Francesco Melzi

Born 1481, Melzi's father, Girolamo Melzi, was an engineer for Francesco II Sforza's military, and a captain in the militia in Milan under Louis XII. Francesco lived with his family in the in Vaprio d'Adda (not to be confused with the Villa Melzi in Bellagio, Lombardy), which today is still under the ownership of the Dukes Melzi d'Eril. As a member of a prominent family of the Milanese court, however, Francesco would have had political and social responsibilities as he got older that would have caused him to discontinue his studies in art had it not been for Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo returned to Milan for some time around 1505 and stayed with the Melzi family. It was there that he met Francesco for the first time, enticed by his good nature and handsomeness. In a biography of Leonardo da Vinci, it is argued that he felt compelled to stay in Milan longer than he had intended after meeting with the young Francesco. Despite this, fairly little is written about the apprentice painter, and what is known about him is almost exclusively within the context of Leonardo. Other than Melzi, none of Leonardo's pupils went on to become respected artists. And although he is not well-known, Melzi is referred to as being the first person responsible for collecting, organizing, and preserving da Vinci's notes on painting, and transforming it into a manuscript copy known as the Codex Urbinas. After Leonardo's death in 1519, Francesco returned to Italy and married Angiola di Landriani; with her he fathered eight children. One of his children, Orazio, inherited Leonardo's manuscripts after Francesco's death in 1569~1570. '', . Oil on panel, transferred to canvas, 76×63 cm, Hermitage Museum (ГЭ-107). == Career and life ==

Melzi's career is inextricably linked to Leonardo da Vinci, and this could be a reason that he is not well-known, because his master overshadowed him. Sigmund Freud attributed the lack of success of Leonardo's pupils, including the talented Francesco, to their inability to distinguish themselves as separate from their master, and thus their careers were unable to flourish after his death. where they stayed in the Chateau de Cloux in Amboise. During this time, Francis I of France was Leonardo's patron, and the French court account books logged Leonardo's annual payment was 1000 gold crowns (écus de soleil), while Francesco Melzi received 400. He was the executor and heir of Leonardo's will. Although Francesco was Leonardo's official heir and was bequeathed with his master's manuscripts, drawings, workshop materials and machinery, Salaì received Leonardo's paintings in 1524 in France and brought them back to Milan. The works would eventually be compiled, and published as the Codex Urbinas. In addition to caring for Leonardo's papers, Melzi actually executed and completed a number of plans for paintings, and completed paintings that were left unfinished at Leonardo's death. Francesco's son Orazio Melzi was a lawyer. Although Orazio inherited the manuscripts, he knew very little of Leonardo da Vinci, or the manuscripts his father kept, and therefore did not understand their value. So for years, the papers laid neglected and unpublished in Orazio's attic. When Orazio died, on his estate in Vaprio d'Adda, his heirs sold Francesco's collection of Leonardo's works, and thus the papers began to disperse, untraced, through art collections. Legacy In addition to preserving Leonardo's manuscripts, Francesco Melzi also is said to have contributed greatly towards the legacy of Leonardo in future generations. Because he owned his master's manuscripts, notes, and works, after his death, he was able to share with the next generation of artists Leonardo's genius, techniques, and oeuvre. This Leonardismo, the continued influence that Leonardo's legacy had on future painters' style and thought, continued throughout the 1500s. For example, Francesco's pupil, Girolamo Figino, was described by the Italian scholar Francesco Albuzio in his ''Memorie per servire alla storia de'pittori, scultori e architect milanesi (1776) as "illuminator and disciple of Francesco Melzi". Girolamo created two paintings which are references to his predecessors; his Madonna and Saints'' is thought to be inspired by Melzi's Vertumnus and Pomona, and his Portrait of Margherita Colleoni references Leonardo's Mona Lisa, which is a testimony to the continuation of Leonardo's teachings after his death. == Relationship with Leonardo da Vinci ==

From the time Melzi became an apprentice at da Vinci's workshop, his life largely revolved around his master's. Leonardo took an immediate liking to Francesco when he met him as an adolescent at his house in Milan, and took Francesco under his wing as an apprentice. Francesco became like a son to Leonardo, and followed him up until his death in 1519. Francesco quickly became aware of his master's loneliness, seeing past his legendary fame and genius, and felt impelled to care for him, essentially devoting his whole life to him. ["uncontrolled and passionate love"]. ==Selected works==

Leonardo da Vinci chose only handsome boys—as was Melzi—to be his pupils and cared for them considerably as if they were family. ==References==