Leonardo wanted to experiment with a new style,
he thought he could use more colours and redo portions if necessary. The
painting took him four years to complete - 1495 to 1498.
Unfortunately, Leonardo's style experiment was a disaster. The paint almost
immediately began falling off the plaster. The humidity was causing the
paint to separate from the plaster on which it had been painted. Whole
pieces of paint fell off the wall. Over the years, the piece has been
vandalized and nearly fell apart completely. Much of what we know about the
way this painting was done and the fact that it was not a fresco was learned
during that repair process
