Who was Francesco Melzi
If France has a (posthumous) medal for Distinguished Service to Art there is no worthier candidate than Signor Francesco Melzi (1491-1570).
Although the little we know about him is his connection with Leonardo da Vinci, although he barely gets a mention, if at all, in the hundreds of books about Leonardo, although he has been relegated to a footnote in history, if it were not for the man Leonardo called ‘Maestro Francesco’ all we would know about da Vinci is five paintings in the Louvre. There would be no worldwide cult following.
If it were not for Francesco no-one would know Leonardo’s exquisite drawings, the workings of his mind on the mysteries of the universe or that he told his apprentices painting is a science based on mathematics and geometry.
Leonardo’s heir and sole executor, Melzi, inherited Leonardo’s vast legacy of manuscripts, loose papers and notebooks. He was faced with a double edged sword of honour and fifty years of drudgery.
Leonardo saw himself as a genius so never threw away any scrap of paper with his scribblings on it. He was a compulsive recorder filling notebook after notebook with streams of consciousness.
Melzi was faced with the daunting task of sorting through Leonardo’s life time body of work, his random thoughts on every subject under the sun. It was a long, laborious task to categorise the papers into subject matters, a true labour of love which a devoted Melzi worked on until he died.
It was extremely difficult to organise and arrange thousands of notes but Francesco was the only one who could decipher Leonardo's unique left-handed mirror writing and enigmatic, idiosyncratic abbreviations and spellings.
Who was this hero? How and when did he meet Leonardo?
Leonardo, fifty-three, a friend of his father, an Italian aristocrat, Count Gerolamo Melzi of Villa Melzi, met Francesco, fourteen, in 1505, when da Vinci was a guest at the Villa. Gerolamo asked Leonardo to take Francesco on as an apprentice in his workshop.
From that time on, Francesco devoted his life to Leonardo, his only pupil who stayed with him until the end. Aware of his loneliness, he felt impelled to look after him. He admired Leonardo hugely. The feeling was mutual. Leonardo admired Francesco’s good nature, good manners and good looks. He was a charming, graceful adolescent with none of the awkwardness typical of teenage youths.
Francesco Melzi: Boltraffo
Francesco and another pupil of Leonardo's, Boltraffo, stood out from the others. They were capable painters, very bright, and well educated. Because of his upbringing at Court, Francesco was gracious and dignified. Study of a Man 1498-1502, by Boltraffio is thought to be Francesco.
In 1513, Leonardo, who worked for the French Court, feared for his life when France lost Milan. He was not alone. His friend Count Gerolamo Melzi was in a worse position. He was a Captain in the Milanese Militia under Louis XII. But at least he had the family home, the stunning Villa Melzi in Vaprio d'Adda safely outside a Milan in chaos with daily battles and riots. He invited Leonardo to live at the Villa.
Leonardo was very happy there. Unusually for him, he completed projects. Fascinated by water he did many drawings on the course and currents of the river Adda.
A deluge: Leonardo da Vinci
Francesco the last and the youngest of his pupils, was like a son, Leonardo like a father. They were inseparable. Leonardo sketched the spectacular rocks in the Adda river which became the background for The Virgin of the Rocks.
Clos Lucé, Amboise
In 1515, when François I invited Leonardo to live near him in Amboise, Francesco went with him. He was indispensable, Leonardo's oldest, closest, friend, his sole confidant. Discreet, efficient, educated, talented, cultured Melzi was the perfect intellectual companion. His wonderful portrait of Leonardo in profile showing how classically handsome he was, was drawn at Château Clos Lucé as was the lovely drawing of Château Amboise as seen from Leonardo's bedroom window.
For the next three years, Melzi had no time to himself. He helped Leonardo complete his projects for the King including designing a new town from scratch.
Painting takes time, requiring hours of uninterrupted concentration, time Melzi did not have. Besides he was gentry, well off, he didn’t need to paint. However, when Leonardo died and Francesco at last had time, he painted frescoes on the walls of the old oratory in Clos Lucé. They are still there.
Fresco: Francesco Melzi. Clos Lucé
If, as some records say, Francesco went in person to St Germain de Laye near Paris to tell the king that Leonardo was dead then the legend he died in the arms of the King can not be true. He probably died in Francesco's arms. The only people recorded as being at his deathbed were Francesco, Leonardo’s friend, the priest from St. Denis, two priests from St. Florentin and two Franciscan friars.
Franceso left Amboise for Villa Melzi with trunks of Leonardo's papers, books, manuscripts, texts, notes, drawings, essays and sketches. Now twenty-eight, he married Angiola di Landriani. They were very happy together and devoted to their eight children.
When Francesco died, his son put the contents of the library in the attic of Villa Melzi. When he died, his heirs gave or sold Leonardo's works. Four fifths vanished without trace.
Post by Pamela, photography by Mark.
Post by Pamela Shields author of Leonardo Da Vinci: The Amboise Connection
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