lady with an ermine
Descriptive Art Essay
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519). This painting, the Lady with an Ermine 1489-1490, has been made of oil on a wooden panel with a size of 54 cm by 39 cm. The painting itself is a departure from the typical mediums of frescos (a type of paint used on murals) and paints made from crushed pigments mixed with egg whites. It is an oil painting. The theme of this artwork is expressed as portraiture during the high Renaissance period, traditionally taken to begin in the 1490’s. This era was known as the rebirth of art, and was all about the development of different art aspects. In the Lady with an Ermine, Leonardo Da Vinci detailed his artwork with artistic qualities derived from the high Renaissance era. These qualities are demonstrated throughout the painting, such as the color association and contrast shown between the different picture planes in the artwork. Other qualities include the application of smufato technique, the method of shading and subtle graduation of tones on the lady’s neck and chest. The piece of artwork also has detailed qualities displayed in small areas such as the lady’s eyes, where Leonardo used a special technique of adding tiny ‘catch lights’ (dots of white paint) into the lady’s iris as if they were reflecting the light from an open window or dancing candle, giving her a sparkling vivacity and tantalizing eyes. Beside the detailed qualities in this work of art, Leonardo was inspired by the idea humanism that is shown in the lady’s disproportionate large hands. If you look closely, you can notice the realistic detail and form of her hand. Within this artwork, Leonardo established many artistic qualities painting this magnificent portrait for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza in Milan.
The lady in this portrait is identified as Cecilia Gallerani, aged about 16 when her portrait was painted. She was the favorite mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the immensely powerful duke of Milan. She was one of a large family neither rich nor
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519). This painting, the Lady with an Ermine 1489-1490, has been made of oil on a wooden panel with a size of 54 cm by 39 cm. The painting itself is a departure from the typical mediums of frescos (a type of paint used on murals) and paints made from crushed pigments mixed with egg whites. It is an oil painting. The theme of this artwork is expressed as portraiture during the high Renaissance period, traditionally taken to begin in the 1490’s. This era was known as the rebirth of art, and was all about the development of different art aspects. In the Lady with an Ermine, Leonardo Da Vinci detailed his artwork with artistic qualities derived from the high Renaissance era. These qualities are demonstrated throughout the painting, such as the color association and contrast shown between the different picture planes in the artwork. Other qualities include the application of smufato technique, the method of shading and subtle graduation of tones on the lady’s neck and chest. The piece of artwork also has detailed qualities displayed in small areas such as the lady’s eyes, where Leonardo used a special technique of adding tiny ‘catch lights’ (dots of white paint) into the lady’s iris as if they were reflecting the light from an open window or dancing candle, giving her a sparkling vivacity and tantalizing eyes. Beside the detailed qualities in this work of art, Leonardo was inspired by the idea humanism that is shown in the lady’s disproportionate large hands. If you look closely, you can notice the realistic detail and form of her hand. Within this artwork, Leonardo established many artistic qualities painting this magnificent portrait for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza in Milan.
The lady in this portrait is identified as Cecilia Gallerani, aged about 16 when her portrait was painted. She was the favorite mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the immensely powerful duke of Milan. She was one of a large family neither rich nor