Italian art sleuths ‘discover Leonardo da Vinci’s earliest masterpiece,’ complete with tiny signature
The Telegraph | Nick Squires
Italian scholars claim to have discovered the earliest known work by Leonardo da Vinci – a previously unattributed portrait of the Archangel Gabriel. They said infrared analysis had revealed a tiny signature on the jawline of the angel’s face which, when magnified, reads “Da Vinci Lionardo” with a date, 1471. If verified, it would be the earliest surviving work by the Renaissance genius, as well as his earliest known signature. He would have been 18 when he painted the portrait which appears on a majolica glazed tile – a popular art form in Europe in the 15th century…read more
Image: Researchers claim they found a tiny signature by Leonardo da Vinci on the glazed majolica tile, as well as the date of 1471