The Madonna with the Carnation has been part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek since 1889. It was painted during Leonardo’s time in the studio with his teacher Andrea del Verrocchio. The painting is dated around 1475 and is the oldest example of the Virgin with Child, a theme which Leonardo later studied intensively multiple times. Typical for this work is the detailed study of Verrocchio’s compositions. However, Leonardo found completely new artistic solutions. The inspiration that these works provided for other young painters in Verrocchio’s studio is evident in paintings by Pietro Perugino and Lorenzo di Credi. The exhibition demonstrated these interrelations for the first time on selected loans from Berlin, Frankfurt, Florence, London and Washington. With the emphasis placed on only a few examples, it is possible to effectively show the development of Leonardo’s works. The climax of the exhibition was generated by four personal sketches by Leonardo, which are a masterful variation of the motif Virgin Mary with Child.
