The discovery of a possible new work of Leonardo da Vinci may lead to new research on the identity of the woman in the Mona Lisa. Is Isabella d'Este the face of the famous smirking woman?
You are most likely familiar with the Mona Lisa’s mysterious lady. She has been a striking figure for centuries, with her folded hands and deep-set gaze. A wild goose chase to see who can discover the true identity of this timeless woman has been raging for decades. Rumors vary wildly, and no one can seem to agree on any one idea.
However, a recent discovery of a possible twenty-fourth work by Leonardo da Vinci emerged from a Swiss bank in 2013. This new painting is largely assumed to be the lost portrait of Isabella, based off of Leonardo’s sketch of her.
What We Know About the Lost Painting
The new painting is only assumed to be Leonardo's—or at least, the similarities in style were recognized almost immediately. Carlo Pedretti, emeritus professor of art history at the University of California, even claimed, "There are no doubts that the portrait is Leonardo's work.” Using carbon dating, researchers were able to discern that painting was completed between 1460 and 1650, which places it around the correct time period for being Leonardo’s work. The painting also uses the same pigment and primer that da Vinci used, and features many of his famous stylistic elements, such as the smirk of his ladies and use of foreshortening of his figures. Researchers confirmed that the face was most likely painted by da Vinci, with the rest of the body being completed by his apprentices and students.
However, this painting has yet to be officially confirmed as a legitimate work of da Vinci—mainly because Italy cannot properly study the painting while it is privately owned. As of 2018, Italy is in the process of attempting to bring the piece from Switzerland back to Italy for further study—however, this has proven a lengthy, difficult, and expensive endeavor.
This painting, if it is indeed is confirmed as Leonardo's, is a groundbreaking discovery. We are already aware that Isabella d'Este had Leonardo sketch a portrait of her, and commissioned him to turn this sketch into a full painted image. However, historical documents (and our current knowledge of Leonardo’s art collection) indicate that this painting never seemed have been completed. Indeed, Isabella wrote many fruitless letters begging Leonardo to finish the commission and paint her portrait. However, if the Swiss painting is confirmed as da Vinci's work, there is no doubt that it is indeed the completed portrait of Isabella d’Este’s original sketch. Even with critics' doubts about the author of the painting, all agree that the painting does match exactly Leonardo’s sketch almost exactly.
So, what does this have to do with the Mona Lisa?
Isabella d'Este and the Mona Lisa
There are many similarities between this newly discovered painting and the Mona Lisa, as we touched upon briefly in episode one of our podcast. The color choices do appear more vibrant in the portrait of Isabella; compared to the dark hair and dreary clothing choices of the Mona Lisa, Isabella makes the sly woman look rather drab. However, the posing, expression, and style of clothing and hair for the two women are extremely similar. The poses are almost identical outside of Isabella’s profile-facing head. The two figures even share similar facial features, such as deep set eyes and high cheekbones. Even the slope of their noses are almost exact. These features make you wonder: what if Isabella was the inspiration for the Mona Lisa?
As you probably already know, the theories regarding the identity of the Mona Lisa woman are as far-reaching as they are many. There are many letters to Leonardo, assumedly regarding the Mona Lisa, that hint at the identity of the woman; however, these texts often contradict each other, only adding to the confusing scramble of information.
It was first suspected that Isabella could be the figure in the Mona Lisa when da Vinci’s sketch of Isabella was studied at length. However, most scholars understood the likenesses between Isabella's sketch and the woman in the Mona Lisa as being da Vinci's style more than anything else. The primary facts about the Mona Lisa are based off the journals of Antonia de Beatis and his visit to Leonardo’s studio, in which Leonardo apparently showed de Beatis the Mona Lisa. It was described as "one of a certain Florentine woman, done from life, at the instance of the late Magnificent Giuliano de Medici." Meaning, we (assumedly) know three facts about the Mona Lisa:
The subject was a Florentine woman
The subject posed live for Leonardo
Giuliano de Medici commissioned it
Isabella was not Florentine, and since she had previously been sketched by Leonardo, it would not make much sense for her to pose live for him. Finally, though Isabella undoubtedly had met Giuliano de Medici at some point in her life, there was no reason for him to commission a painting of her. Rather, the Medici man was more famous for having his mistresses painted.
So, as it turns out, we are back at square one—Isabella d’Este was most likely not the figure featured in this famous painting.
There’s a lot to still be explored about the new painting. However, the assumption about its connection to Leonardo seems obvious, and even if the painting is not a Leonardo original, many have stated the possibility of the painting being from one of his apprentices or students. Which, honestly, holds up to history; if Isabella was bothering Leonardo to her finished portrait, it would make sense for him to toss the work onto one of his apprentices to get her to shut up, especially since he had already moved on to other commissions—most notably, the Mona Lisa.
If Italy can obtain this painting from Switzerland, there’s no doubt more research will be committed to it. Let’s hope that comes to fruition, and that our lady Isabella actually did get the portrait she oh so desperately wanted.
To listen to the full podcast episode, click here.
For more reading on this research update, check out the below links:
by Tom Kington for The Guardian
from The Mona Lisa Foundation
by Claudio Del Frate for Corriere Della Sera
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