"He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind."  ~Leonardo da Vinci (1452- 1519) 

 ("St. John the Baptist" by Leonardo da Vinci c. 1513-16)

LOST AND FOUND LEONARDO?

Art historians and engineers in Florence are looking for evidence that a purported "lost" fresco painted by Leonardo is still hidden behind the plaster in the Palazzo Vecchio’s grand ceremonial chamber.  Being sought is the unfinished mural, “The Battle of Anghiari”.  Had he completed it, this would have been Leonardo's largest painting at three times with length of “The Last Supper”.  But in typical Leonardo fashion, he quit partway through the project. 

(portion of Leonardo's sketch for “The Battle of Anghiari”)

A 16th century artist, Giorgio Vasari, was commissioned almost 60 years later by the Medicis to plaster over it with new scenes depicting their great military victories.  But supposedly Vasari left a painted clue behind indictating that the Master's work still lay beneath the new fresco.  Click HERE to read the full story.  And, you can get another look at “The Battle of Anghiari” in my trailer for A BOLT FROM THE BLUE.

aNOTHER PORTRAIT OF A LADY!

A portrait previously believed to have been painted by a 19th century German artist has now been attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.  The telling evidence was another Leonardo fingerprint...yes, the Master had a bad habit of leaving his fingerprints all over his work.  And what a lovely work it is!

This copy of the portrait, courtesy of DAILY KOS, shows the location of the print.  But the Master's touch is evident is less literal ways, as well.  The attention to detail (see the embroidery on the sleeve), the color palette and composition, along with its general similarity to other portraits of young women (check out "La Belle Ferronière" below) would seem to indicate that this is, indeed, Leonardo's work.  Click on the LINK for an interesting review of this portrait.

Who's the lady in leonardo's portrait? 

In PORTRAIT OF A LADY, Leonardo paints both the Contessa Caterina and Dino/Delfina (in "his" girl's disguise, of course!).  If you've already read POAL, can you guess from my description of Caterina's portrait in the novel which famous Leonardo painting it later "inspired"?  Scroll down this column for a look at La Gioconda (following my Leonardo bibliography) and see if you guessed correctly.

As for the portrait of "Dino" as Delfina, this painting was my inspiration:

Portrait of a Lady (also known as "La Belle Ferronière") c 1496-97

This mysterious young woman with the thoughtful expression is believed by most to be of one of Il Moro's many mistresses.  As for the portrait, itself, it was likely painted several years after the time period of my book.  Of course, with Leonardo, anything is possible.  Perhaps he painted this portrait for his own amusement prior to this date and did not reveal it to anyone until his last days at Castle Sforza!   

Go HERE for more information about "La Belle Ferronière"

Bibliography: Want to know more about the Master?  Here are just a few of the books that I used in researching THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT and my subsequent Leonardo da Vinci mysteries:

Leonardo Da Vinci: An Artabras Book (Hardcover) Publisher: Reynal & Company (1978) ASIN: B000EE9I3W                       

Da Vinci And His Times (DK Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)
Andrew Langley (Author)   Publisher: DK CHILDREN (February 20, 2006) ISBN-10: 0756617685

Leonardo's Machines: Da Vinci's Inventions Revealed (Paperback)
Domenico Laurenza (Author), Mario Tadei (Editor), Edoardo Zanon (Editor) Publisher: David & Charles Publishers (March 21, 2006) ISBN-10: 0715324446

The Mind of Leonardo da Vinci (Dover Books on Art, Art History) (Paperback) Edward McCurdy (Author) Publisher: Dover Publications; Dover Ed edition (March 4, 2005) ISBN-10: 0486441423

The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (Definitive Edition in One Volume) Edward MacCurdy (Editor)  Publisher: Konecky & Konecky (2003) Paperback  ISBN-10: 1568524684

Leonardo da Vinci: Flights of the Mind (Paperback) Charles Nicholl (Author) Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (November 29, 2005) ISBN-10: 0143036122

Da Vinci For Dummies (Paperback)
Jessica Teisch , Ph.D (Author), Tracy Barr (Contributor) Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (March 25, 2005)ISBN-10: 0764578375

Leonardo Da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance (Paperback) Alessandro Vezzosi (Author)   Publisher: Harry N Abrams Inc (1997)  ASIN: B000OKU0FQ

Leonardo Da Vinci: The Complete Paintings 1452-1519 (Hardcover)
Frank Zollner (Author)  Publisher: Taschen (2004)   ASIN: B000YA9V3I

Is this another Leonardo self-portrait? 

 This recently rediscovered oil painting found among the artifacts of an aristocratic Southern Italian family is being put forth as a possible self-portrait of a middle-aged Leonardo.  While originally considered a painting of Galileo, the medieval historian doing research on that collection uncovered some evidence that may point to a Leonardo connection.  Not all the experts, however, are in agreement.  Go to Timesonline for more information, and thanks to Lyn from Boston for sending me the story!

THE LEONARDO GALLERY: IMAGES OF THE MASTER

As noted in A BOLT FROM THE BLUE, PORTRAIT OF A LADY and THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT--as well as in every biography and historical mention of Leonardo--the artist was accounted to be quite a handsome man by all who knew him.  So what did Leonardo actually look like?  Here are some pictures of the Master for your viewing pleasure.

The rather grumpy gentleman in red chalk, above, has traditionally been accepted as a self-portrait of Leonardo toward the end of his life.  More recently, however, the image has been determined to be that of his father or uncle.

But, the below picture is indeed a portrait of Leonardo in his later years, drawn by his student Francesco Melzi.  Even at that age, he was still a good looking man.

 From his early youth, Leonardo was known for his beauty.  In fact, he posed for Verrocchio's statue of "David," below.

Inspired by Leonardo's genius, the artist Raphael depicted the Master as Plato in his painting, THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS.  (Note the raised finger that echoes the pose of Leonardo's ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.)

A POSSIBLE NEW PORTRAIT OF LEONARDO?  Below is the "Portrait of a Man with a Dog" which is attributed to the artist Giovanni Cariani.  But art historian Maike Vogt-Lüerssen has recently argued that this painting is instead a self-portrait of Leonardo.  Compare his features with those of known portraits of the Master, and decide if she makes a logical case (read more at this site). 

The portrait dates from about the same time as the story action in THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT, so I was happy to use this handsome gentleman as a model for my vision of Leonardo at the age of 30.   Note the cute terrier sitting in his lap. Leonardo was an early animal rights activist and had a soft spot for dogs.  More evidence?

And an exciting RECENT discovery straight from Leonardo's notebooks!

A journalist studying Leonardo's "Codex on the Flight of Birds" noticed what appeared to be a faint sketch beneath the writing on one page.  He enlisted some forensic help to get a better view of the subject, and was surprised to find a resemblance to the alleged self-portrait of Leonardo as an old man.  Go to the Telegraph to learn more about this exciting discovery.

And no Leonardo da Vinci site would be complete without at least one image of this very famous lady...

Portrait of Mona Lisa (1479-1528), also known as La Gioconda, 1503-06 Musee du Louvre, Paris 

(a.k.a. requisite image of Leonardo's most recognized work.  And, no, despite some wild theories that have been bandied about, the portrait is NOT Leonardo in drag!  In PORTRAIT OF A LADY, Leonardo's painting of the Contessa Caterina served as an early version of the Mona Lisa with its dramatic background and coolly posed subject.)