LADY WITH AN ERMINE



LADY WITH AN ERMINE

     1483~90, 53.4*39.3cm, Oil on wood
   One of the most fascinating portraits by Leonardo, it depicts the virginal Cecillia Gallerani. For a decade, she dominated the Court of Ludovico Moro in Milan with her beauty, wit and virtue. The ermine she holes - a traditional symbol of chastity - was slightly enlarged to balance the composition.