Ginevra de' Benci

Finished in 1478 by Leonardo da Vinci, portrait around 1474-1478, making it one of his earliest surviving works. Ginevra de' Benci was a young Florentine aristocrat, and this is the only Leonardo painting on public view in the Americas.

The portrait was radical for its time. Leonardo positioned Ginevra at a three-quarter angle instead of the traditional profile view, allowing viewers to see more of her face and the atmospheric landscape behind her. The juniper tree (ginepro in Italian) behind her is a visual pun on her name.

The painting was likely cut down at some point, probably due to damage. Ginevra's hands, which Leonardo sketched in preparatory drawings, are now missing. Despite this, the work remains one of the most important Renaissance portraits and a highlight of the National Gallery of Art collection.