“The Musician,” an artwork completed by Leonardo da Vinci between 1483 and 1487, is an oil on panel painting belonging to the Early Renaissance period. Measuring 32 cm in height and 44.7 cm in width, this portrait genre piece is located at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy, which is also the city where the artwork was created.
The artwork presents a half-length portrait of a young man who seems to be engaged in music making, suggested by the sheet of music he holds. His gaze is directed slightly off to the side, evoking a contemplative mood. The young man is dressed in garments indicative of the period, with a red cap that stands out against the dark background, emphasizing his youthful features and curly hair. The palette is rather subdued yet the rendering of textures—such as the hair and the fabric of his clothes—and the delicate representation of the hands indicate a sensitive attention to detail, characteristic of da Vinci’s work. The portrait exudes a sense of serenity and intellectual engagement, in line with the Renaissance ideal of a learned individual harmoniously combining artistic and scholarly pursuits.