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Leonardo's Brush.
Consider the Lady with an Ermine, Leonardo's stunning portrait of Cecelia, the mistress of Ludovice Sforza, the Duke of Milan and Leonardo's patron. The painting brims with movement (Cecelia is captured in a half turn, her hand strokes her pet), with immediacy, and with bold brushwork. Leonardo paints in the new medium of oils. His brush records the faceted contour of her nails, the furrows of her arched fingers, the candlelight reflected in her eyes. So confident is the master that some see in the work a wistful pun: the Ermine, a cousin of the sable, produces bristles for superior brushes. We see a portrait of superior brushwork.
The 19th Leonardo Challenge Exhibition will be on view through
May 12th, Saturdays 11 – 3 and Sundays 12 – 5.