My favorite painting by Leonardo da Vinci! And sufficiently close to home--well, in Washington, DC, but not in Europe--that I occasionally can see it! Leonardo da Vinci (Italian; 1452 - 1519) Ginevre de Benci (born c. 1458)--Obverse and Reverse of Painting Italian; Renaissance, 1474-78 Oil on wooden panel H. 38.1 cm, W. 37.0 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC Acquired from a previous Prince of Liechtenstein, the painting is relatively small painting (about 15 inches high), so few visitors pay it any heed, which is very sad, as its the only Leondardo painting in the U.S.--and its a great one at that. The upside, if you will, is that you can virtually have it to yourself. The portrait is painted on both sides, the portrait on the front, a wreath and inscription on the back. Its hung in the gallery so that you can see both sides. The reverse of the portrait is decorated with a juniper sprig encircled by a wreath of laurel and palm and is memorialized by the phrase VIRTVTEM FORMA DECORAT (beauty adorns virtue). The Italian word for juniper is ginepro, which suggests that the juniper motif was used here as a symbolic pun on Ginevra’s name, though this pun is not supported by any contemporary historical sources. Truly a delight!
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 20:05:44 +0000
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