Fair Compensation

The wages and expenses of art

Image: Microsoft Image Creator

TIL: At the time of his death in 1519, Leonardo da Vinci had 400 gold Florins in the bank. At 3.5 grams per Florin that’s 1.4 kg of gold, or 45 troy ounces. Which is $113,000 at today prices for gold. His annual income has been estimated at about 2,000 gold Florins ($567,000 by the same conversion). It’s hard to compare living expenses then and now. But evidently, old Lenny had some trouble holding onto money, and wasn’t exactly rolling in it. https://nicofranz.art/en/leonardo-da-vinci/how-rich-was-leonardo-da-vinci

In comparison, Michelangelo Buonarroti (of Sistine Chapel fame) left an estate of 50,000 gold florins, $14 million by the above conversion. Of course, Michelangelo was famously frugal. Some said miserly. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/1414836/Michelangelo-is-branded-a-multi-millionaire-miser.html

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