Lady with an Ermine
One of only four surviving portraits by Leonardo, the Lady with an Ermine is believed to depict Cecilia Gallerani, mistress of Ludovico Sforza. The sitter's direct, three-quarter gaze was revolutionary — before Leonardo, portrait subjects looked straight ahead. The ermine she holds is a symbol of purity and may be a pun on Gallerani's name. Seized by the Nazis in 1939, it was returned to Poland after the war.
Color Mood
Psychologically alive. The near-black background makes everything else glow — skin, white fur, red gown. Leonardo achieves a sense of interrupted motion that no portrait painter before him had captured. The most modern face of the 15th century.
Czartoryski Museum, Kraków, Poland
Primary Colors
The dominant colors that define the overall mood and atmosphere of the work.
Secondary Colors
Supporting colors that add depth, contrast, and visual interest.
Tertiary Colors
Accent and detail colors that complete the composition.