13 October 2009

A possible new da Vinci

A forensics examiner has found on this portrait a fingerprint that is "highly comparable" to one found on a verified da Vinci from a time period when he worked without assistants. The style of the painting is also compatible with its being a da Vinci, because the cross-hatching has apparently been done by a left-handed artist.

The portrait, which measures 13ins by 9ins, was sold at Christie's in New York in 1998, in an Old Master Drawings sale as a Young Girl in Profile in Renaissance Dress.

It was catalogued as "German, early 19th century", with an estimate of $12,000 to 16,000, and went under the hammer for $19,000 (£12,039).

If it is accepted as a da Vinci work, its value will rise to the tens of millions of dollars. More details at the BBC article.

1 comment:

  1. Shouldn't the artist be referred to as simply Leonardo, rather than "from Vinci"? Otherwise, it would be comparable to calling Michelangelo "from Rome."

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