This
image was one of two paintings (the other being the 'Mona Lisa') Leonardo
kept in his posession until the day he died. Some have speculated these were
portraits of his children, others that they were self-portraits or images
of lovers.
A
note on the "John gesture." This finger pointing gesture was used
often by Leonardo and other artists, usually relating in some way to John
the Baptist. OIt is often interpreted to refer to John's prophecy of "One
which is to come," but the gesture has also been used traditionally
to mean 'listen' or 'pay attention!' It is also used frequently in images
of the Greek mathmetician and philosopher Pythagoras, and in images of Hermes
Trismegistus, both of whom were held in high esteem in the Renaissance.
Da
Vinci Code Study Guide
The Western, or Esoteric Kabbalah was created and utilized by Western magicians
and Hermetic students for hundreds of years, and is a spiritual tradition
in its own right.
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