The Lady with an Ermine has been overpainted. Leonardo darkened the entire background, touched up her dress under the ermine, and the sheer veil worn by the woman was repainted to match the color of her hair.
This masterpiece by the Renaissance master, one of the few Renaissance portraits completed by Leonardo da Vinci, was specifically commissioned by Ludovico Sforza, known as "il Moro", Duke of Milan, for whom Leonardo worked during the period c.1482-99 .
The lady, actually a 16-year-old girl, is Cecilia Gallerani, supposedly the duke's favorite mistress, who gave birth to his son the same year he married Beatrice d'Este. Holding Ludovico il Moro's armored animal in his arms, he is shown turning to the right, his eyes fixed on something off-camera, a hint of a smile on his lips. One of the greatest Renaissance paintings, Lady with an Ermine is the highlight of the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow.
The Lady With an Ermine is ranked no. 46 on the list of famous paintings
