What did Leonardo da Vinci really look like?

For a man who created thousands of sketches, paintings and sculptures – he kept his own appearance mysteriously private. So what did Leonardo truly look like? Let’s explore both young and old.

Watch our full video with history and portrait analysis here, or read down below!

In his youth, Leonardo was described as being a beautiful man, with flowing curly hair and everything meticulously groomed. He was broad shouldered and strong throughout his life. We’re not sure of his hair or eye color – but we can imagine the coloring of a stereotypical northern Italian man.

Detail of Verrocchio's bronze David, a curly-haired youth with a faint smile, rumored to be modeled on young Leonardo — Verrocchio’s bronze David, c. 1466–69. Leonardo was apprenticed in his workshop from about age fourteen, and the face has long been rumored to be his.

But we may never know for sure what a young Leonardo looked like, because although certain depictions are rumored to be based on his appearance, there is no hard evidence just yet.

Only a few confirmed images of Leonardo that have survived, all sketched when he was in his mid sixties.

The best image comes from Francesco Melzi (or possibly an unknown apprentice), Leonardo’s apprentice and close friend. It’s a sketch in profile, made around 1517. Melzi also made this one (right), a quick sketch on a page that also contains a study of a horse’s leg. Scholars have only recently confirmed this one, by citing his unusual nose shape and beard which wasn’t very fashionable at the time, but Leonardo wore throughout his life.

The only reliable likeness of Leonardo made from life, drawn by his pupil Francesco Melzi, or possibly another apprentice. Royal Collection Trust, RCIN 912726.

A quick sketch on a sheet of Leonardo’s own horse studies, identified as a portrait of him in 2019.

There’s also another image, said to be a self portrait that Leonardo made of himself.

However, there are some significant differences between these faces. On the surface, they look similar – an older man with a receding hairline, long beard, and Italian profile. But when you look more closely, the supposed self portrait looks much older than the others, despite traditionally being dated to around the same time. His eyebrows are very bushy – contrary to every report that he was meticulous about his personal appearance. And his nose is larger and more downturned.

Recent scholarship may challenge this in a way that’s hard to explain away. While the self portrait, as I mentioned, is traiditionally dated to around 1512, the Musei Reali in Turin – the museum that holds the image – recently re-dated the image to 1517-1518. Meaning, that these two faces were supposedly drawn within a year of each other, at roughly the same age, which is hard for me to reconcile.

Red chalk drawing of a bearded old man in three-quarter view, long presumed to be a self-portrait of Leonardo — The famous “self-portrait.” Compare it closely to the confirmed Melzi likeness and the two faces diverge.

Now we know that Leonardo often drew in caricature – meaning he exaggerated features on faces – because he loved the life and meaning that’s shown in every detail of the human face.

He would see random people in public who he liked the look of, and make a quick sketch. So it’s possible he exaggerated his features for this self portrait, but I’m not sure. I want to capture both in my re-creations.

So what I’ve done is create a lifelike version from the self portrait first, and then modified the features to match the Melzi sketch.