
Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA 4.0
by Leonardo da Vinci, 1496
Leonardo da Vinci painted the La Belle Ferronnière around 1490-1496 in Milan, depicting an unknown woman often identified as one of Duke Ludovico Sforza's mistresses. She wears a ferronnière, a headband with a jewel centered on the forehead, which gave the painting its name centuries later.
The subject gazes past the viewer with a reserved, almost cool expression. A stone parapet separates her from the picture plane, a compositional device borrowed from Flemish portraits. Leonardo's subtle modeling creates lifelike dimensionality, especially around her eyes and the soft transitions of her neck. The dark background focuses attention entirely on her face.
The sitter's identity remains debated. Candidates include Lucrezia Crivelli and Cecilia Gallerani (also depicted in Lady with an Ermine). The painting entered the French royal collection, possibly as early as Francis I's reign. It now hangs at the Louvre alongside Leonardo's other works.

Ancient Roman (Unknown), -100
Louvre, Paris, Paris

Gerard ter Borch
Louvre, Paris, Paris

Jacques-Louis David
Louvre, Paris, Paris

Bernardino Luini
Louvre, Paris, Paris
Other masterpieces from the Renaissance movement

Raphael, 1512
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Dresden

Sandro Botticelli, 1485
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence

Raphael, 1511
Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Raphael, 1510
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Titian, 1538
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence

Titian, 1555
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

El Greco, 1614
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Sandro Botticelli, 1482
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence
Luxury wall art with the same mood and energy. Gallery-quality canvas, no museum crowds.
Browse Collection