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What the Ermine Saw: The Extraordinary Journey of Leonardo da Vinci's Most Mysterious Portrait
In the tradition of The Lady in Gold and The Hare with Amber Eyes, the remarkable history behind one of the world's most beloved paintings, Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine.
More than half a millennium ago, a young woman sat before a Grecian-nosed artist known as Leonardo da Vinci. Her name was Cecilia Gallerani, and she was the young mistress of Ludovico Sforza, duke of Milan. Her lover, a ruthless man, was aware that da Vinci's brilliance as a painter would not only capture his mistress's beauty but reflect his own political prowess. Indeed, with this beguiling painting--in which Gallerani holds a strange white ermine close to her breast--da Vinci revolutionized the genre, changing not just what a portrait looked like, but also its purpose. But despite the work's importance in its own time, no records of it have been found for the two hundred and fifty years it went missing.
Author Eden Collinsworth illuminates the eventual history of this unique masterpiece, as it journeyed from one owner to the next--from the brutal Milanese duke to an unconventional noblewoman to Nazi high command, instructed by Hitler that it be added to his private collection. Along the way, it witnessed some of history's most immoral undertakings as well as some of its greatest advancements until it came to rest at the Czartoryski Musuem in Krakow, Poland where it is currently displayed.
Expertly researched and deftly told, What the Ermine Saw is an enthralling account of Renaissance Italy and its actors, a comprehensive study of artistry and innovation, and a reminder that genius, power, and beauty always have a price.
More than half a millennium ago, a young woman sat before a Grecian-nosed artist known as Leonardo da Vinci. Her name was Cecilia Gallerani, and she was the young mistress of Ludovico Sforza, duke of Milan. Her lover, a ruthless man, was aware that da Vinci's brilliance as a painter would not only capture his mistress's beauty but reflect his own political prowess. Indeed, with this beguiling painting--in which Gallerani holds a strange white ermine close to her breast--da Vinci revolutionized the genre, changing not just what a portrait looked like, but also its purpose. But despite the work's importance in its own time, no records of it have been found for the two hundred and fifty years it went missing.
Author Eden Collinsworth illuminates the eventual history of this unique masterpiece, as it journeyed from one owner to the next--from the brutal Milanese duke to an unconventional noblewoman to Nazi high command, instructed by Hitler that it be added to his private collection. Along the way, it witnessed some of history's most immoral undertakings as well as some of its greatest advancements until it came to rest at the Czartoryski Musuem in Krakow, Poland where it is currently displayed.
Expertly researched and deftly told, What the Ermine Saw is an enthralling account of Renaissance Italy and its actors, a comprehensive study of artistry and innovation, and a reminder that genius, power, and beauty always have a price.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
June 20, 2022
It is believed that Lady with an Ermine was painted in 1490 and that it is most likely a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, who was a mistress of Ludovico Sforza of Milan. He was a patron of arts and commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to paint Cecilia, and also the Last Supper.
What is so special about this painting? It’s the dynamic that he captured, not just a face of a woman, but someone who was captured in a moment of turning. The ermine was most likely added as a second draft and symbolizes pregnancy and childbirth. It’s not clear if she was pregnant at the time with Ludovico’s child.
In 1491, Ludovico was forced to keep his promise to marry Beatrice d’Este of Ferrara. His heart was still with Cecilia. Beatrice’s jealousy forced Ludovico to arrange a marriage for Cecilia. When she left his palace, Lady with an Ermine was in her possession.
Then, the trace of the painting disappears for 250 years.
In 1800, Adam Czartoryski, Polish noble, while in Italy purchased Lady with an Ermine for his mother, Izabela – an art collector, who founded the first museum in Poland. The seller remains mystery to this day. He also purchased Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man for his mother.
Due to the partitions of Poland, many nobles and intellectuals allocated themselves in Paris. Izabela’s older son, Adam (who bought the panting), bought the famous Hotel Lambert in Paris, where the masterpiece of Lady with an Ermine resided as well, after the November Uprising in Poland in 1830.
Due to the partitioned Poland, only the part of Poland that was under Austro-Hungarian Empire allowed Polish culture. Thus, Wladyslaw Czartoryski, son of Adam, brought the collection from Paris to Krakow in 1874, where it’s on a display at the Czartoryski Museum.
The first part of the book offers the stories of people who were involved first with creating the painting and later owning it. The second part of the book offers the journey of the painting and it’s due to turbulent events in Europe, especially the three partitions of Poland. And later, how it was making different tours across the world.
The story is crisply presented. It has a good flow, making it a very quick and engaging read.
P.S. I’m very happy to see that Izabela Czartoryska’s name is introduced to English readers. She came from one of the most influential families in Poland, was of noble blood and a rarity in her spheres that truly saw the poverty. She knew that handing out a few coins to beggars won’t solve the problem. Throughout her life, she searched for a solution. She was a great patriot, who deeply cared for her country and fought for its independence. When she started collecting valuable items, the idea of starting the first museum in Poland (and one of the first in Europe) didn’t occur to her at first. It was when Poland was partitioned by Prussia, Austria, and Russia. It gave her fuel to preserve Polish culture and language. Next, she started schools for peasants. Then, due to lack of books for school, she started writing them herself. She was a phenomenal dynamo, who cared about her country and humanity. Glad that she is getting the overdue recognition. #GloryUkraine
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What is so special about this painting? It’s the dynamic that he captured, not just a face of a woman, but someone who was captured in a moment of turning. The ermine was most likely added as a second draft and symbolizes pregnancy and childbirth. It’s not clear if she was pregnant at the time with Ludovico’s child.
In 1491, Ludovico was forced to keep his promise to marry Beatrice d’Este of Ferrara. His heart was still with Cecilia. Beatrice’s jealousy forced Ludovico to arrange a marriage for Cecilia. When she left his palace, Lady with an Ermine was in her possession.
Then, the trace of the painting disappears for 250 years.
In 1800, Adam Czartoryski, Polish noble, while in Italy purchased Lady with an Ermine for his mother, Izabela – an art collector, who founded the first museum in Poland. The seller remains mystery to this day. He also purchased Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man for his mother.
Due to the partitions of Poland, many nobles and intellectuals allocated themselves in Paris. Izabela’s older son, Adam (who bought the panting), bought the famous Hotel Lambert in Paris, where the masterpiece of Lady with an Ermine resided as well, after the November Uprising in Poland in 1830.
Due to the partitioned Poland, only the part of Poland that was under Austro-Hungarian Empire allowed Polish culture. Thus, Wladyslaw Czartoryski, son of Adam, brought the collection from Paris to Krakow in 1874, where it’s on a display at the Czartoryski Museum.
The first part of the book offers the stories of people who were involved first with creating the painting and later owning it. The second part of the book offers the journey of the painting and it’s due to turbulent events in Europe, especially the three partitions of Poland. And later, how it was making different tours across the world.
The story is crisply presented. It has a good flow, making it a very quick and engaging read.
P.S. I’m very happy to see that Izabela Czartoryska’s name is introduced to English readers. She came from one of the most influential families in Poland, was of noble blood and a rarity in her spheres that truly saw the poverty. She knew that handing out a few coins to beggars won’t solve the problem. Throughout her life, she searched for a solution. She was a great patriot, who deeply cared for her country and fought for its independence. When she started collecting valuable items, the idea of starting the first museum in Poland (and one of the first in Europe) didn’t occur to her at first. It was when Poland was partitioned by Prussia, Austria, and Russia. It gave her fuel to preserve Polish culture and language. Next, she started schools for peasants. Then, due to lack of books for school, she started writing them herself. She was a phenomenal dynamo, who cared about her country and humanity. Glad that she is getting the overdue recognition. #GloryUkraine
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2022
This book deals with the famous da Vinci portrait of the Renaissance mistress of the Duke of Sforza. It shows an unusual pose with a young woman looking across her body in the same direction as the ermine in her arms. What the Ermine Saw however, doesn’t focus much on what is out of our view, which just might be something happening in a doorway we don’t see. What the Ermine Saw is a picture of the turbulent times this painting has lived through.
The author mentions in the introduction that she is neither a historian or an art expert and I think that is fair. Fortunately her “history” does improve midway through the book. In its Renaissance days I thought the history was pretty bad. It deals lightly with the unstable and violent times with a pretty amped up style. Leonardo is believed to have painted this young lady in 1490. That it survives today is shown to be a miracle.
If you’ve read any Italian Renaissance history there is not a lot new here. There are a lot of added distractions however. The overheated style suggests she’s talking about the Kardashions instead of Renaissance characters. Sforza’s wife Beatrice (not the woman in the painting) is described as wearing “weaponized couture” shiny fabric as a mark of her station. Weaponized? She has a “exfoliating expression.” This same woman “found a self-numbing relief in sex orgies.” After one orgy too many she is said to have “collapsed during a woozy all-nighter” and died. Well, I had to do a little fact checking. There are no references to that in the bibliography, but I saw nothing on the internet that suggested anything quite so exciting. Is it really possible to orgy oneself to death? I don’t really know. That I didn’t check.
The painting eventually disappears for several hundred years but shows up in Poland. There it saw wars, power changes and Nazi art “collectors.” I enjoyed all that more than the ermine in Italy. If you can take the strange overheated descriptions, digressions off topic and very long sentences you might enjoy the information about Leonardo and his enchanting painting. Modern examinations reveal new information about his techniques and symbolism. You might have wondered why a great big white ermine (that looks more like a sizable otter or malevolent made up creature) is in the lady’s arms. Why does the pretty lady have such a large hand? Are they watching an orgy?
The author mentions in the introduction that she is neither a historian or an art expert and I think that is fair. Fortunately her “history” does improve midway through the book. In its Renaissance days I thought the history was pretty bad. It deals lightly with the unstable and violent times with a pretty amped up style. Leonardo is believed to have painted this young lady in 1490. That it survives today is shown to be a miracle.
If you’ve read any Italian Renaissance history there is not a lot new here. There are a lot of added distractions however. The overheated style suggests she’s talking about the Kardashions instead of Renaissance characters. Sforza’s wife Beatrice (not the woman in the painting) is described as wearing “weaponized couture” shiny fabric as a mark of her station. Weaponized? She has a “exfoliating expression.” This same woman “found a self-numbing relief in sex orgies.” After one orgy too many she is said to have “collapsed during a woozy all-nighter” and died. Well, I had to do a little fact checking. There are no references to that in the bibliography, but I saw nothing on the internet that suggested anything quite so exciting. Is it really possible to orgy oneself to death? I don’t really know. That I didn’t check.
The painting eventually disappears for several hundred years but shows up in Poland. There it saw wars, power changes and Nazi art “collectors.” I enjoyed all that more than the ermine in Italy. If you can take the strange overheated descriptions, digressions off topic and very long sentences you might enjoy the information about Leonardo and his enchanting painting. Modern examinations reveal new information about his techniques and symbolism. You might have wondered why a great big white ermine (that looks more like a sizable otter or malevolent made up creature) is in the lady’s arms. Why does the pretty lady have such a large hand? Are they watching an orgy?
September 2, 2022
Engaging pop history that tells a good story of European history though the lens of a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The most interesting sections for me were detailing the political and cultural landscape of Italy when the painting as commissioned; a discussion of what the different portrait features (and the mere existence) of a painting of a young mistress to a duke meant; and a look at the the aristocratic Polish family who ended up buying the painting and their struggle to hold on to the painting (and the existence of their country!) in the era of Catherine the Great and Paul I's imperialistic rules in Russia. Not the deepest or most nuanced narrative at times, but it's a gripping, interesting story about how genius and art can reverberate down the centuries.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 10, 2022
The teenager turns her head toward something we can’t see. She is lovely but modestly dressed. She holds a white ermine, almost cuddling an animal known to be fierce and aggressive. Leonardo Da Vinci was commissioned to paint the portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, mistress of his patron the Duke of Milan. There are only four portraits of women known to be by Da Vinci. Like his Mona Lisa, he kept Lady with Ermine for years, changing it several times. He added the ermine, changed its size and color. It finally was hung in the Duke’s room…Until he married, when his wife sent the mistress, her child, and the painting out of the house.
In What the Ermine Saw, Eden Collingsworth traces the history of the painting across time as it descended down through the family who took it to Poland. The painting survived conflict and two world wars, narrowly escaping the bombing that destroyed Dresden (and provoked Kurt Vonnegut to write Slaughterhouse Five). It hung in a private museum and in the home of the Nazi who systemically eradicated Polish culture, burning books and murdering thousands and sending millions to concentration camps.
I was totally immersed in this book, the tumultuous history fascinating. I had never considered how wondrous that works of cherished works of Western art survived at all.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
In What the Ermine Saw, Eden Collingsworth traces the history of the painting across time as it descended down through the family who took it to Poland. The painting survived conflict and two world wars, narrowly escaping the bombing that destroyed Dresden (and provoked Kurt Vonnegut to write Slaughterhouse Five). It hung in a private museum and in the home of the Nazi who systemically eradicated Polish culture, burning books and murdering thousands and sending millions to concentration camps.
I was totally immersed in this book, the tumultuous history fascinating. I had never considered how wondrous that works of cherished works of Western art survived at all.
I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
May 31, 2022
Oh dear lord NO. This is just so poorly written that even if it did in fact deliver on its premise, it would be a miserable reading experience.
1.) The quality of the writing is just so unbelievably bad. I had to look up the author because I thought perhaps English was not her first language, but Collinsworth is an American. The sentence structure is just really bizarre; for example: "his interworkings [sic] make for a challenge to understand". Hardly a paragraph goes by without a run-on sentence. Some of the paragraphs *are* run-on sentences. One can only hope that this is a draft and that the final edition will have undergone extensive editing, but truly this would require A LOT of editing.
2.)The tone is strangely gossipy for a nonfiction book and the author's historical biases are on full display. On the one hand, it is a pop history book meant to appeal to a general audience. On the other hand, saying the Duke of Milan "was busy enjoying the sexual perks of his title" is a weird way to say that he was raping any woman he wanted. In general, Collinsworth has a very Great Men approach to history. She actually states that "revolutions in the sciences and the humanities tend to occur in clusters of extraordinary individuals" which is wildly old-school in its interpretation of history. Also, it's a worldview that would likely be appealing to an international business mogul but we'll come back to that.
3. "virginity can be bartered, stolen, or lost, but once gone, it is irretrievable" Ok Mary Bennet.
4. "With their stubborn allegiance to facts art historians have been trained to stay in a narrow and straight lane of investigation with clear evidence leading the way" Yeah that is generally the way that nonfiction works. Seriously though this author makes leaps that belong in a russian ballet. Wild unsubstantiated speculation is clearly her preference, which is fine if you're not writing a nonfiction history book. She just can't stay on topic at all and I suspect that part of the reason why is that she couldn't find enough material and so is filling in with unrelated (and speculative) side information.
5. You may recall I said something about the author being a business mogul. Collinsworth currently runs an international consulting firm but earlier in her career she was the president of Arbor House publishing and then later vice president of The Hearst Corporation. She started her career at Doubleday & Company. You'll never guess who the publisher of this book is. The whole book smacks of 'vanity project' that got published because of the author's extensive connections rather than on the merits of the work.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for review.
1.) The quality of the writing is just so unbelievably bad. I had to look up the author because I thought perhaps English was not her first language, but Collinsworth is an American. The sentence structure is just really bizarre; for example: "his interworkings [sic] make for a challenge to understand". Hardly a paragraph goes by without a run-on sentence. Some of the paragraphs *are* run-on sentences. One can only hope that this is a draft and that the final edition will have undergone extensive editing, but truly this would require A LOT of editing.
2.)The tone is strangely gossipy for a nonfiction book and the author's historical biases are on full display. On the one hand, it is a pop history book meant to appeal to a general audience. On the other hand, saying the Duke of Milan "was busy enjoying the sexual perks of his title" is a weird way to say that he was raping any woman he wanted. In general, Collinsworth has a very Great Men approach to history. She actually states that "revolutions in the sciences and the humanities tend to occur in clusters of extraordinary individuals" which is wildly old-school in its interpretation of history. Also, it's a worldview that would likely be appealing to an international business mogul but we'll come back to that.
3. "virginity can be bartered, stolen, or lost, but once gone, it is irretrievable" Ok Mary Bennet.
4. "With their stubborn allegiance to facts art historians have been trained to stay in a narrow and straight lane of investigation with clear evidence leading the way" Yeah that is generally the way that nonfiction works. Seriously though this author makes leaps that belong in a russian ballet. Wild unsubstantiated speculation is clearly her preference, which is fine if you're not writing a nonfiction history book. She just can't stay on topic at all and I suspect that part of the reason why is that she couldn't find enough material and so is filling in with unrelated (and speculative) side information.
5. You may recall I said something about the author being a business mogul. Collinsworth currently runs an international consulting firm but earlier in her career she was the president of Arbor House publishing and then later vice president of The Hearst Corporation. She started her career at Doubleday & Company. You'll never guess who the publisher of this book is. The whole book smacks of 'vanity project' that got published because of the author's extensive connections rather than on the merits of the work.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for review.
July 11, 2022
I think I spent about 10 minutes being a stamp collector when I was a kid, and I bought a packet of foreign stamps that included one from Poland that featured Lady with an Ermine. I fell in love with it, even such a tiny image, and it’s remained my favourite Da Vinci painting ever since, in my opinion superior to the Mona Lisa. (I once almost booked a trip to Warsaw just to be able to see it in person, but as the book outlines, the painting has spent most of the past 20 years being loaned out and on tour, so perhaps it was just as well I didn’t try!) So I was pumped to read this very accessible, wildly interesting history focused through the lens of this singular sublime painting.
We start out in 15th century Italy, looking at how Leonardo became Leonardo, the ever-curious and inventive autodidact he was, who remained rather resentful of some upper-crust snobs who looked down on him for never having been educated in Latin. (Yeah, that Leonardo, what a bumpkin and slob.) I don’t think I knew he was ambidextrous and that modern investigations have determined that he used both hands to paint. When he was trolling for a new patron, he sent a letter to Ludovico, the powerful Sforza duke of Milan, extolling his expertise in engineering (bridges and fortifications) and in devising deadly war machines, adding at the end, almost as an afterthought, “Oh, and I paint a little too.” Ludovico did bring Leonardo from Florence to Milan and had him paint the portrait of his beloved mistress, Cecilia Gallerani. The book closely investigates the painting itself—how Leonardo worked, the materials he worked with, what X-rays reveal beneath the surface and so on. But we are also placed in the context of the time, the political forces surging across the Italian city-states, almost constantly at war with each other or outside forces. The records show the painting’s whereabouts for a few decades after its creation, then it is unaccounted for for nearly 200 years before it turns up in the collection of an art-loving Polish princess. We then get a capsule history of Poland and of the aristocratic family that owned the portrait (and many other treasures). Boy, did that country and that family take a lot of buffeting over the years. The portrait was at great risk over and over again, but escaped every time because it was whisked away from danger, moved from place to place and secreted. And then we come to the 20th century and the German invasion of Poland. Both Hitler and Goering greatly desired this painting and had competing teams on the hunt for it among the myriad treasures looted by the Nazis. It rode out the war on the office wall of a hideous skunk of a Nazi bureaucrat (who at least rescued it from its temporary place in Dresden, where it would almost certainly have been destroyed in the firebombing of that city). And then, after the war, came the Soviets.
Well, enough of me rabbiting on about what’s in the book. It’s a fascinating story, well-researched but not at all academic, with very spritely writing quite accessible for the layperson. Highly recommended. (And maybe I should put that trip to Warsaw back on the agenda.)
We start out in 15th century Italy, looking at how Leonardo became Leonardo, the ever-curious and inventive autodidact he was, who remained rather resentful of some upper-crust snobs who looked down on him for never having been educated in Latin. (Yeah, that Leonardo, what a bumpkin and slob.) I don’t think I knew he was ambidextrous and that modern investigations have determined that he used both hands to paint. When he was trolling for a new patron, he sent a letter to Ludovico, the powerful Sforza duke of Milan, extolling his expertise in engineering (bridges and fortifications) and in devising deadly war machines, adding at the end, almost as an afterthought, “Oh, and I paint a little too.” Ludovico did bring Leonardo from Florence to Milan and had him paint the portrait of his beloved mistress, Cecilia Gallerani. The book closely investigates the painting itself—how Leonardo worked, the materials he worked with, what X-rays reveal beneath the surface and so on. But we are also placed in the context of the time, the political forces surging across the Italian city-states, almost constantly at war with each other or outside forces. The records show the painting’s whereabouts for a few decades after its creation, then it is unaccounted for for nearly 200 years before it turns up in the collection of an art-loving Polish princess. We then get a capsule history of Poland and of the aristocratic family that owned the portrait (and many other treasures). Boy, did that country and that family take a lot of buffeting over the years. The portrait was at great risk over and over again, but escaped every time because it was whisked away from danger, moved from place to place and secreted. And then we come to the 20th century and the German invasion of Poland. Both Hitler and Goering greatly desired this painting and had competing teams on the hunt for it among the myriad treasures looted by the Nazis. It rode out the war on the office wall of a hideous skunk of a Nazi bureaucrat (who at least rescued it from its temporary place in Dresden, where it would almost certainly have been destroyed in the firebombing of that city). And then, after the war, came the Soviets.
Well, enough of me rabbiting on about what’s in the book. It’s a fascinating story, well-researched but not at all academic, with very spritely writing quite accessible for the layperson. Highly recommended. (And maybe I should put that trip to Warsaw back on the agenda.)
August 5, 2023
I know "Lady with an Ermine" quite well. I've seen the painting quite often, in the Czartoryski Museum and when it was on display in the Wawel. It really is a lovely painting (possibly Leonardo's best). It's also almost shockingly accessible. I last looked at it this summer in a darkened room. There was nobody else there, just me and her and the Ermine... not even security! What a contrast to the pushing crowds with their cameras and phones mobbing the Mona Lisa in her brightly lit room in the Louvre.
For this reason I was intrigued when I came across this book. I had to read it!
This is a light read which informs reasonably well and is enjoyable, but, I have to say, in my opinion it reads like an expanded article from one of those magazines you find lying around in a waiting room. The author likes to create a sort of gossipy drama - catch them in the first paragraph, make the characters interesting (even if their role is quite peripheral). She's done her research, and it's good, so it can't be criticised for its content, it just that it feels like you're sat in a cafe somewhere and she's come up to you and said, "There's this juicy bit of news I've just heard...".
For this reason I was intrigued when I came across this book. I had to read it!
This is a light read which informs reasonably well and is enjoyable, but, I have to say, in my opinion it reads like an expanded article from one of those magazines you find lying around in a waiting room. The author likes to create a sort of gossipy drama - catch them in the first paragraph, make the characters interesting (even if their role is quite peripheral). She's done her research, and it's good, so it can't be criticised for its content, it just that it feels like you're sat in a cafe somewhere and she's come up to you and said, "There's this juicy bit of news I've just heard...".
July 2, 2022
The author starts with a short history of the Renaissance Italian city-states. Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan. Leonardo da Vinci - who flittered between various topics of interest and between locations from Florence to Rome to France shortly before his death. The lady who is suspected to be Cecilia Gallerani, Ludovico's young mistress who is likely to only have been in her early teens at the time of the portrait.
From then on, Collinsworth attempts to follow the portrait's travels. It was given to Cecilia when she left Ludovico's court due to Ludovico's wife's jealousy in 1492, taking their son with her. She was approximately 19 at the time. Isabella d'Estes-Gonzaga, Ludovico's sister-in-law, borrowed the portrait wanting to have a work by da Vinci but was unable to convince or trick him into painting a portrait of her. That is the last known firm location until it was purchased in 1799-1800 by the son of Princess Izabela Czaroyska of Poland for his mother although theories abound regarding travels through Italy, Bohemia, and Germany beforehand.
Supposedly, it was only displayed in family quarters or hidden during the numerous wars that tore across Poland and other parts of Europe. It travelled with the family to Dresden during World War I and was confiscated by the Nazis in World War II. Communism in Poland eventually recognized to ownership of the family whose heir turned around and sold the entire museum collection - including The Lady with an Ermine - to the Republic of Poland in 2016.
In-depth examinations of the painting show how Leonardo changed his mind and gives insight into the possible reasons for his tendency to delay finishing - the lady herself had two different head-dresses before the final hairstyle. The ermine (or described in various catalogues and sightings as "an ugly dog") was not included at first and but first painted gray, then white. The background was a different color. There is proof that Leonard painted with both hands on the same painting and there are even fingerprints in the paint itself which leads to scientists and art experts wondering if DNA can be extracted and used to determine if the bones in Leonardo's supposed crypt are actually his.
Interesting insight on yet another masterpiece from the Renaissance that fortunately has survived all these centuries. And is available to be seen by the public.
2022-143
From then on, Collinsworth attempts to follow the portrait's travels. It was given to Cecilia when she left Ludovico's court due to Ludovico's wife's jealousy in 1492, taking their son with her. She was approximately 19 at the time. Isabella d'Estes-Gonzaga, Ludovico's sister-in-law, borrowed the portrait wanting to have a work by da Vinci but was unable to convince or trick him into painting a portrait of her. That is the last known firm location until it was purchased in 1799-1800 by the son of Princess Izabela Czaroyska of Poland for his mother although theories abound regarding travels through Italy, Bohemia, and Germany beforehand.
Supposedly, it was only displayed in family quarters or hidden during the numerous wars that tore across Poland and other parts of Europe. It travelled with the family to Dresden during World War I and was confiscated by the Nazis in World War II. Communism in Poland eventually recognized to ownership of the family whose heir turned around and sold the entire museum collection - including The Lady with an Ermine - to the Republic of Poland in 2016.
In-depth examinations of the painting show how Leonardo changed his mind and gives insight into the possible reasons for his tendency to delay finishing - the lady herself had two different head-dresses before the final hairstyle. The ermine (or described in various catalogues and sightings as "an ugly dog") was not included at first and but first painted gray, then white. The background was a different color. There is proof that Leonard painted with both hands on the same painting and there are even fingerprints in the paint itself which leads to scientists and art experts wondering if DNA can be extracted and used to determine if the bones in Leonardo's supposed crypt are actually his.
Interesting insight on yet another masterpiece from the Renaissance that fortunately has survived all these centuries. And is available to be seen by the public.
2022-143
January 15, 2023
3.75.
So I wasn’t really enjoying O’Farrell’s “Wedding Portrait,” which I know makes me an outlier and a philistine. (Maybe I would have done better reading the book rather than listening to the audio version, notwithstanding the fine job the narrator does. I’m not dnf-ing it though, only putting it aside for now.) By some coincidence, I happened to pick up “What the Ermine Saw” instead, and there I was, back in that same century, back among painters and powerful men without scruples. But without whatever it was in “Portrait” that was irritating me.
The basic conceit is this: the author uses DaVinci’s famous “Lady with an Ermine” as prompt for a peripatetic look at art, history, and politics. Collinsworth talks about how the painting was made, who the eponymous woman was, who were the people around her, and what happened to the painting over the centuries, where it went, who owned it, who wanted it.
It’s a very fast, breezy read filled with memorable characters. There’s Leonardo himself, for example. “Unwanted results casual sex between a local peasant girl and a young man from a prosperous family.” Clearly a genius, with a mind like any other in history. An imagination generating objects of breathtaking beauty and ingenuity, but also the most horrific inventions of death. Whatever his patrons wanted.
And then there were the Masters of the Milanese World. Ludovico Sforza, duke of Milan, The young woman in the painting — Cecilia Gallerani — was his mistress. A brutal and sadistic specimen. (I won’t provide details.) As a demonstration of his character I offer this: Ludovico and his brother Galeazzo, shared a mistress, a married woman. The woman’s husband was expressly prohibited from having sex with her without written permission from Galeazzo. Ah, the Italian Renaissance!
The book follows “Ermine” as it passes through various hands in Italy and then disappears, only to resurface in 18th century Poland. Here we meet the estimable and fearless Princess Izabela Dorota Czartoryska. She donned the uniform of his husband’ the Prince’s regiment and passed herself off as a young man. Found numerous admirers among the notables of the time, including Benjamin Franklin. “I have never been beautiful,” she wrote of herself, “but I have often been pretty.” Something was at work in her life other than physical beauty. As Collinsworth tells us, as a young woman inner twenties, the Princess “spent the bulk of her mental energy on being good at men.” As she matured, she pursued her interests in art, history, philanthropy, and writing. Some things remained as she aged: “Wielding sex like a flamethrower, [Izabela] burned through one high-drama romance after another.” Often many at the same time. (Collinsworth describes the Princess’s disinclination to stay very long with a single man as “proficiency at the practice of deadheading one lover in order for a replacement to grow.” Some historians, we learn - men, in all likelihood — dismissed her as “compulsive.” Others view her frank sexuality as a “form of soft diplomacy.” Doubtless there is something to this for Izabel shared at least one prominent lover with the head of the enormous, threatening power residing on Poland’s eastern border, Russia’s Catherine the Great.
Yes, there’s lots of sex going on in the “Ermine” universe. Including one young woman, entirely ignored by her husband, who gives herself up to unrestrained hedonism and in time goes into premature labor in the middle of an orgy. And dies in the process, her moans of pain being mistaken by those around her as the sounds of sexual transport. Strange folk, these aristocrats.
Collinsworth follows the painting into the twentieth century, to the peril of Nazis seeking and stealing works of art, masterpieces, from all over Europe. And then to the geopolitics of running museums in a Cold War world. And ultimately to a hair-raising encounter between the painting America’s TSA at a Texas airport. Along the way, we learn of what technology has revealed about the painting itself — how Leonardo altered it, adding this, painting over that, changing colors entirely.
A fine book. Thank you, Nancy, for bring it to my attention.
So I wasn’t really enjoying O’Farrell’s “Wedding Portrait,” which I know makes me an outlier and a philistine. (Maybe I would have done better reading the book rather than listening to the audio version, notwithstanding the fine job the narrator does. I’m not dnf-ing it though, only putting it aside for now.) By some coincidence, I happened to pick up “What the Ermine Saw” instead, and there I was, back in that same century, back among painters and powerful men without scruples. But without whatever it was in “Portrait” that was irritating me.
The basic conceit is this: the author uses DaVinci’s famous “Lady with an Ermine” as prompt for a peripatetic look at art, history, and politics. Collinsworth talks about how the painting was made, who the eponymous woman was, who were the people around her, and what happened to the painting over the centuries, where it went, who owned it, who wanted it.
It’s a very fast, breezy read filled with memorable characters. There’s Leonardo himself, for example. “Unwanted results casual sex between a local peasant girl and a young man from a prosperous family.” Clearly a genius, with a mind like any other in history. An imagination generating objects of breathtaking beauty and ingenuity, but also the most horrific inventions of death. Whatever his patrons wanted.
And then there were the Masters of the Milanese World. Ludovico Sforza, duke of Milan, The young woman in the painting — Cecilia Gallerani — was his mistress. A brutal and sadistic specimen. (I won’t provide details.) As a demonstration of his character I offer this: Ludovico and his brother Galeazzo, shared a mistress, a married woman. The woman’s husband was expressly prohibited from having sex with her without written permission from Galeazzo. Ah, the Italian Renaissance!
The book follows “Ermine” as it passes through various hands in Italy and then disappears, only to resurface in 18th century Poland. Here we meet the estimable and fearless Princess Izabela Dorota Czartoryska. She donned the uniform of his husband’ the Prince’s regiment and passed herself off as a young man. Found numerous admirers among the notables of the time, including Benjamin Franklin. “I have never been beautiful,” she wrote of herself, “but I have often been pretty.” Something was at work in her life other than physical beauty. As Collinsworth tells us, as a young woman inner twenties, the Princess “spent the bulk of her mental energy on being good at men.” As she matured, she pursued her interests in art, history, philanthropy, and writing. Some things remained as she aged: “Wielding sex like a flamethrower, [Izabela] burned through one high-drama romance after another.” Often many at the same time. (Collinsworth describes the Princess’s disinclination to stay very long with a single man as “proficiency at the practice of deadheading one lover in order for a replacement to grow.” Some historians, we learn - men, in all likelihood — dismissed her as “compulsive.” Others view her frank sexuality as a “form of soft diplomacy.” Doubtless there is something to this for Izabel shared at least one prominent lover with the head of the enormous, threatening power residing on Poland’s eastern border, Russia’s Catherine the Great.
Yes, there’s lots of sex going on in the “Ermine” universe. Including one young woman, entirely ignored by her husband, who gives herself up to unrestrained hedonism and in time goes into premature labor in the middle of an orgy. And dies in the process, her moans of pain being mistaken by those around her as the sounds of sexual transport. Strange folk, these aristocrats.
Collinsworth follows the painting into the twentieth century, to the peril of Nazis seeking and stealing works of art, masterpieces, from all over Europe. And then to the geopolitics of running museums in a Cold War world. And ultimately to a hair-raising encounter between the painting America’s TSA at a Texas airport. Along the way, we learn of what technology has revealed about the painting itself — how Leonardo altered it, adding this, painting over that, changing colors entirely.
A fine book. Thank you, Nancy, for bring it to my attention.
September 20, 2022
What the Ermine saw: The Extraordinary Journey of Leonardo’s Most Mysterious Portrait is a wonderful read. The portrait was painted sometime between 1486 and 1490 and was commissioned by a wealthy Italian, the Duke of Milan. The young woman depicted is his mistress and the ermine is a symbol of her pregnancy.
This portrait is one of only 15 or so paintings attributed to Leonardo. The author Eden Collinsworth takes readers on a tour of European history as the painting travels from owner to owner. The value and beauty of this painting were recognized immediately causing it to be coveted by many. Although Collinsworth does not drown the reader in historical facts, she certainly provides appropriate background when called for to help the read appreciate the times she is writing about.
The painting’s survival through various upheavals and major world wars is amazing. Several Nazis including Herman Goering wanted the painting but so did Hitler.
Near the end Collinsworth provides insight and information developed using noninvasive investigative techniques to explain the process Leonardo used to create this masterpiece. She describes how Leonardo made changes to the painting as he began to shape it. Fascinating read.
This portrait is one of only 15 or so paintings attributed to Leonardo. The author Eden Collinsworth takes readers on a tour of European history as the painting travels from owner to owner. The value and beauty of this painting were recognized immediately causing it to be coveted by many. Although Collinsworth does not drown the reader in historical facts, she certainly provides appropriate background when called for to help the read appreciate the times she is writing about.
The painting’s survival through various upheavals and major world wars is amazing. Several Nazis including Herman Goering wanted the painting but so did Hitler.
Near the end Collinsworth provides insight and information developed using noninvasive investigative techniques to explain the process Leonardo used to create this masterpiece. She describes how Leonardo made changes to the painting as he began to shape it. Fascinating read.
January 25, 2023
Audiobook
This was a pretty interesting book about one particular da Vinci painting. While I sometimes lost the thread a bit because it covered a lot of territory, I think this makes works of nonfiction more interesting. I learned a little bit about the girl in the painting, a little about Da Vinci, a little about the Czartoryski family who helped the painting land in Poland where it now resides, a little about the Nazis and what they did to not only humans but the art works of Europe.
This was a pretty interesting book about one particular da Vinci painting. While I sometimes lost the thread a bit because it covered a lot of territory, I think this makes works of nonfiction more interesting. I learned a little bit about the girl in the painting, a little about Da Vinci, a little about the Czartoryski family who helped the painting land in Poland where it now resides, a little about the Nazis and what they did to not only humans but the art works of Europe.
May 28, 2022
What could possibly connect Leonardo d’Vinci with Hans Frank, the Nazi “Butcher of Poland”? Connect 15th century Italy with 20th century Poland? What spent time everywhere from Milan to Berlin to Paris to Warsaw, to, finally, it’s permanent home in Krakow. It is a painting, “Lady with an Ermine”, painted by Leonardo d’Vinci in 1490.
Everyone is familiar with Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa”. Many of us have seen it on trips to Paris. It’s a masterpiece, of course, but also magnificent is the portrait of the young woman, Cecilia Gallerani. Cecilia was the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, ruler in Milan. She was in her middle teens when painted by Leonardo, the Milanese court painter. She was painted 3/4 facial visage, holding a large white ermine in her arms.
Eden Collinsworth has written a wonderful biography of the painting, “What the Ermine Saw: The Extraordinary Journey of Leonardo da Vinci’s Most Mysterious Portrait”. She concentrates on who owned the portrait and under what political conditions. Politics is important in this story. Adolf Hitler eyed this painting for inclusion in the art gallery he was hoping to open after WW2 in his birthplace, Linz, Austria. Well, Germany didn’t win the war and the “Lady” was returned to the Polish family that had owned the painting since the 17th century. The painting is currently in the family-run museum in Krakow.
Collinsworth is an excellent writer and introduces her readers to many strong, interesting characters. Beginning with both the artist and the subject, and goes up to present times. You’ll probably recognise many of the people who were touched by the painting along the years.
Everyone is familiar with Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa”. Many of us have seen it on trips to Paris. It’s a masterpiece, of course, but also magnificent is the portrait of the young woman, Cecilia Gallerani. Cecilia was the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, ruler in Milan. She was in her middle teens when painted by Leonardo, the Milanese court painter. She was painted 3/4 facial visage, holding a large white ermine in her arms.
Eden Collinsworth has written a wonderful biography of the painting, “What the Ermine Saw: The Extraordinary Journey of Leonardo da Vinci’s Most Mysterious Portrait”. She concentrates on who owned the portrait and under what political conditions. Politics is important in this story. Adolf Hitler eyed this painting for inclusion in the art gallery he was hoping to open after WW2 in his birthplace, Linz, Austria. Well, Germany didn’t win the war and the “Lady” was returned to the Polish family that had owned the painting since the 17th century. The painting is currently in the family-run museum in Krakow.
Collinsworth is an excellent writer and introduces her readers to many strong, interesting characters. Beginning with both the artist and the subject, and goes up to present times. You’ll probably recognise many of the people who were touched by the painting along the years.
August 24, 2022
Riddled with awkward prose, jarring metaphors, frequently intrusive personal asides, and a narrative that meanders haphazardly, this book reads more like a blog written by a dilettante. However, with all that said, Collinsworth managed to hold my attention.
In effect, the ermine saw periods that included large mysterious gaps, a great deal of Polish and Russian history, with prolonged shuttling back and forth during WW II and the Cold War. As this portrait has always intrigued me, the book revealed a perspective of its tumultuous history I would never have imagined and, in that respect, it was a worthwhile read.
In effect, the ermine saw periods that included large mysterious gaps, a great deal of Polish and Russian history, with prolonged shuttling back and forth during WW II and the Cold War. As this portrait has always intrigued me, the book revealed a perspective of its tumultuous history I would never have imagined and, in that respect, it was a worthwhile read.
February 12, 2023
what an interesting read!! it had so much more to offer than expected.
it was not just a history of Lady With An Ermine, but also an insight to Leonardo’s personality, mindset, and journals, as well as recounts of all the people and their history that came in contact with the painting. And with each person, historical events happening around them were described as well. such a wonderful, interesting and insightful read!!
i am privileged enough to have a copy of Leonardo’s journals and now i must read it with haste! highly recommend for lovers of art and history, you will have much fun with it!
it was not just a history of Lady With An Ermine, but also an insight to Leonardo’s personality, mindset, and journals, as well as recounts of all the people and their history that came in contact with the painting. And with each person, historical events happening around them were described as well. such a wonderful, interesting and insightful read!!
i am privileged enough to have a copy of Leonardo’s journals and now i must read it with haste! highly recommend for lovers of art and history, you will have much fun with it!
May 6, 2022
This was an interesting book based around my all time favorite painting. It covers why it was made and the story surrounding Ludovico Sforza (da Vinci’s patron for the painting) and Cecilia (his mistress, the Lady) and what is known of their lives as well as da Vinci and how he painted, including the different editions of the painting that deem to have been done. Then, the story gets bigger and before you quite know how it happens you are reading about Catherine the Great, Poland, and one of the leading families trying to gain Polish independence. World Wars, Nazis, Communists, and more, this painting has seen it all.
I wish there had been more about the painting in terms of its place in art history- are there other paintings with ermine that this can be compared to or is it unique in that way as well as others? What is it that keeps bringing us back to this small but powerful painting? I was fascinated by the technical art history and learning about what museums have been able to see when they examine the painting and would have been interested to know more about that, maybe also comparing it with more of Leonardo’s work as well. Instead Ermine exists in a vacuum against his other paintings, even when talking about the exhibit where the paintings were all brought together. I thought all of the historical stories were interesting, though many seem to wander far before you figure out how they connect back to Lady with an Ermine. It took awhile before I learned to just go with the flow and trust that the author would eventually show us why these histories were important to the painting. Its a style that might not work for everyone, but if you love the painting, history, or both, I recommend giving this a try. There are some fascinating gems along the trail.
I received an Arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book
I wish there had been more about the painting in terms of its place in art history- are there other paintings with ermine that this can be compared to or is it unique in that way as well as others? What is it that keeps bringing us back to this small but powerful painting? I was fascinated by the technical art history and learning about what museums have been able to see when they examine the painting and would have been interested to know more about that, maybe also comparing it with more of Leonardo’s work as well. Instead Ermine exists in a vacuum against his other paintings, even when talking about the exhibit where the paintings were all brought together. I thought all of the historical stories were interesting, though many seem to wander far before you figure out how they connect back to Lady with an Ermine. It took awhile before I learned to just go with the flow and trust that the author would eventually show us why these histories were important to the painting. Its a style that might not work for everyone, but if you love the painting, history, or both, I recommend giving this a try. There are some fascinating gems along the trail.
I received an Arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book
September 21, 2022
4.5
I really enjoyed this book, even though the author said she wasn't a historian or art expert she did a great job conducting research and talking to professionals. This book has it all royal drama, death at an orgy, and Nazis! What's not to enjoy?! The least interesting part was the section about it going back and forth between the Polish and the Russians in the 1700s and 1800s, but I still liked learning more about Polish history which is vastly under written in the laymen's book world. The only reason I took a .5 off was because the final image in the book had a Getty images water mark on it and it was distracting in a book about fine art that was published and not simply a student paper.
I really enjoyed this book, even though the author said she wasn't a historian or art expert she did a great job conducting research and talking to professionals. This book has it all royal drama, death at an orgy, and Nazis! What's not to enjoy?! The least interesting part was the section about it going back and forth between the Polish and the Russians in the 1700s and 1800s, but I still liked learning more about Polish history which is vastly under written in the laymen's book world. The only reason I took a .5 off was because the final image in the book had a Getty images water mark on it and it was distracting in a book about fine art that was published and not simply a student paper.
October 4, 2022
I was in Poland, at Wawel Castle, and saw signs for a da Vinci painting. Curious, I followed the signs and found it, tucked away in a small gallery. For a few coins - not much - I entered the gallery and was alone, except for some security. And hanging on the wall was Lady with an Ermine. I had maybe 30 minutes alone with this painting and fell in love with it and it’s story.
So when this book came out, I jumped at the chance. It was fascinating, detailed, not at all boring or dense, and packed with interesting facts and characters. For most, maybe it’s 4-stars, but I fell in love with the painting again because of this book.
Forget Mona Lisa, check out this painting and the fascinating story instead.
So when this book came out, I jumped at the chance. It was fascinating, detailed, not at all boring or dense, and packed with interesting facts and characters. For most, maybe it’s 4-stars, but I fell in love with the painting again because of this book.
Forget Mona Lisa, check out this painting and the fascinating story instead.
March 4, 2023
This a fascinating recounting of the journey of the Da Vinci painting known as Lady with an Ermine. I remember coming across an image of it and being first intriged by the ermine. Only later did I notice the prettiness of the young woman.So much of the middle age remains murky to myself,especially the things that link it to the Renaissance and 20th century. It took me an extra while to make my way through this little book as I continually stopped reading to look up images of the various art pieces and people playing a part in the story of the Lady with an Ermine. It is amazing that any great works of art survive across the generations! Knowing a little more of this painting only has made me love it the more. I'm so happy I read this book!
November 3, 2022
The journey to which this book’s subtitle refers begins in Renaissance Italy and travels through the demise of the Kingdom of Poland and two world wars, bringing us to the present. And it’s not over yet! For more than five centuries, Leonardo’s “Lady with an Ermine” has generated intense interest, greedy desire, and familial devotion. In detailing the painting’s history, Collinsworth explores its creator, the young Leonardo, and his methods; the brilliant young woman in the portrait and the powerful Sforza family who commissioned it; the political upheavals that imperiled it; and the families and individuals who risked their lives to keep it safe. In compelling, yet economical prose, Collinsworth lays before us history, art, and the lives and motives of people who influenced both.
October 7, 2024
I wish I didn’t know so much about Leonardo da Vinci - otherwise I would have very much enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it but only until some historical inaccuracies popped up, and highly conjectured stories told about the historical figures’ motivations and personalities. It’s telling that I learned more about this painting from the Walter Isaacson Leonardo bio than I did from this book dedicated to just this one painting. THAT having been said - if you don’t know much about LDV and his work - you’ll love this book. It was entertaining if not always well written.
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August 27, 2022What an interesting little book filled with an array of interesting characters .... especially woman who are often left out of the historically recorded picture. I can't imagine the amount of research that had to be conducted in order for this slim book detailing the paintings 250 years travels across Europe and Russia. AND the most astonishing thing is that this painting survived the tremulous Polish history, two world wars and countless little intrigues.
July 17, 2023
I'm still not sure just what the ermine saw, except for lots of hiding places and transportation going from one place to another.
Actually, the book isn't about the picture per se. It's more about the picture's creator (Leonardo da Vinci, of course) and the history of The Lady with an Ermine. For the most part this is pretty dry reading and frankly not that interesting to me, hence the three stars.
The most annoying shortcoming of the book, tho, is the lack of a picture of the picture. There's a partial on the cover, but would it have been so difficult to put a complete photo there so I didn't have to keep googling what the author is talking about?
Actually, the book isn't about the picture per se. It's more about the picture's creator (Leonardo da Vinci, of course) and the history of The Lady with an Ermine. For the most part this is pretty dry reading and frankly not that interesting to me, hence the three stars.
The most annoying shortcoming of the book, tho, is the lack of a picture of the picture. There's a partial on the cover, but would it have been so difficult to put a complete photo there so I didn't have to keep googling what the author is talking about?
May 13, 2023
the fact that it's possible to explore European history from Florence in the 1500s to modern day Poland through the lens of one da Vinci painting is incredible. I expected this to talk a lot more about the actual painting and a lot less about the extramarital affairs of Italian nobility, but overall, very well written & researched.
June 19, 2022
A brief history of the model and Leonardo di Vinci's process while painting the familiar Lady with an Ermine. The book follows the subsequent owners of the painting until the present.
March 2, 2023
It was just ok-really not my cup of tea, but not my favorite genre.
Read
March 28, 2025Not being an art history buff, this felt like studying for an exam. Some portions were interesting, but overall, this was not my jam.
June 12, 2022
This is an in-depth examination of one of the few remaining paintings of Leonardo da Vinci. Sometime around 1490, Da Vinci was commissioned to paint the portrait of a young woman named Cecilia Gallerani, favorite mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. The result was a striking work titled Lady with an Ermine.
I’m a sucker for a good microhistory and this one was very well done. The author describes the painting itself in great detail, but also brings in the backstories of Leonardo da Vinci, the woman who sat for the portrait, and the Milanese duke who commissioned it. The story doesn’t end there, though. The author also traces the painting’s journey from Renaissance Italy to divided Poland to Nazi possession in WWII and beyond.
Side Note: The people and history around this painting were absolutely bananas! I still haven’t quite wrapped my head around the death of Ludovico Sforza’s wife, Beatrice. Meanwhile, Izabela Czartoryska might be my new hero. Or possibly antihero. That woman was a firecracker who was determined to live her best life no matter what. Also, the painting itself just casually disappeared for over 200 years. Like I said, Bananas!
I’m a sucker for a good microhistory and this one was very well done. The author describes the painting itself in great detail, but also brings in the backstories of Leonardo da Vinci, the woman who sat for the portrait, and the Milanese duke who commissioned it. The story doesn’t end there, though. The author also traces the painting’s journey from Renaissance Italy to divided Poland to Nazi possession in WWII and beyond.
Side Note: The people and history around this painting were absolutely bananas! I still haven’t quite wrapped my head around the death of Ludovico Sforza’s wife, Beatrice. Meanwhile, Izabela Czartoryska might be my new hero. Or possibly antihero. That woman was a firecracker who was determined to live her best life no matter what. Also, the painting itself just casually disappeared for over 200 years. Like I said, Bananas!
July 13, 2025
Fascinating and almost unbelievable survival story of a portrait that was already surrounded with drama and mystery from its inception. The writing was just okay, but the research was excellent and I'd recommend the book to art and/or history lovers!
June 5, 2022
An interesting account of the journey of one Leonardo Da Vinci portrait from its creation to the present.
The early chapters of this book are fantastic, particularly if you are a fan of Milanese history and/or Italian Renaissance art like I am. From the creative process of one of history’s most profound artistic geniuses to the political implications of it for the Sforza and d’Este families, this is fascinating stuff.
Less interesting is what happens to the painting after this period, not because it’s journey isn’t notable, but because it isn’t especially unique.
A huge swath of the book is dedicated to nazi looting and repatriation of artwork (mostly in a general sense rather than specific to this piece). Which I suppose is fine, but most of it is commonly held knowledge if you’re interested in art and history, and there’s nothing about this particular painting’s experience in these circumstances that is especially unique.
Add this to the long list of books that while well written and researched, just don’t contain enough content to justify a book. Could have been a terrific long form article, particularly the earlier parts of the painting’s existence. I would have been happy to have three times as much detail on the Milan/Italian segment of this book and see the rest noted in an epilogue.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
The early chapters of this book are fantastic, particularly if you are a fan of Milanese history and/or Italian Renaissance art like I am. From the creative process of one of history’s most profound artistic geniuses to the political implications of it for the Sforza and d’Este families, this is fascinating stuff.
Less interesting is what happens to the painting after this period, not because it’s journey isn’t notable, but because it isn’t especially unique.
A huge swath of the book is dedicated to nazi looting and repatriation of artwork (mostly in a general sense rather than specific to this piece). Which I suppose is fine, but most of it is commonly held knowledge if you’re interested in art and history, and there’s nothing about this particular painting’s experience in these circumstances that is especially unique.
Add this to the long list of books that while well written and researched, just don’t contain enough content to justify a book. Could have been a terrific long form article, particularly the earlier parts of the painting’s existence. I would have been happy to have three times as much detail on the Milan/Italian segment of this book and see the rest noted in an epilogue.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
June 14, 2022
The parts on the Czartoryski family and the history of 18th-20th century Poland were really interesting, but the first section had a lot of weird errors and other questionable info (Beatrice d’Este died because nobody could hear her premature labor over the sounds of the orgy, really?). It definitely got better, but some of the writing was also overwrought to the point of incomprehension (“Ludovico didn’t turn down the additional dividend of sexual recreation made unremittable by his wife”).
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