Caprotti Gian Giacomo Paintings

Gian Giacomo Caprotti, also known as Andrea Salai or il Salaino ('The Little Unclean One'), was an Italian artist and pupil of Leonardo da Vinci. Born in 1484 in Oreno, Vimercate, Lombardy, Caprotti entered Leonardo's household at the age of 10. He worked with Leonardo for more than two decades, serving both as an apprentice and an assistant. Despite his long apprenticeship, Caprotti's artistic abilities were regarded as mediocre by Leonardo, who noted in his writings that Caprotti was a poor student.

Caprotti's relationship with Leonardo was complex; he is often described as mischievous and a source of trouble. However, he also served as a model for some of Leonardo's works, including the famous painting 'Saint John the Baptist'. His presence in Leonardo's life extended beyond the workshop, and there are suggestions that their relationship may have been intimate, though this remains a topic of speculation among historians.

As an artist, Caprotti's own works are difficult to distinguish from those of Leonardo's, as his style was heavily influenced by his master. There are few works that can be attributed to Caprotti with certainty. After Leonardo's death in 1519, Caprotti inherited several of Leonardo's paintings, manuscripts, and notebooks. He continued to work in Milan and was associated with the court of the French governors in Lombardy. Caprotti died in 1525, and much of his artistic legacy remains overshadowed by the towering figure of his mentor, Leonardo da Vinci.