Leonardo dies in France in 1519. Our journey has brought us documented portraits such as Cecilia Gallerani, women he certainly drew such as Isabella d’Este, and candidates proposed from the courts he knew. Taken together, the evidence leads to the Louvre’s identification: Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The remaining mystery is less who she is than why Leonardo kept transforming her portrait for so many years.
The whole story stays in view; this chapter’s people are highlighted. Atlas controls are in Spanish.
People in this chapter
Leonardo da Vinci
Painter, engineer and investigator of nature who worked in Florence, Milan, Rome and France. His service to the Sforza, Cesare Borgia, the Medici and Francis I connects his artistic work with the courts and political networks of his time.
English profile ↗Full profile and sources in Spanish ↗Cecilia Gallerani
A translation of this profile is not yet available.
Full profile and sources in Spanish ↗Isabella d’Este
A translation of this profile is not yet available.
Full profile and sources in Spanish ↗Lisa Gherardini
A translation of this profile is not yet available.
Full profile and sources in Spanish ↗Francisco I de Francia
A translation of this profile is not yet available.
Full profile and sources in Spanish ↗Sources and coverage
Coverage is selective. Source titles remain in their original language; the Spanish records retain the detailed documentary notes.
Sources and methodology