Leonardo da Vinci's 'La Belle Ferronnière' (c. 1490–1497) is a portrait of a young woman most often identified as Lucrezia Crivelli, the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. The sitter is seen in three-quarter profile behind a carved stone parapet, a delicate jewelled headband — the 'ferronnière' — across her brow. The controlled chiaroscuro and the enigmatic sideways gaze rank it alongside Leonardo's finest portraits. It has hung in the Louvre since 1798.

Exhibition Venue

Louvre Museum

Paris, France