'Lost' Leonardo da Vinci painting seized by Italy

A long-lost painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci was confiscated from a bank vault in Switzerland after Italian police said it had been exported illegally and was in danger of being sold for up to £90 million. Swiss police, acting on a request by their Italian counterparts, seized the portrait of Isabella d’Este, a Renaissance noblewoman, from a private bank vault in Lugano on Tuesday. After being lost for centuries, the painting was rediscovered in 2013 in a collection of 400 artworks kept in a Swiss vault. The authorities then were alerted to the existence of the painting, but it went missing again.

Is it really a Da Vinci?

However Martin Kemp, professor emeritus of the history of art at Trinity College, Oxford, and one of the world’s foremost experts on the artist, has expressed doubts about whether the painting, which measures 24in by 18in, is the work of Leonardo.

I saw a bad photo of the painting but it didn’t look like Leonardo’s work - especially if it’s compared to the cartoon. But I’m no expert. It is certainly small enough to be his.

Thanks C19fan.

[snip] Italian police said it had been exported illegally [/snip]

...and now the punchline...

[snip] After being lost for centuries, the painting was rediscovered in 2013 in a collection of 400 artworks kept in a Swiss vault. [/snip]

Unification of (most of) Italy under the name Kingdom of Italy? 1861. No standing, was not an entity.

Here's da Vinci's drawing of her, probably pursuant to painting the portrait found in Switzerland. One of da Vinci's deficiencies is leaving things unfinished. Most of his really large projects (the canal to reroute the Arno River, the Sforza equestrian statue in Milan, the Battle of Angiari fresco in Florence, even some of his smaller works) were abandoned by him.

Isabella d'Este by Leonardo

From the story: “Once it arrives back in Italy, we will conduct further investigations to establish who really owns the work,” Italian prosecutors said in a statement.

All right. I feel compelled to save them months and months of research and legal wrangling.

I own it, it is mine.

It was given to me years ago by Sophia Loren, in a burst of affection and gratitude, after a long month's vacation together in Tuscany.

(Where a decent villa is a b---- to find, I might add!)

I can’t believe the Swiss capitulated on this, usually the sanctity of the banks is paramount unless there is iron clad proof, which there doesn’t seem to be any.

Sounds like the Italian government saw a quick score for a buttload of cash and got jealous is all.

Leonardo da Vinci keywords, sorted, dupes out:

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