Processing
Oil-on-board pictography “Picta” category. Retouching with Maimeri and Winsor & Newton and Schminke colors. Working with magnifying glass and blurred outlines with fingers, in the manner of Leonardo. Solid wood frame hand-decorated on original model, prepared with red bole and gilded in gold leaf. Seasoned poplar wood plank with anti-imbalancing back crossbars. Preparation with plaster and 3-layer natural glue.
History
The identity of the woman portrayed by Leonardo can certainly be traced back to Cecilia Gallerani, the beautiful young mistress of the Duke of Milan Ludovico il Moro. When he was commissioned to paint the portrait, Leonardo decided to depict the woman with an ermine, perhaps because the name of this animal, translating to “galé” in Greek, referred exactly to the young woman's surname. The ermine was also the animal that symbolized chastity and purity, and for this reason it was frequently depicted in the arms of noble maidens.
Leonardo da Vinci, The Lady with an Ermine