The first time Leonardo da Vinci’s name resounded in the Ambrosiana, it was through the pen of its founder, Cardinal Federico Borromeo, who attributed this little panel to the great Master, describing it as “A portrait of a Duchess of Milan, by the hand of Leonardo”.
Following the Cardinal’s statement, the portrait was for long assumed to depict Beatrice d’Este, the wife of Ludovico il Moro.
Ambrogio de Predis | Ritratto di una dama (probabile ritratto di Beatrice d'Este) | Veneranda Pinacoteca Ambrosiana Milano