In which painting by Verrocchio did Leonardo paint an angel?

Leonardo painted an angel in Andrea del Verrocchio’s The Baptism of Christ.

The painting was produced in Verrocchio’s Florentine workshop around 1472–1475 and depicts John the Baptist baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River. Leonardo, then a young apprentice, is credited with painting the angel at the left side of the panel, kneeling while holding Christ’s garment.

Leonardo’s contribution is especially noticeable because his handling of oil paint, soft transitions, and atmospheric effects differs from the harder linear style associated with Verrocchio’s tempera passages. Technical examination has also linked Leonardo to parts of the landscape and later refinements to Christ’s body.

The work is a collaboration rather than a painting entirely by Leonardo. Verrocchio established the composition and painted major figures, while other workshop artists may have contributed additional areas, including the second angel. Giorgio Vasari later claimed that Verrocchio abandoned painting after seeing Leonardo’s superior result, but that dramatic story is not considered fully reliable. The finished panel is now in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery.