Travis Simpkins: Mystery of a Masterpiece: "La Bella Principessa" Possibly by Leonardo Da Vinci

La Bella Principessa. by Leonardo da Vinci. Mystery of a Masterpiece: La Bella Principessa

Mystery of a Masterpiece:

"La Bella Principessa," possibly by Leonardo Da Vinci

by Travis Simpkins

Filmed in 2012 for the NOVA series on PBS, Mystery of a Masterpiece took a detailed look at the intriguing portrait of a young lady in profile, dubbed "La Bella Principessa", that is now often (but disputably) attributed as a previously unknown work by the great Italian Renaissance master Leonardo Da Vinci. Purchased by a Mr. Silverman in 2007 for $22,000… the small mixed media work on vellum could be worth upwards of $100,000,000 if the Leonardo connection can be solidified. The hour-long episode examines the integral aspects of concluding the authenticity of the work… which was sold by Christie's in the 1990's as an "early 19th Century German work." First, the age of the vellum is determined by carbon dating, placing it in the proper 15th-16th Century timeframe for being a Leonardo. Next, the method, style and technique are studied and recreated by a forger and an art instructor… concluding that it was made by a left-handed person using a highly unique and experimental drawing method, which also fits. By examining the edges of the vellum, it is thought probable that it was cut from a book, accounting for it's uncatalogued status. Art Historian Martin Kemp, basing his theory on the hairstyle of the sitter and the time frame in Leonardo's career, places the portrait as having been made in 1490's Milan for a book celebrating the wedding of Bianca Sforza. Furthermore, Kemp finds the wedding book, called "La Sforziada", in the Biblioteka Narodawa in Warsaw, Poland. After close analysis, it is concluded that a page is missing from the book and the marks of the drawing seem to match the book's stitching. For a short view, this show is well-worth the time spent watching it. Martin Kemp published a book on his findings, "La Bella Principessa: The Story of the New Masterpiece by Leonardo Da Vinci."