Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Girl Portrait Has Leonardo's Fingerprint

Times Online has reported: "A fingerprint in the top left corner of this portrait appears to have confirmed it. The 13 x 9in picture, in chalk, pen and ink, was catalogued as 'German school, early 19th century'. It sold for $19,000 in 1998. Now some leading art experts agree that it is almost certainly by Leonardo da Vinci and worth about 158 million." Read the rest of the story here:
Looks like a Leonardo to me!

3 comments:

DocuMaker said...

Has this painting been authoritatively identified as Da Vinci's? Something about this painting doesn't sit right with me... A bit too cartoonish for Leonardo, don't you agree? A fingerprint means nothing. Leonardo was a teacher and could have simply touched one his student's paintings!

Amy Crehore said...

I didn't write the article, I'm simply providing a link to it, but, yes, it looks possible to me. This is really a drawing (not a painting) - in chalk, pen and ink-and the face and refinement of detail looks very much like Leonardo's. Even if it is one of his student's creations, it is a lot older than it was orginally thought to be.
No, I don't think it is cartoonish at all.

Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure that Van Eycks "Marriage of Arnolfini" also has a fingerprint in the glaze....somehow I find it fascinating as it provides a (for me) a real sense of connection with physical person not just a name in history.