End Notes
The dramatic life of a controversial masterpiece: Leonardo's Portrait of Givenra de' Benci
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[1] As we don’t know the full context of this line, the concept of a mountain tiger asking for forgiveness remains elusive. For a recent biographical novel identifying Ginevra with a tiger, see Da Vinci’s Tiger by LM Elliott
[2] Google Arts and Culture, Infrared Reflectography Image Detail of “Ginevra de’ Benci” (c. 1474/1478) by Leonardo da Vinci, https://artsandculture.google.com
[3] Mary D. Garrard, “Who Was Ginevra de' Benci? Leonardo's Portrait and Its Sitter Recontextualized”, Artibus et Historiae, Vol. 27, No. 53 (2006), 23 at 25. In the painting, Leonardo has also played with perspective in depicting Ginevra’s eyes – her left eye looks directly at the viewer, but her right eye appears to be directed off towards the right.
[4] Traditionally, the woman would be depicted as looking to the right (on engagement) and looking to the left (on marriage)
[5] Carolyn Springer, Review of David Alan Brown, Virtue and Beauty: Leonardo's "Ginevra de' Benci" and Renaissance Portraits of Women,
Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 56, No. 2 (Summer, 2003), 475 at 476
[6] The imposition of tighter sumptuary rules may also have played a part in this
[7] Garrard, op cit at 30; Lilian H Zirpolo, Review of David Alan Brown, Virtue and Beauty: Leonardo's "Ginevra de' Benci" and Renaissance Portraits of Women,
I, Vol 24, No 1 (Spring-- Summer 2003)
[8] National Gallery of Art, Washington, website entry for Portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci
[9] Jennifer Fletcher, “Bernardo Bembo and Leonardo’s Portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci”, Burlington Magazine 131 (1989) 811
[10] Garrard, op cit at 30
[11] Garrard, op cit at 37
[12] Garrard, op cit at 30
[13] Mario Modestini, Tales and Techniques of a Great Restorer, Introduction by Dianne Dwyer Modestini at 22ff
[14] Incidentally, the catalogue entry for the drawing states that “this is not a study of two hands held one above the other, but two separate studies of crossed hands, each study concentrating on one hand only, with the other as a mere outline” Royal Collection Trust, “A Study of a Woman’s Hands” https://www.rct.uk/collection/912558/a-study-of-a-womans-hands
[15] Garrard, op cit at 35ff
[16] For some time there were doubts about the authenticity of the work, based partly on this lack of provenance for so many years. Those doubts have largely dissipated
[17] Brodt, op cit
[18] Milton Esterow, “Leonardo Oil Brings $5 Million; National Gallery to Buy Work From Liechtenstein, The New York Times, 19 February 1967
[19] Esterow, op cit
[20] Esterow, op cit
[21] In a major diplomatic coup engineered by Jackie Kennedy
[22] Modestini, op cit
[23] Brodt, op cit
[24] Modestini. op cit
[25] John Canaday, “Debut of Leonardo’s Ginevra”, The New York Times, March 17, 1967
[26] Brodt, op cit
[27] Garrard, op cit at 42. Maybe this just meant that she was determined
[28] Garrard, op cit at 43
[29] Garrard, op cit at 43
© Philip McCouat, 2026.
Return to HOME
[1] As we don’t know the full context of this line, the concept of a mountain tiger asking for forgiveness remains elusive. For a recent biographical novel identifying Ginevra with a tiger, see Da Vinci’s Tiger by LM Elliott
[2] Google Arts and Culture, Infrared Reflectography Image Detail of “Ginevra de’ Benci” (c. 1474/1478) by Leonardo da Vinci, https://artsandculture.google.com
[3] Mary D. Garrard, “Who Was Ginevra de' Benci? Leonardo's Portrait and Its Sitter Recontextualized”, Artibus et Historiae, Vol. 27, No. 53 (2006), 23 at 25. In the painting, Leonardo has also played with perspective in depicting Ginevra’s eyes – her left eye looks directly at the viewer, but her right eye appears to be directed off towards the right.
[4] Traditionally, the woman would be depicted as looking to the right (on engagement) and looking to the left (on marriage)
[5] Carolyn Springer, Review of David Alan Brown, Virtue and Beauty: Leonardo's "Ginevra de' Benci" and Renaissance Portraits of Women,
Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 56, No. 2 (Summer, 2003), 475 at 476
[6] The imposition of tighter sumptuary rules may also have played a part in this
[7] Garrard, op cit at 30; Lilian H Zirpolo, Review of David Alan Brown, Virtue and Beauty: Leonardo's "Ginevra de' Benci" and Renaissance Portraits of Women,
I, Vol 24, No 1 (Spring-- Summer 2003)
[8] National Gallery of Art, Washington, website entry for Portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci
[9] Jennifer Fletcher, “Bernardo Bembo and Leonardo’s Portrait of Ginevra de’ Benci”, Burlington Magazine 131 (1989) 811
[10] Garrard, op cit at 30
[11] Garrard, op cit at 37
[12] Garrard, op cit at 30
[13] Mario Modestini, Tales and Techniques of a Great Restorer, Introduction by Dianne Dwyer Modestini at 22ff
[14] Incidentally, the catalogue entry for the drawing states that “this is not a study of two hands held one above the other, but two separate studies of crossed hands, each study concentrating on one hand only, with the other as a mere outline” Royal Collection Trust, “A Study of a Woman’s Hands” https://www.rct.uk/collection/912558/a-study-of-a-womans-hands
[15] Garrard, op cit at 35ff
[16] For some time there were doubts about the authenticity of the work, based partly on this lack of provenance for so many years. Those doubts have largely dissipated
[17] Brodt, op cit
[18] Milton Esterow, “Leonardo Oil Brings $5 Million; National Gallery to Buy Work From Liechtenstein, The New York Times, 19 February 1967
[19] Esterow, op cit
[20] Esterow, op cit
[21] In a major diplomatic coup engineered by Jackie Kennedy
[22] Modestini, op cit
[23] Brodt, op cit
[24] Modestini. op cit
[25] John Canaday, “Debut of Leonardo’s Ginevra”, The New York Times, March 17, 1967
[26] Brodt, op cit
[27] Garrard, op cit at 42. Maybe this just meant that she was determined
[28] Garrard, op cit at 43
[29] Garrard, op cit at 43
© Philip McCouat, 2026.
Return to HOME