of the Shield.
To play a video game
Perhaps one of the most memorable uses of Leonardo’s image came from the massively popular video game franchise Assassin’s Creed. There, specifically in Assassin’s Creed II, Leonardo is an important supporting character whose intellect and creative innovations help the story’s protagonist, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, fight the elusive Templar Order after they murdered Ezio’s family.
Fighting on the side of the Order of the Assassins, Ezio and Leonardo attempt to decipher several manuscripts belonging to the legendary assassin Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, the first game’s protagonist. Leonardo builds several of his inventions for Ezio, as the players spend most of the game interacting with one of the most entertaining fictionalized renditions of the renaissance Master.
Other video games depicting or referencing Leonardo include Civilization, Mario’s Time Machine, Rise of Legends, Soulcalibur Legends, and LittleBigPlanet 2.
And statues, of course
Last but not least, let’s not forget those wonderful statues…
Statue of Leonardo posing as a river god in Amboise.Your voice matters!
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