Leonardo da Vinci, Ginevra de'Benci, c. 1474-8National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
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Believe it or not, only about 20 paintings have been attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, two of which have been lost (The Battle of Anghiari, Leda and the Swan), many of which are unfinished (St. Jerome in the wilderness, Adoration of the Magi) and others which are disputed. Ginevra is one of the few (almost) universally accepted paintings by Leonardo.
Believed to be painted to commemorate her engagement to Luigi Niccolini in 1474 or commissioned by Bernardo Bembo with whom Ginevra had a platonic friendship, she gazes somewhat emotionlessly at the viewer. Well-known for her intelligence, the idea that she might have a difficult personality to boot is reinforced by her being surrounded by a prickly halo formed by the bush behind her. That's actually a joke - the bush is her namesake, a juniper
Believed to be painted to commemorate her engagement to Luigi Niccolini in 1474 or commissioned by Bernardo Bembo with whom Ginevra had a platonic friendship, she gazes somewhat emotionlessly at the viewer. Well-known for her intelligence, the idea that she might have a difficult personality to boot is reinforced by her being surrounded by a prickly halo formed by the bush behind her. That's actually a joke - the bush is her namesake, a juniper
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