User:Mitglied5/sandbox

Isabella d'Este Theory
In the current catalogue raisonné of Leonardo da Vinci, only Isabella d'Este is documented as a plausible alternative.

Isabella d'Este (1474-1539) was Margravine of Mantua and the most famous patron of the arts of her time. Leonardo da Vinci was her sister Beatrice d'Este's court painter in the Duchy of Milan. In 1499, after the expulsion of the Sforza (his employers), Leonardo fled to the court of Isabella d'Este. Over a period of three months, Leonardo made several portrait drawings of Isabella (documented by letters). One of these drawings, a profile drawing, is preserved in the Louvre and shows similarities.



From the subsequent years 1501 to 1506, several letters survive in which Isabella — directly and through agents — pursued da Vinci with demands for the promised execution of the (oil) portrait (and her agents promised or also confirmed Leonardo's commencement) — the Mona Lisa falls precisely within this period. In 1504 Isabella d'Este announced more interest in another motif, which is consistent with the whereabouts of the painting called Mona Lisa with Leonardo.

The hierarchical society of the Renaissance makes the portrait of an upper class noble woman more likely than the wife of a modestly merchant, especially for Mona Lisa. .

The Louvre's caveat is Isabella d'Este's alleged blonde hair. Yet Isabella's portraits Ambras miniature and  Isabella in Red represent brown hair and also further similarities (see image). Blonde hair is now only depicted in Titian's retrospective portrait Isabella in Black. Despite its circulation, this identification is disputed (outside the documentation of its own museum), as the head shows neither idealisation by beauty nor similarities with the two colour portraits mentioned above.

The visual characteristics of Lisa del Giocondo are unknown and no evaluation is possible.

LONG VERSION

Isabella d'Este Theory
In the current catalogue raisonné of Leonardo da Vinci, only Isabella d'Este is documented as a plausible alternative.

Isabella d'Este (1474-1539) was Margravine of Mantua and the most famous patron of the arts of her time. Leonardo da Vinci was her sister Beatrice d'Este's court painter in the Duchy of Milan. In 1499, after the expulsion of the Sforza (his employers), Leonardo fled to the court of Isabella d'Este. The position of court painter there, however, was occupied (by Andrea Mantegna). Over a period of three months, Leonardo made several portrait drawings of Isabella (documented by letters). One of these drawings, a profile drawing, is preserved in the Louvre and shows similarities.



From the subsequent years 1501 to 1506, several letters survive in which Isabella — directly and through agents — pursued da Vinci with demands for the promised execution of the (oil) portrait (and her agents promised or also confirmed Leonardo's commencement) — the Mona Lisa falls precisely within this period. In 1504 Isabella d'Este announced (even) more interest in another motif, which is consistent with the whereabouts of the painting called Mona Lisa with Leonardo until his death.

The landscape would also better suit a portrait associated with the Garda Mountains (Mantua on the Mincio below Lake Garda) rather than Tuscany. In the hierarchical society of the Renaissance, the oversized picture format (analogous to the profile drawing), background landscape in general and the armrest (throne) also makes the (courtly) portrait of a female sovereign more likely than the wife of a modestly merchant.

The Louvre's caveat is Isabella d'Este's alleged blonde hair. Yet Isabella's portraits Ambras miniature and  Isabella in Red  represent (henna) brown hair and also further similarities (see image). Blonde hair is now only depicted in Titian's retrospective portrait Isabella in Black. Despite its circulation, this identification is disputed (outside the documentation of its own museum), as the head shows neither idealisation of beauty nor similarities with the two coloured portraits mentioned above - yet all three are in the same museum. Further discussions thus depend on the identification in Isabella in Black (the possible confusion concerns only the identified person, not Titian).

The visual characteristics of Lisa del Giocondo are unknown and no evaluation is possible.