In late 2010, art collector Peter Silverman revealed that a ‘German, early 19th century’ portrait he had bought for $19, 000 was, in fact, a previously unknown drawing by Leonardo da Vinci—an exquisite depiction of Bianca Sforza, rendered 500 years ago. In Leonardo’s Lost Princess, Silverman gives a riveting first-person account of how his initial suspicions of the portrait’s provenance were confirmed repeatedly by scientists and art experts. He describes the path to authentication, fraught with opposition and controversy. The twists and turns of this fascinating, decade-long quest lead from art history to cutting-edge science, and from a New York art gallery to Paris, Milan, Zurich, and ultimately a Warsaw library where the final, convincing evidence that the portrait was indeed by da Vinci was found.
- Takes an up-close look at the workings of the art world and at figures ranging from dealers and connoisseurs to a suspected forger
- Discusses current scientific techniques used to investigate and authenticate works of art, such as carbon dating and cutting-edge photography
- Uses Silverman’s drawing as an entree into Leonardo da Vinci’s world: his studio, his style, and his methods
- Explores the intersection of art and science in the authentication process, involving the work of a man who embodied that intersection
Unearthing the secrets almost lost to history, the book is ideal reading for art lovers and anyone interested in an astounding case of ‘whodunit.’
Table of Content
Acknowledgments ix1 Found! 1
2 Who Is She? 15
3 Leonardo’s World 23
4 Real or Fake? 35
5 The Magic Box 51
6 A Scholar’s View 71
7 Leonardo’s Principles 79
8 Beloved Daughter 91
9 The Art of Fingerprints 105
10 The World Reacts 117
11 The $100 Million Blunder? 129
12 The Art World Strikes Back 145
13 What Constitutes Proof? 167
14 Miracle in Warsaw 183
Epilogue: Life’s Fleeting Grace 197
Appendix: Nicholas Turner’s Report on Portrait of a Young Woman in Profile 201
Notes 213
Bibliography 239
Index 243
About the author
PETER SILVERMAN is a noted art collector. Among his significant discoveries are three miscatalogued works by Van Dyck and a wooden cross attributed to Michelangelo.CATHERINE WHITNEY has written or cowritten more than fifty books in a variety of fields.
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