Chiaroscuro: The Private Lives of Leonardo da Vinci

Chiaroscuro: The Private Lives of Leonardo da Vinci
Chiaroscuro trade paperback cover
Publication information
Publisher	Vertigo
Format	Limited series
Publication date(s)	1995-1996
No. of issues	10
Main character(s)	Leonardo da Vinci, Salai
Creative team
Written by	Pat McGreal & David Rawson
Penciller(s)	Chaz Truog
Inker(s)	Rafael Kayanan
Colorist(s)	Carla Feeny & Lovern Kindzierski
Collected editions
Chiaroscuro: The Private Lives of Leonardo da Vinci	ISBN

Chiaroscuro: The Private Lives of Leonardo da Vinci is a Vertigo comic book limited series published from 1995 to 1996, which was later repackaged in 2005 as a single volume. The series was written by Pat McGreal and David Rawson and illustrated by Chaz Truog and Rafael Kayanan. The original series covers were done by Stephen John Philips and Richard Bruning.

A work of historical fiction, Chiaroscuro narrates the life of Leonardo da Vinci from the point of view of Gian Giacomo Caprotti da Oreno (almost exclusively called Salai in the story), a beautiful young man Leonardo adopted as a boy. It shows the influence of their relationship on Leonardo's life and work. In characterizing Salai as scheming, ambitious and selfish, the novel posits that several events in Leonardos's life occurred at least partly because of his manipulations.

The work also speculates a possible homosexual relationship between Leonardo and Salai. Salai is clearly depicted to have had homosexual relations with Leonardo's main rival, Michelangelo and Ludovico Sforza's captain, Sanseverino, while anything occurring between him and Leonardo is simply implied. It is clear, however, that Leonardo used him as a model for his artwork. The relationship between Salai and Leonardo is often tumultuous, culminating with Salai betraying Leonardo by serving as the model for Michelangelo's David.

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Wikipedia