Overshadowed. Leonardo da Vinci and Bernardino Luini

This book examines a selection of paintings by Bernardino Luini (ca. 1480/85–1532) that were influenced by Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519). Comparative analysis shows that Luini, from adopting Leonardo's compositions and motifs, went on to incorporate elements of his style and expression in a group of works dating to the 1520s. These are the focus of the book. In imitating Leonardo, Luini traded complexity for clarity, simplifying his manner and making it accessible to a broad audience undifferentiated by age, gender, or class.
The artist's method of popularizing Leonardo, however, led to criticism of his works as merely derivative, but that fails to consider their function as devotional images. Beyond church teachings and practices, little is known about how ordinary viewers looked at religious art in this period. Their responses are not recorded.