Lady With An Ermine

Lady with an Ermine is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci, from around 1489–1490. The subject of the portrait is identified as Cecilia Gallerani, and was probably painted at a time when she was the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, and Leonardo was in the service of the Duke.

The painting is one of only four female portraits painted by Leonardo, the others being the Mona Lisa, the portrait of Ginevra de' Benci and La belle ferronnière. It is currently displayed in the Wawel Castle, Kraków, Poland. When exhibited in The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, it was described as "signal a breakthrough in the art of psychological portraiture".

Read more about Lady With An Ermine:  Subject and Symbolism, Conservation, Provenance, Popular Culture

Famous quotes containing the words lady and/or ermine:

    “... to work, to work hard, to see work steadily, and see it whole, was the way to be reputable. I think I always respected a good blacksmith more than a lady of leisure.”
    —Elizabeth Stuart Phelps (1844–1911)

    “The ermine muffled mouth and chin;
    I could not suck the moonlight in.”
    —Elinor Wylie (1885–1928)