Louvre version

Artist	Leonardo da Vinci
Year	1483-1486
Type	Oil on panel (transferred to canvas)
Dimensions	199 cm × 122 cm (78.3 in × 48.0 in)
Location	Louvre, Paris

London version

Artist	Leonardo da Vinci
Year	1495-1508
Type	Oil on panel
Dimensions	189.5 cm × 120 cm (74.6 in × 47.25 in)
Location	National Gallery, London

The Virgin of the Rocks (sometimes the Madonna of the Rocks) is the name used for two Late Renaissance paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, of the same subject, and of a composition which is identical except for two significant details. One painting usually hangs in the Louvre, Paris, and the other in the National Gallery, London. For a few months in late 2011 and early 2012 the two paintings have been brought together in an exhibition at the National Gallery, London.^[1] The paintings are both nearly 2 metres (over 6 feet) high and are painted in oils. Both were painted on wooden panel; that in the Louvre has been transferred to canvas.^[2]

Both paintings show the Madonna and Christ Child with the infant John the Baptist and an angel, in a rocky setting which gives the paintings their usual name. The significant compositional differences are in the gaze and right hand of the angel. There are many minor ways in which the works differ, including the colours, the lighting, the flora, and the way in which sfumato has been used. Although the date of an associated commission is documented, the complete histories of the two paintings are unknown, and lead to speculation about which of the two is earlier.

Two further paintings are associated with the commission: side panels each containing an angel playing a musical instrument and completed by associates of Leonardo. These are both in the National Gallery, London.

[edit] The paintings

[edit] Louvre version

The Virgin of the Rocks which usually hangs in the Louvre is considered by most art historians to be the earlier of the two and date from around 1483-1486. Most authorities agree that the work is entirely by Leonardo.^[3] It is about 8 cm (3 in) taller than the London version. The first certain record of this picture is in 1625, when it was in the French royal collection. It is generally accepted that this painting was produced to fulfill a commission of 1483 in Milan. It is hypothesised that this painting was privately sold by Leonardo and that the London version was painted at a later date to fill the commission.^[3] There are a number of other theories to explain the existence of two paintings.^[4][5] This painting is regarded as a perfect example of Leonardo's "sfumato" technique.

[edit] London version

A very similar painting in the National Gallery, London, is also ascribed to Leonardo da Vinci, and ascribed a date before 1508.^[6] Originally thought to have been partially painted by Leonardo's assistants, study of the painting during the recent restoration have led the conservators to conclude that the greater part of the work is by the hand of Leonardo.^[7] It was painted for the chapel of the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, in the church of San Francesco Maggiore in Milan. It was sold by the church, very likely in 1781, and certainly by 1785, when it was bought by Gavin Hamilton, who took it to England. After passing through various collections, it was bought by the National Gallery in 1880.^[3]

[edit] Angels

Two paintings of angels playing musical instruments are believed to have been part of the composition that was set into the altarpiece. These two pictures, now in the National Gallery, London, are thought to have been completed between 1490 and 1495. One, an angel in red, is thought to be the work of Ambrogio de Predis while the angel in green is thought to be the work of a different assistant of Leonardo, perhaps Francesco Napoletano.^[8]

Madonna
Madonna at the premiere of I Am Because We Are in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Madonna Louise Ciccone
Also known as	Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (Catholic Confirmation name) Esther (Kabbalah name)
Born	(1958-08-16) August 16, 1958 (age 54) Bay City, Michigan, U.S.
Origin	New York, New York, U.S.
Genres	Pop, rock, dance, electronic
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, film producer, film director, fashion designer, author, entrepreneur, philanthropist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, percussion, drums
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Sire, Warner Bros., Maverick, Live Nation, Interscope
Associated acts	Breakfast Club
Website	www.madonna.com

Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone /tʃɪˈkoʊneɪ/ chi-KOH-nay; August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, director, dancer and entrepreneur. She has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. Considered to be one of the "25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century" by Time for being an influential figure in contemporary music, she is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. Critics have praised her diverse musical productions which have also been known to induce controversy.

Born in Bay City, Michigan, Madonna moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her self-titled debut album in 1983. She followed it with a series of albums that attained immense popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos, which became a fixture on MTV. Throughout her career, many of her songs have hit number one on the record charts, including "Like a Virgin", "Papa Don't Preach", "Into the Groove" "Like a Prayer", "Vogue", "Frozen", "Music", "Hung Up", and "4 Minutes".

Although she received generally positive reviews for her role in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985),^[1] her later film appearances received mixed commentary. She received critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Evita (1996), but has received harsh feedback for other performances. Her other ventures include: fashion design, writing children's books, and film directing and producing. She has been acclaimed as a businesswoman. In 1992, she founded entertainment company Maverick as a joint venture with Time Warner. In 2007, she signed a US $120 million record, touring and merchandising contract with Live Nation.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Madonna is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second top-selling female albums artist in the United States, with 64.5 million certified albums. In 2008, Billboard ranked her at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making her the most successful solo artist in the history of the chart. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the same year. In 2012, she was crowned the "Greatest Woman In Music" by VH1.

Life and career

1958–81: Early life and career beginnings

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, on August 16, 1958. Her father, Silvio Anthony Ciccone, is a first-generation Italian American (with roots in Pacentro, Italy), while her mother, Madonna Louise (née Fortin), was of French Canadian descent.^[2] Her father later worked as a design engineer for Chrysler and General Motors. As Madonna had the same name as her mother, family members called her "Little Nonni".^[3] The third of six children from her father's first marriage, her full-blood siblings are: Martin, Anthony, Paula, Christopher, and Melanie.^[3] Madonna was raised in the Roman Catholic faith. Upon receiving confirmation, she adopted Veronica as an additional confirmation name.^[4] She was raised in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township (now part of Rochester Hills).

Her mother died of breast cancer at the age of 30, in 1963.^[5] Months before her mother's death, Madonna noticed changes in her behavior and personality, although she did not understand the reason.^[5] Mrs. Ciccone, at a loss to explain her medical condition, would often begin to cry when questioned by Madonna. Madonna later acknowledged that she had not grasped the concept of her mother dying.^[6]

Madonna as a junior in high school, 1975.

Madonna turned to her grandmother in the hope of finding some solace and some form of her mother in her. The Ciccone siblings resented housekeepers and invariably rebelled against anyone brought into their home ostensibly to take the place of their beloved mother.^[5] In an interview with Vanity Fair, Madonna commented that she saw herself in her youth as a "lonely girl who was searching for something. I wasn't rebellious in a certain way. I cared about being good at something. I didn't shave my underarms and I didn't wear make-up like normal girls do. But I studied and I got good grades ... I wanted to be somebody."^[5] Terrified that her father could be taken from her as well, Madonna could often not sleep unless she was near him.^[5] Her father married the family's housekeeper Joan Gustafson in 1966, and they had two children: Jennifer and Mario Ciccone.^[3] At this point, Madonna began to express unresolved feelings of anger towards her father that lasted for decades, and developed a rebellious attitude.^[5] She attended St. Frederick's and St. Andrew's Catholic Elementary Schools, and then West Middle School. She was known for her high grade point average, and achieved notoriety for her unconventional behavior: she would perform cartwheels and handstands in the hallways between classes, dangle by her knees from the monkey bars during recess, and pull up her skirt during class—all so that the boys could see her underwear.^[7]

Madonna later attended Rochester Adams High School where she became a straight-A student and a member of the cheerleading squad.^[8] After graduating, she received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan.^[9] She convinced her father to allow her to take ballet lessons^[10] and was persuaded by Christopher Flynn, her ballet teacher, to pursue a career in dance.^[11] In 1978, she dropped out of college and relocated to New York City.^[12] She had little money and worked as a waitress at Dunkin' Donuts and with modern dance troupes.^[13] Madonna said of her move to New York, "It was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi cab. I came here with $35 in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I'd ever done."^[14] She started to work as a backup dancer for other established artists. During a late night, Madonna was returning from a rehearsal, when she was dragged up an alleyway by a pair of men at knifepoint and forced to perform fellatio at knifepoint.^[15][16] Madonna had later commented that "the episode was a taste of my weakness, it showed me that I still could not save myself in spite of all the strong-girl show. I could never forget it."^[17] While performing as a dancer for the French disco artist Patrick Hernandez on his 1979 world tour,^[7] Madonna became romantically involved with musician Dan Gilroy. Together, they formed her first rock band, the Breakfast Club,^[18][19] for which Madonna sang and played drums and guitar. In 1980^[3] or 1981^[20] she left Breakfast Club and, with her former boyfriend Stephen Bray as drummer, formed the band Emmy. Their music impressed DJ and record producer Mark Kamins who arranged a meeting between Madonna and Sire Records founder Seymour Stein.^[20]