Lady with an Ermine
by Leonardo da Vinci
Lady with an Ermine (Cecilia Gallerani) - Czartoryski Museum, Krakow
The Ermine'S Three Lives
Pascal Cotte's 2014 Layer Amplification Method analysis revealed that Leonardo painted the work in three distinct stages: (1) portrait without any ermine; (2) small grey ermine added; (3) large white ermine painted over the first. This finding, published in Lumière on the Lady with an Ermine, was called "remarkable" by Martin Kemp. The evolution may reflect Ludovico Sforza's 1488 appointment to the Order of the Ermine — prompting a heraldic upgrade. The background was originally bluish-grey, overpainted black probably in the mid-18th century.
Provenance Through War And Recovery
Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski acquired the painting in Italy c. 1798. In September 1939, Nazi officials discovered it during the invasion of Poland. SS soldier's footprints were reportedly found on the portrait. Hans Frank, Nazi Governor-General, hung it in his office at Wawel Castle, Kraków. American forces recovered it in Bavaria in May 1945. The painting's WWII journey is among the most dramatic of any Renaissance masterpiece.
Subject And Symbolism
The sitter is Cecilia Gallerani (c. 1473–1536), mistress of Ludovico Sforza. The ermine carries multiple symbolic layers: Greek galê (ermine/weasel) puns on "Gallerani"; it references Ludovico's Order of the Ermine; Leonardo's bestiary states the ermine "prefers to die rather than soil itself" (symbol of purity); and the muscular animal may symbolize Ludovico as Cecilia's protector. Bellincioni's contemporary sonnet praises the portrait: "Vinci, who has portrayed one of your stars."
Research & Analysis
Pascal Cotte's 2014 Layer Amplification Method analysis revealed that Leonardo painted the work in three distinct stages: (1) portrait without any ermine; (2) small grey ermine added; (3) large white ermine painted over the first. This finding, published in Lumière on the Lady with an Ermine, was called "remarkable" by Martin Kemp. The evolution may reflect Ludovico Sforza's 1488 appointment to the Order of the Ermine — prompting a heraldic upgrade. The background was originally bluish-grey, overpainted black probably in the mid-18th century.
Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski acquired the painting in Italy c. 1798. In September 1939, Nazi officials discovered it during the invasion of Poland. SS soldier's footprints were reportedly found on the portrait. Hans Frank, Nazi Governor-General, hung it in his office at Wawel Castle, Kraków. American forces recovered it in Bavaria in May 1945. The painting's WWII journey is among the most dramatic of any Renaissance masterpiece.