Thanks for filling me in on the history behind this painting! The Lady with an Ermine is my favorite da Vinci portrait, far superior to the waxy Mona Lisa. Lady with an Ermine stretches the notion of portraiture by having the subject distracted by something off-camera or off-frame. There's minimal sfumato, allowing her expression to stand out. My only reservation is something I wish I had never noticed, but having done so, am unable to 'unsee': Her hand is gigantic! The much earlier Ginevra de' Benci, like its contemporary The Annunciation, is gorgeous but derivative of an earlier style of painting.
Thanks for filling me in on the history behind this painting! The Lady with an Ermine is my favorite da Vinci portrait, far superior to the waxy Mona Lisa. Lady with an Ermine stretches the notion of portraiture by having the subject distracted by something off-camera or off-frame. There's minimal sfumato, allowing her expression to stand out. My only reservation is something I wish I had never noticed, but having done so, am unable to 'unsee': Her hand is gigantic! The much earlier Ginevra de' Benci, like its contemporary The Annunciation, is gorgeous but derivative of an earlier style of painting.
Thanks for giving me the "waxy Mona Lisa" formula… I could not have associated those words but that's definitely what I think!