ePaper
Subscribe
Newsletters
Search
Profile
The Year Ahead: 2023
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Adventures with Van Gogh
Russia-Ukraine war
Subscribe
ePaper
Newsletters
The Year Ahead: 2023
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Adventures with Van Gogh
Russia-Ukraine war
Leonardo da Vinci
archive

New insights into Leonardo's only portrait of a male sitter

The music depicted in Portrait of a Musician, 1485-88, currently on loan to the National Gallery, London, may have been composed by the artist

Martin Bailey
1 December 2011
Share

Luke Syson, the curator of “Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan” (until 5 February 2012), points out that the piece of musical notation held by the sitter is folded, like a letter. It has often been assumed that the portrait of an unknown man—Leonardo’s only male sitter—is a composer, but Syson argues that he is much more likely to be a performer, since he appears to have just received the music. This suggests that he was Atalante Migliorotti, a young Florentine singer and lyre player whom Leonardo knew. Syson further speculates that the music may “have been composed by Leonardo himself”.

Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as 'Leonardo: settling a musical score?'

Leonardo da VinciExhibitionsMusicNational GalleryPortraits
Share
Subscribe to The Art Newspaper’s digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter sign-up
Information
About
Contact
Cookie policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions
Advertise
Sister Papers
Sponsorship policy
Follow us
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
LinkedIn
© The Art Newspaper