In the first year of his reign François had celebrated his 21st birthday by leading his army to a stunning military victory in Italy in 1515. Shortly after, François met Leonardo da Vinci in Bologna. Previous French kings had called on Leonardo during their Italian campaigns but the dashing young French king had inherited his mother’s passion for art and he clearly appreciated Leonardo’s talents. Leonardo accepted François’ invitation to come to France, arriving a few months later.
Leonardo was 64 but looked much older. He was accompanied by a 25 year old named Francesco Melzi who was from a noble family in Milan. Melzi had been Leonardo’s student for ten years. Leonardo brought with him at least three paintings including the Mona Lisa.
François gave Leonardo the manor house near his chateau at Amboise (known then as Cloux and now as Clos Lucé).
In addition he gave him the official title of “First Painter, Engineer and Architect to the King”. Both Leonardo and Melzi were paid a generous salary by François, who treated Leonardo more as a father figure, making no demands on him.
Leonardo died at Cloux three years later.
François bought the Mona Lisa from Melzi who was Leonardo’s heir and placed it in his favourite residence at Fontainebleau. It remained there until Louis XIV decided to display it at Versailles. After the French Revolution the Mona Lisa was taken from Versailles and placed at the Louvre where it is currently admired by more than seven million people each year.
The 1818 Ingres painting, 300 years after the actual event, depicts François I at Leonardo’s death bed. The King liked to visit Leonardo although the rumour of an underground tunnel linking the Chateau of Amboise to Clos Lucé is unlikely. François was not present when Leonardo died.
