Madonna of the Rocks (1483–1486), 199×122 cm, oil on canvas, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Madonna of the Rocks is one of Da Vinci’s most outstanding early works; the entire piece is filled with mystery and achieves an extraordinary resonance of body, mind, and spirit through the dialogue of perfectly formed gestures. The scene unfolds in a dark, towering cave, permeated by a solemn religious atmosphere. Centered on the benevolent Virgin Mary within a strict pyramidal composition, she places one hand on Saint John the Baptist’s back and extends her open palm toward the Child Jesus from an excellent perspective. Saint John kneels on the left, leaning forward with hands clasped toward the Child Jesus. On the right, Jesus and an angel (Saint Anne?) sit on the ground, raising their right index fingers to bless Saint John face-to-face. One hand of the angel supports the child while the other points high toward Saint John; the angel does not look at the pointed subject but turns to gaze outside the painting, as if casting a glance at the viewer. Through this interplay of gestures, an excellent and fluid motion is constructed, conveying a mysterious atmosphere and extraordinary message under the contrast of light and shadow.