Why it matters
Cecilia Gallerani, mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, turns her head while the ermine in her arms twists in the same way. It is the second of only four surviving portraits of women by Leonardo.
Did you know?
- It dates from around 1489–1491.
- It is painted in oils on walnut wood.
- A 1992 analysis showed the black background was once bluish-grey.
- Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski acquired it in Italy in 1798.
Based on the Wikipedia article Lady with an Ermine (CC BY-SA 4.0).
