Description
The remarkable true story behind one of historys most enigmatic portraitsa glorious picaresque of unbridled passions and unmitigated scoundrels a glorious romp through the great palaces and palazzos of Europe Amanda Foreman New York Times bestselling author of Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire
Five hundred and thirty years ago a young woman sat before a Greciannosed artist known as Leonardo da Vinci Her name was Cecilia Gallerani and she was the young mistress of Ludovico Sforza duke of Milan Sforza was a brutal and clever man who was mindful that Leonardos genius would not only capture Cecilias beguiling beauty but also reflect the grandeur of his title But when the portrait was finished Leonardos brush strokes had conveyed something deeper by revealing the essence of Cecilias soul Even today The Woman with an Ermine manages to astonish
Despite the works importance in its own time no records of it have been found for the two hundred and fifty years that followed Galleranis death Readers of The Hare with the Amber Eyes will marvel at Eden Collinsworths dexterous story of illuminates the eventual history of this unique masterpiece as it journeyed from one owner to the nextfrom the portraits next recorded owner a Polish noblewoman who counted Benjamin Franklin as an admirer to its exile in Paris during the Polish Soviet War to its return to WWIIera Poland wherein advance of Germanys invasionit remained hidden behind a brickedup wall by a housekeeper who defied Hitlers edict that it be confiscated as one of the Reichs treasures Fans of AnneMarie OConnors The Lady in Gold will treasure the story of this crisscrossing journey and the enigmatic woman at its heart
What the Ermine Saw is a factbased story that cheats fiction and a reminder that genius power and beauty always have a price
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