Leonardo’s Portraits of Beloved Ladies

The three known women from Leonardo’s oeuvre reflect the Renaissance artist’s pioneering techniques.

A detail of Leonardo da Vinci's paintings (L–R) "Ginevra de' Benci, "Lady With an Ermine," and "Mona Lisa." Public Domain

Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance polymath, once wrote:

“If the poet says that he can inflame men with love … the painter has the power to do the same … in that he can place in front of the lover the true likeness of one who is beloved, often making him kiss and speak to it.”