contrary he vied with each in turn, and readily outstripped his fellow
pupils. In 1472, at the age of twenty, he was admitted into the Guild
of Florentine Painters.

Unfortunately very few of Leonardo's paintings have come down to us.
Indeed there do not exist a sufficient number of finished and
absolutely authentic oil pictures from his own hand to afford
illustrations for this short chronological sketch of his life's work.
The few that do remain, however, are of so exquisite a quality--or
were until they were "comforted" by the uninspired restorer--that we
can unreservedly accept the enthusiastic records of tradition in
respect of all his works. To rightly understand the essential
characteristics of Leonardo's achievements it is necessary to
regard him as a scientist quite as much as an artist, as a philosopher
no less than a painter, and as a draughtsman rather than a colourist.
There is hardly a branch of human learning to which he did not at
one time or another give his eager attention, and he was engrossed in
turn by the study of architecture--the foundation-stone of all true
art--sculpture, mathematics, engineering and music. His versatility
was unbounded, and we are apt to regret that this many-sided genius
did not realise that it is by developing his power within certain
limits that the great master is revealed. Leonardo may be described as
the most Universal Genius of Christian times-perhaps of all time.

[Illustration: PLATE III.-THE VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS

In the National Gallery. No. 1093. 6 ft. 1 in. h. by 3 ft 9 1 in. w.
(1.83 x 1.15)

This picture was painted in Milan about 1495 by Ambrogio da Predis