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Mystery of Leonardo's La Bella Principessa

Started by Anna Iram, January 30, 2012, 08:26:12 AM

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Anna Iram

...or Young Girl in Profile in Renaissance Dress.

I had the chance to see Nova's Mystery of a Masterpiece last night. If you haven't seen this or are unaware of the controvery over this beautiful drawing I highly recommend you watch the vid

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/mystery-masterpiece.html

Here's some of the back history in case you cannot acess the video, though the article does not mention one of the more exciting finds regarding this work of art.  Call me a romantic, but I'll be so sad if one day this is deemed to be not DaVinci's work.

http://arthistory.about.com/od/leonardo/ss/leonardo_la_bella_principessa.htm

DonaCatalina

I don't think the experts will agree conclusively one way or the other.
But I'd like to think that it's Leonardo's work.
Aurum peccamenes multifariam texit
Marquesa de Trives
Portrait Goddess

DonaCatalina

I heard a little more about this one. Some experts believe that it is the missing page from a book of the Sforza family. If it matches that would argue for Da Vinci's authorship quite strongly.
Aurum peccamenes multifariam texit
Marquesa de Trives
Portrait Goddess

Anna Iram

#3
 That's the exciting find I was alluding too!  The way they came about this discovery is in the video,  if you can acess it. In a nutshell the vellum has three evenly spaced holes along one side and what looks like a knife mark. They were led to a book of the family made at the time of Leonardo's engagement with the Storza. Though the book has been rebound with two added holes, the page fits perfectly where it is clear one of the vellum pages had been cut out. Exciting to watch this unfold. :)

Rowan MacD

  Has there been speculation that the Bella Principessa could be this lady? Seems likely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_d%27Este

  She was the wife of DaVinci's Sforza patron 'El Moro'.
  Young, beautiful and vibrant at her marriage at age 15; she died at 22 after giving birth to a stillborn son.
What doesn't kill me-had better run.
IWG wench #3139 
19.7% FaireFolk pure-80.3% FaireFolk corrupt

Anna Iram

#5
To my eye the vellum drawing and that of Beatrice have dissimilar profiles. Especially the nose.

I'd have to view the video again, but there was conjecture as to it possibly being Bianca Sforza (1482-1496; daughter of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan [1452-1508], and his mistress Bernardina de Corradis). I believe I have this right. There was question,  though, that she might have been too young at the time of this drawing as the hairstyle would have been that of a married woman/girl.


Then there's this theory:

http://www.kleio.org/en/history/famtree/sforza/boltraffio4.html





Rowan MacD

  This is really interesting stuff! 
    I love how DaVinci painted that long neck.  I would have loved to see a full color portrait done of this lady.
What doesn't kill me-had better run.
IWG wench #3139 
19.7% FaireFolk pure-80.3% FaireFolk corrupt

LadyFae

Quote from: Anna Iram on February 03, 2012, 01:22:30 PM
To my eye the vellum drawing and that of Beatrice have dissimilar profiles. Especially the nose.

I'd have to view the video again, but there was conjecture as to it possibly being Bianca Sforza (1482-1496; daughter of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan [1452-1508], and his mistress Bernardina de Corradis). I believe I have this right. There was question,  though, that she might have been too young at the time of this drawing as the hairstyle would have been that of a married woman/girl.


Then there's this theory:

http://www.kleio.org/en/history/famtree/sforza/boltraffio4.html






They said that Bianca was married at age 13- accounting for both the age and hairstyle of the portrait girl.  Poor Bianca died 4 months after her wedding.
Amanda  =D

"Do not call for your mother.  Who is it that you think let the demons in to eat you up?"