Lucan portrait of Leonardo da Vinci
Controversial portrait discovered in 2008, attributed by some to Leonardo.
The Lucan portrait of Leonardo da Vinci is a late 15th- or early 16th-century painting of a man discovered in 2008 in a private house in Italy. It strongly resembles a portrait of Leonardo held by the Uffizi Gallery but is generally believed to be a 19th-century forgery. The work remains controversial, with some scholars attributing it to Leonardo and others disputing that claim.
Quick Facts
- Medium
- tempera grassa on panel
- Height
- 60
- City
- Vaglio Basilicata
- Museum
- Museo delle Antiche Genti di Lucania
Facts from the source article.
Provenance
Discovered in 2008 by museum director Nicola Barbatelli, the painting belonged to an unnamed aristocratic family in the village of Acerenza, near Potenza. They had long thought it depicted Galileo. Professor Peter Hohenstatt found it recorded in an 1815 volume, Napoli Antica e Moderna, as a Leonardo da Vinci work once housed in the Palazzo Baranello, owned by the Duke of Baranello of the Russo family.
Description
The painting is executed in tempera grassa on a poplar panel measuring 60 x 44 cm. It depicts a man with pale skin, blue eyes, greying hair and beard, wearing a dark garment and a black hat with a small upturned brim. The figure is set against a dark greyish monochrome background and is brightly lit from the left, casting a shadow across the left side of the face. The gaze is turned toward the viewer.
The panel is constructed of two main vertical sections of irregular width joined with two inset butterfly joints, with narrow horizontal sections at top and bottom joined by half-lapped mitre joints. The reverse bears the words "PINXIT MEA" in Roman capitals in mirror writing, running down the left side from right to left. The paint surface shows craquelure, abrasions, and two scrapes across the face. There is overpainting on the left eye, cheek, and probably the mouth, and a small curling white feather on the hat appears to be an addition.
Analysis
Upon discovery, Alessandro Vezzosi confirmed the painting appeared Renaissance in date and initially investigated whether it was by Cristofano dell'Altissimo, later dismissing that conjecture. Vezzosi stated he had excluded the possibility of it being a self-portrait by Leonardo but found it intriguing as it adds a new element to the Leonardo puzzle. Cleaning by Professor Giancarlo Napoli revealed micro-cracking that supports a Renaissance date. Art historian Peter Hohenstatt attributes the work to Leonardo, while David Bershad said there is not enough evidence to sustain an attribution, describing the style as unlike any work by Leonardo.
More in Cultural Depictions of Leonardo Da Vinci
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