Leonardo da Vinci painting lost for centuries found in Swiss bank

Experts say that the oil painting of Isabella d’Este, which was discovered in a Swiss bank vault, is authentic.

14:23 08 October 2013

Leonardo da Vinci’s long lost creation, the oil painting of Isabella d’Este, has been discovered in a Swiss bank vault.

In 1499, the renowned painter finished a pencil sketch of the Renaissance noblewoman. This sketch, which closely resembles the one that was recently found, is currently hanging in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

According to the Telegraph, the long lost painting was discovered in a private collection of 400 works of an Italian family who asked not be identified. This solves the 500-year mystery over the painting’s existence.

There had been debates as to whether da Vinci had developed his sketch into a painting. Shortly after the sketch, he worked on “The Battle of Anghiari” leading many to believe that he had given up on the Isabella d’Este painting.

Carlo Pedretti, a da Vinci expert from the University of California, told the Corriere della Sera newspaper that he was convinced of its authenticity.

He said: "There are no doubts that the portrait is the work of Leonardo. I can immediately recognise da Vinci's handiwork, particularly in the woman’s face."