Treasures of the Italian Renaissance

The Grande Galerie

The Louvre’s extensive collection of Italian art includes five paintings and 22 drawings by one of the greatest Renaissance artists: Leonardo da Vinci. 

Portrait of a Lady, known as La Belle Ferronnière

Leonardo da Vinci

The compelling gaze of the woman in the outstanding portrait La Belle Ferronnière reflects Leonardo’s interest in capturing a living moment. The title of the work derives from a mistake by the painter Ingres, who made a drawn copy of the portrait and gave it the name of another painting in the Louvre. The sitter’s identity is uncertain, but she may have been Lucrezia Crivelli, a mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the duke of Milan, for whom Leonardo worked for several years.

Saint Anne, the Virgin Mary, and the Infant Jesus Playing with a Lamb, known as Saint Anne

Leonardo da Vinci

In the large painting of Saint Anne, showing the Virgin and Child with Mary’s mother Anne, the poses and arrangement of the figures are particularly striking. The fantasy landscape in the background creates a sense of timelessness, heightened by Leonardo’s famous ‘sfumato’ technique which casts a misty veil over the whole scene, enveloping it in a mysterious softness.