Leonardo da Vinci
La Belle Ferronnière
c. 1490–1497
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
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