The Baptism of Christ

The Baptism of Christ was primarily painted by Andrea del Verrocchio around 1472-1475, with the young Leonardo da Vinci contributing the angel on the far left and portions of the landscape. According to Vasari, Verrocchio was so impressed by his pupil's angel that he resolved never to paint again. This collaborative workshop painting, now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, marks a pivotal moment in art history — the emergence of Leonardo's genius within the leading Florentine workshop of the day. The contrast between master and pupil is visible in the painting itself.

Leonardo's angel, rendered in oil glazes rather than Verrocchio's tempera, displays a softness and naturalism that surpasses the rest of the painting. The misty landscape on the left, also attributed to Leonardo, introduces atmospheric perspective with unprecedented subtlety, while Verrocchio's more linear and rigid style dominates the central figures and right side of the composition.