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Pedants' corner

Leonardo ??️

(71 Posts)
FannyCornforth Thu 08-Jul-21 12:09:21

It is Leonardo, isn't it, not Da Vinci?

A picture by the great man has just sold and is in the news; and the newsreaders are all calling him Da Vinci.

It would be like referring to Joseph Wright of Derby as 'Of Derby'.

There's a school nearby called Da Vinci too, and I find it most irksome.

Am I right?
Thank you!

Bellanonna Thu 08-Jul-21 12:12:52

Ha ha, yes. He’s Leonardo from a place called Vinci near Florence. I don’t think people had surnames back then.

Riverwalk Thu 08-Jul-21 12:16:01

No you're not right - he's universally known as Da Vinci.

Don't be irked!

Riverwalk Thu 08-Jul-21 12:18:36

Pablo, John, Henry, Henri, Marc - they could be anyone!

greenlady102 Thu 08-Jul-21 12:20:30

Chagall is called Chagall, Van Gogh is called Van Gogh and so on.....I really don't see what your problem is

Alegrias1 Thu 08-Jul-21 12:46:52

I think Leonardo, probably. Like Rembrandt. But if you have Amazon Prime, I can recommend this. And it has the lovely Aidan Turner in it. smile

www.amazon.co.uk/Leonardo-Season-1/dp/B08YWPW9ZP?tag=gransnetforum-21

ElderlyPerson Thu 08-Jul-21 12:49:41

Riverwalk

No you're not right - he's universally known as Da Vinci.

Don't be irked!

As far as I know he is known as

Leonardo

or

Leonardo da Vinci

though I think that "da Vinci" is used as an adjective sometimes.

As in "The da Vinci cartoon in The National Gallery."

www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/leonardo-da-vinci-the-burlington-house-cartoon

Which picture please Fanny?

www.vinci-closluce.com/en

On Google street view one can walk around the grounds and inside the main building.

Riverwalk Thu 08-Jul-21 12:49:58

Tracey would be Tracey though.

FannyCornforth Thu 08-Jul-21 12:51:31

greenlady102

Chagall is called Chagall, Van Gogh is called Van Gogh and so on.....I really don't see what your problem is

Because it means 'of Vinci', it's not his name

FannyCornforth Thu 08-Jul-21 12:52:16

EP it's called 'Head of a Bear' ?

FannyCornforth Thu 08-Jul-21 12:53:22

Riverwalk thank you, I will hence forth be without irk!

FannyCornforth Thu 08-Jul-21 12:56:18

Riverwalk

Tracey would be Tracey though.

As in 'Tracey da Margate'?

ElderlyPerson Thu 08-Jul-21 13:02:52

FannyCornforth

EP it's called 'Head of a Bear' ?

Thank you.

I can only find old links that the sale is due today.

Have you a link, or news, of what happened please?

Riverwalk Thu 08-Jul-21 13:09:54

Apologies due to Fanny.

The National Gallery call him Leonardo!

About 10 years' ago I went to the exhibition at the National Gallery where The Virgin of the Rocks was on display - and somewhere in a drawer I had a carrier bag and this is it:

ElderlyPerson Thu 08-Jul-21 13:16:49

FannyCornforth

Riverwalk

Tracey would be Tracey though.

As in 'Tracey da Margate'?

No, because you are generalising from a particular case.

Tracey has a surname of her own.

I like that bird on the top of a pole sculpture that she produced.

pallant.org.uk/whats-on/tracey-emin-roman-standard/

I notice that she is referred to by just her surname.

I would not do that. I would put Ms Emin.

ElderlyPerson Thu 08-Jul-21 13:23:12

Riverwalk

Apologies due to Fanny.

The National Gallery call him Leonardo!

About 10 years' ago I went to the exhibition at the National Gallery where The Virgin of the Rocks was on display - and somewhere in a drawer I had a carrier bag and this is it:

The image on the bag is of The Lady with an Ermine.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_with_an_Ermine

There are two versions of The Virgin of the Rocks, one in The National Gallery, London and one in the Louvre, Paris.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_of_the_Rocks

greenlady102 Thu 08-Jul-21 13:24:01

FannyCornforth

greenlady102

Chagall is called Chagall, Van Gogh is called Van Gogh and so on.....I really don't see what your problem is

Because it means 'of Vinci', it's not his name

It may not have been his name when he was alive (although it may have been what he was known as and therefore his name in that sense) but does it REALLY matter? Its not insulting, it identifies him accurately, what more is needed?

Riverwalk Thu 08-Jul-21 13:31:24

Elderlyperson yes I'm well aware that the image on the bag is of The Lady with an Ermine.

The carrier bag was from the exhibition wherein the star attraction was The Virgin of the Rocks.

No need to be a smart alek.

Kate1949 Thu 08-Jul-21 13:35:16

According to Wiki, his full name is Lionardo di ser Piero da Vinci which means 'son of Piero of Vinci'.

Jaxjacky Thu 08-Jul-21 13:36:29

Don’t know what the issue is, everyone knows who it refers too,. Similarly Turner, Gainsborough, Keats, Holst etc, etc.

Whatdayisit Thu 08-Jul-21 14:35:48

It's a sign of slipping standards from correct forms of address to what people will forever be known. A form of dumbing down really. It is a shame that people don't really care.
When we went to Buckingham Palace in 2019 there was an exhibition of some of HM's Leonardo's

Has anyone seen the Damien Hirst Cherry Blossom paintings?

MayBee70 Thu 08-Jul-21 14:41:19

Riverwalk

Apologies due to Fanny.

The National Gallery call him Leonardo!

About 10 years' ago I went to the exhibition at the National Gallery where The Virgin of the Rocks was on display - and somewhere in a drawer I had a carrier bag and this is it:

I’m glad I’m not the only one that hangs on to old carrier bags. I’ve got some really ancient River Island bags and some small ones from a beloved record shop that no longer exists. Of course, newer ones just tend to disintegrate.

BlueBelle Thu 08-Jul-21 14:45:02

Anyone think it really matters ??? we all know who Leonardo is (although it’s conceivable there could be another painter called Leonardo ) we all know who daVinci is whether it’s is town or not
If in doubt put the two names together

Blossoming Thu 08-Jul-21 14:48:22

Leonardo for me, though if someone said Da Vinci I’d know who they meant. Michaelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Titian, etc. all known by a single name.

Riverwalk Thu 08-Jul-21 14:56:13

MayBee as a rule I don't save carrier bags.

In the bag is a tea towel from the National Gallery which I was supposed to be giving to a friend in the US - I've twice visited her since 2012 but forgotten to take the pesky thing!