Bianca Sforza, illegitimate daughter of Lodovico Maria il Moro Sforza and cousin of Isabella of Aragon
Angela Borgia Lanzol
On 13th October 2009 newspapers reported about a newly discovered painting by Leonardo da Vinci. For the time being let's forget about the silly remarks about the finger print since we do not have any finger print of Leonardo's that we can be sure of. Nevertheless, this work was certainly made by the master himself. Because he "signed" it with one of his specific symbols, which can also be found in his emblem of the Academy of Milan which was founded by him in 1485 or 1486. However, the depicted is certainly not Bianca Sforza, whom, if the proponent had known about the history of the Sforza, would never have been proposed as a candidate. This portrait does neither exhibit any symbols, nor does it show the colours of the Sforza. However, the colours and the hair net allow the identification of the depicted. This painting is a portrait of the extraordinarily beautiful Angela Borgia Lanzol, cousin and lady-in-waiting of Lucrezia Borgia of Ferrara. She caused a lot of commotion at the court of Ferrara. Her portrait may have been commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito d'Este who was deeply in love with her. The Cardinal was a close friend of Leonardo da Vinci and helped him in his inheritance court case against Leonardo's half-brothers. The portrait has been painted in 1505 or 1506.
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