Which Milanese confraternity commissioned Leonardo's Virgin of the Rocks in 1483?

Leonardo’s Virgin of the Rocks was commissioned in 1483 by the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception in Milan.

On 25 April 1483, the confraternity contracted Leonardo and the brothers Ambrogio and Evangelista de Predis to provide painted panels for the altarpiece of the chapel of the Immaculate Conception at San Francesco Grande. Leonardo was named “Master” in the contract, while the de Predis brothers helped with painting and gilding. The commission was intended for a large, elaborate altarpiece rather than an isolated panel.

The central image shows the Virgin, Christ Child, the infant John the Baptist, and an angel in a rocky landscape. Its unusual setting and enigmatic gestures have made it one of Leonardo’s most discussed religious works. Two principal versions survive: one in London’s National Gallery and another in the Louvre.

The project became entangled in disputes over payment, completion, and delivery. The London painting was eventually installed in 1508, many years after the contract’s planned 1483 deadline. The confraternity is sometimes confused with other Milanese religious organizations, but the original commission belongs specifically to the Immaculate Conception confraternity.