Brazen Claims from a Florentine Art Historian Have Experts Asking, Could This Really Be an Undiscovered Work of Renaissance Master Leonardo da Vinci
By Thea Reddington
The sudden discovery of a red chalk sketch depicting Jesus Christ has made headlines after Florentine art historian Annalisa Di Maria confidently attributed it to the High Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci. Di Maria, a Leonardo scholar at the UNESCO centre in Florence is convinced of the sketch’s creator, boldly claiming ‘it recalls everything in the drawings of Leonardo: it is his language, and speaks loud and clear.’ She goes even further, claiming it to be a preparatory sketch for the Salvator Mundi, however, not the famous Salvator Mundi (1500) painting attributed to da Vinci in 2011 which went on to break records when it sold for an eye-watering $450.3 million in 2017, but for a different painting that has not yet been discovered. Di Maria is just one of many who doubt the expensive painting’s provenance, she instead attributes it to Leonardo’s assistant Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio. She explains that Leonardo, ‘could never have portrayed such a frontal and motionless character.’ Leonardo’s works are few and far between which makes the art historian’s claims incredibly exciting yet also very open to speculation and criticism. However, Di Maria stands firmly by her claims and is planning to present a 60-page paper on the sketch’s provenance after Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
Leonardo da Vinci, red chalk sketch, early 16th century, Lecco, Italy, image courtesy of the Leonardo da Vinci International Committee
But what evidence does she provide, can this sketch really be credited to the great Leonardo da Vinci? One of her arguments is that it too employs a three-quarter view, a style frequently used by the old master, visible in his famous Self Portrait (1512), also a red chalk drawing. The eyes, beard and other facial features have additionally been likened to Leonardo’s Self Portrait. One solid piece of evidence is that when laboratory tested, the paper was dated to the early 16th century, roughly when da Vinci was active.
Leonardo da Vinci, Self Portrait, 1512-1515, red chalk, The National Gallery, Turin, image courtesy of Getty Images
However, this exciting proposition has been interrupted by more sceptical art historians. Martin Kemp, a professor at Oxford who has studied Leonardo for almost 40 years, is hesitant to credit it to the Renaissance master, telling the Telegraph, ‘I wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand, but I simply can’t tell without seeing the drawing and the scientific evidence,’ even going as far as to say it would be dangerous to prematurely accept it as a Leonardo. He claims he would need to examine it himself to know whether it was drawn left-handed, which Leonardo famously was, only then would it be sensible to move forward. As well as causing great excitement in the world of art if Di Maria’s claims are verified it could seriously call into question the provenance of the $450.3 million Salvator Mundi. However, due to the current pandemic, it appears we will all have to wait to know the verdict, whether it is in fact a true product of the High Renaissance master, Leonardo da Vinci.
Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi, 1500, Oil Paint, 45.4cm x 65.6cm, image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Bibliography
Sarah Cascone, ‘’In an Explosive Claim, a Scholar Says This Newly Discovered Drawing Proves Leonardo da Vinci Never Painted ‘Salvator Mundi,’’ Art Net, November 18, 2020. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/leonardo-da-vinci-salvator-mundi-new-drawing-1924671
Alex Greenberger, ‘’Newly Discovered Jesus Drawing Is a True Leonardo da Vinci, Expert Claims,’’ Art News, November 19, 2020. https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/leonardo-da-vinci-jesus-drawing-attribution-1234576922/
Isis Davis-Marks, ‘’Art Historian Claims a Newly Discovered Drawing Is the Work of Leonardo da Vinci,’’ Smithsonian Magazine, November 23, 2020. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-someone-just-discover-new-leonardo-da-vinci-drawing-1-180976371/