Andrea Mantegna to Leonardo Da Vinci

September 12, 1449

Dear Leonardo,

I heard Florence has been exceptional for the past year. I heard your arts were  even better than everything else. I am also pretty good at art, not to brag or anything. I live in Venice if you did not know. Venice’s population is growing greatly. There are many artists here and we have a major economy for glass blowing. Moving to Venice has been the best part of my life, except for my birth, which took place in 1431 in Isola Di Carturo, in the Venetian Republic.

I really enjoy the arts just like you, but I have a really important job as well. I run a workshop that is the head of prints for Venice right now but unfortunately I think it might die down at the year 1500. I have many paintings that are really popular.  I use perspective in my paintings by lowering the horizon and creating a greater sense of monumentality, which makes my pictures more realistic and more like sculptures and adds a stony affect. I really enjoy painting landscapes, that is why I think I am different from the other Venetians.

I learned to paint my special way of art from Francesco Squarcione. I started attending his classes when I was 11 and Francesco said I was one of the most exceptional artists. He also told me that I could have a career in art. Guess what happened? I became a successful artist. My first project was a painting of the church, Santa Sophia. Francesco said it was good for a first, but now it is lost somewhere. Then, I left the Francesco’s school and went to work on a project with a group of artists for the Ovetari Chapel. It was a very successful project. Do you think You could tell me how your first project went?

I have many projects that I would like to share in this letter. I am not going to share all of them but a few of them, so get ready. St. Jerome in the Wilderness, The Adoration of the Shepherds, San Luca Altarpiece, Presentation at the Temple, Crucifixion, Christ as the Suffering Redeemer, Agony in the Garden, and much more. They were all pretty good but some better than others some of them are famous in Venice and maybe even Florence. Maybe you could tell me if they are. Thanks!

My life in Venice has been amazing since I have moved here the arts are really nice, but the church is really strict. I have made many Florins lately using my workshop for the arts. I hope you are doing just as well as me, I definitely think you are but please tell me if you are. You are also really famous here if you did not know that.   

Sincerely,

Andrea  

P.S I can’t wait to hear back.