Professor Kemp discovered a 1998th century book in Poland from which this drawing was taken. The canvas was sold in 22 in New York at Christie’s auction, the authorship of the artwork was not indicated. It is noteworthy that the work went under the hammer for a modest $ 150 thousand, while its true cost could be $ XNUMX million.
Kemp, in collaboration with Pascal Cott, identified the stranger from the portrait as Bianca Sforza, daughter of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, and his mistress Bernardina de Corradis. Scientists found three sewn-in holes in the canvas, which in turn proves that the work was previously sewn into the book.
The found book is currently kept in the Warsaw National Library. The analysis showed that the book and the canvas with the portrait were created using the same parchment, and the holes in the book coincide with the holes in the painting.
Let’s remind that one more painting of the master was found earlier – “Savior of the World”, which is considered lost several decades ago.
And in Moscow, meanwhile during the international art fair “Art-Moscow”.
NIFUNDISHE