Leonardo Da Vinci named two of his paintings the Virgin of the Rocks, and these paintings both depict the Madonna and Child with only a few significant details altered. The earlier version is displayed in the Louvre in Paris while the later version hangs in the National Gallery in London. They are both around the same size, 2 meters, and the are both painted using oil on wooden panels, though the version hanging in the Louvre has since been transferred to a canvas. Both paintings depict the Madonna and Child alongside an angel and an infant John the Baptist. The rocky landscape lends to the title of the two pieces. The paintings differ in a variety of minor ways including the techniques of color, lighting, and sfumato. The version hanging in the Louvre is generally considered the earlier painting, and it was likely painted from around 1483 to 1486. This version is regarded as a perfection of the sfumato technique which Da Vinci is known for. The version hanging in London has a less precise date ascribed to it, but it was likely painted before 1508. The main differences between the two paintings are the positioning of the angel, the coloring of the robes, the halos (or lack thereof), and the staff of John the Baptist (or lack thereof).  

Sources used:

Pizzorusso, Ann. "Leonardo's Geology: The Authenticity of the 'Virgin of the Rocks.'" Leonardo 29.3 (1966) 197-200. JSTOR. Web. 28  Feb. 2018. 

“Virgin of the Rocks.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Feb. 2018. Web. 28 Feb. 2018.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia, page titled Virgin of the Rocks. Image is Public Domain.