Another enigmatic painting (like the Mona Lisa) by Italian Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci, ‘Lady With an Erimine,’ is a oil on wood likeness attributed as that of Cecilia Gallerani, the young unmarried mistress of the Duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza circa the late 1480s, as depicted in Eden Collinsworth’s biographical art history book, “What the Ermine Saw: The Extraordinary Journey of Leonardo da Vinci’s Most Mysterious Portrait.”

As Collinsworth notes in her well-researched work, the animal Cecilia is holding in her arms is thought to be a fictional creature—that of a white ermine representing purity and innocence. Although Sforza is in love with the young woman, due to political alliances he must marry another. As a result, Cecilia’s a portrait disappears for hundreds of years before becoming rediscovered and sold to a Polish collector as the nations rock on the brink of WWII.

Collinsworth traces the incredible journey of this magnificent portrait from its creation by Leonardo to its hidden obscurity; tracing it back to provenance again; then it’s meandering journey through Europe during the darkest days of Nazi occupation and war; and back to it’s glory days of illustrious existence in modern times. It’s a fascinating story of a painting that with a mystique all of its own.

TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Eden Collinsworth, Publisher Doubleday Books / Doubleday for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

It is believed that Lady with an Ermine was painted in 1490 and that it is most likely a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, who was a mistress of Ludovico Sforza of Milan. He was a patron of arts and commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to paint Cecilia, and also the Last Supper.

What is so special about this painting? It’s the dynamic that he captured, not just a face of a woman, but someone who was captured in a moment of turning. The ermine was most likely added as a second draft and symbolizes pregnancy and childbirth. It’s not clear if she was pregnant at the time with Ludovico’s child.

In 1491, Ludovico was forced to keep his promise to marry Beatrice d’Este of Ferrara. His heart was still with Cecilia. Beatrice’s jealousy forced Ludovico to arrange a marriage for Cecilia. When she left his palace, Lady with an Ermine was in her possession.

Then, the trace of the painting disappears for 250 years.

In 1800, Adam Czartoryski, Polish noble, while in Italy purchased Lady with an Ermine for his mother, Izabela – an art collector, who founded the first museum in Poland. The seller remains mystery to this day. He also purchased Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man for his mother.

Due to the partitions of Poland, many nobles and intellectuals allocated themselves in Paris. Izabela’s older son, Adam (who bought the panting), bought the famous Hotel Lambert in Paris, where the masterpiece of Lady with an Ermine resided as well, after the November Uprising in Poland in 1830.

Due to the partitioned Poland, only the part of Poland that was under Austro-Hungarian Empire allowed Polish culture. Thus, Wladyslaw Czartoryski, son of Adam, brought the collection from Paris to Krakow in 1874, where it’s on a display at the Czartoryski Museum.

The first part of the book offers the stories of people who were involved first with creating the painting and later owning it. The second part of the book offers the journey of the painting and it’s due to turbulent events in Europe, especially the three partitions of Poland. And later, how it was making different tours across the world.

The story is crisply presented. It has a good flow, making it a very quick and engaging read.

P.S. I’m very happy to see that Izabela Czartoryska’s name is introduced to English readers. She came from one of the most influential families in Poland, was of noble blood and a rarity in her spheres that truly saw the poverty. She knew that handing out a few coins to beggars won’t solve the problem. Throughout her life, she searched for a solution. She was a great patriot, who deeply cared for her country and fought for its independence. When she started collecting valuable items, the idea of starting the first museum in Poland (and one of the first in Europe) didn’t occur to her at first. It was when Poland was partitioned by Prussia, Austria, and Russia. It gave her fuel to preserve Polish culture and language. Next, she started schools for peasants. Then, due to lack of books for school, she started writing them herself. She was a phenomenal dynamo, who cared about her country and humanity. Glad that she is getting the overdue recognition. #GloryUkraine

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting account of the journey of one Leonardo Da Vinci portrait from its creation to the present.

The early chapters of this book are fantastic, particularly if you are a fan of Milanese history and/or Italian Renaissance art like I am. From the creative process of one of history’s most profound artistic geniuses to the political implications of it for the Sforza and d’Este families, this is fascinating stuff.

Less interesting is what happens to the painting after this period, not because it’s journey isn’t notable, but because it isn’t especially unique.

A huge swath of the book is dedicated to nazi looting and repatriation of artwork (mostly in a general sense rather than specific to this piece). Which I suppose is fine, but most of it is commonly held knowledge if you’re interested in art and history, and there’s nothing about this particular painting’s experience in these circumstances that is especially unique.

Add this to the long list of books that while well written and researched, just don’t contain enough content to justify a book. Could have been a terrific long form article, particularly the earlier parts of the painting’s existence. I would have been happy to have three times as much detail on the Milan/Italian segment of this book and see the rest noted in an epilogue.

Oh dear lord NO. This is just so poorly written that even if it did in fact deliver on its premise, it would be a miserable reading experience.

1.) The quality of the writing is just so unbelievably bad. I had to look up the author because I thought perhaps English was not her first language, but Collinsworth is an American. The sentence structure is just really bizarre; for example: "his interworkings [sic] make for a challenge to understand". Hardly a paragraph goes by without a run-on sentence. Some of the paragraphs *are* run-on sentences. One can only hope that this is a draft and that the final edition will have undergone extensive editing, but truly this would require A LOT of editing.

2.)The tone is strangely gossipy for a nonfiction book and the author's historical biases are on full display. On the one hand, it is a pop history book meant to appeal to a general audience. On the other hand, saying the Duke of Milan "was busy enjoying the sexual perks of his title" is a weird way to say that he was raping any woman he wanted. In general, Collinsworth has a very Great Men approach to history. She actually states that "revolutions in the sciences and the humanities tend to occur in clusters of extraordinary individuals" which is wildly old-school in its interpretation of history. Also, it's a worldview that would likely be appealing to an international business mogul but we'll come back to that.

3. "virginity can be bartered, stolen, or lost, but once gone, it is irretrievable" Ok Mary Bennet.

4. "With their stubborn allegiance to facts art historians have been trained to stay in a narrow and straight lane of investigation with clear evidence leading the way" Yeah that is generally the way that nonfiction works. Seriously though this author makes leaps that belong in a russian ballet. Wild unsubstantiated speculation is clearly her preference, which is fine if you're not writing a nonfiction history book. She just can't stay on topic at all and I suspect that part of the reason why is that she couldn't find enough material and so is filling in with unrelated (and speculative) side information.

5. You may recall I said something about the author being a business mogul. Collinsworth currently runs an international consulting firm but earlier in her career she was the president of Arbor House publishing and then later vice president of The Hearst Corporation. The whole book smacks of 'vanity project' that got published because of the author's extensive connections rather than on the merits of the work.

Thank you Netgalley and Doubleday books for access to this arc.

Pay attention to the title. Yes, the book is obviously about Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci and goes into some detail about how the painting came into being. But most of the book follows it as it moves through time and history influencing and being affected by the turmoil and upheaval of human activities. Just go with the conceit that we’re being told what Cecilia and the ermine witnessed and then settle in for some fascinating information.

Human history has been raw, brutal, and uncertain for much of the time we’ve been here. That certainly was the case in 15th century Italy which was divided into city states often at war with each other. The family of the man who commissioned a portrait of his (very) young mistress took over Milan by force, brutalized much of its population, then turned on itself when a seven year old heir was (probably) murdered by his uncle. The new Duke of Milan then went on the type of improvement spree common to thugs trying to spruce up their image. For Italian Renaissance rulers this meant hauling in painters, sculptors, and architects, among others, and Ludovico Sforza snagged one of the best to paint Cecilia Gallerani who was poised, intelligent, and could discuss philosophy in Latin.

It was a rare time when all three were in the same city, at the same time. Leonardo was often on the move seeking better employment opportunities, it was just before Ludovico married a jealous young wife who didn’t care to be confronted with his pretty mistress living in the same castello, and a few years before the French then the Spanish invaded northern Italy. Eventually Cecelia was moved out – presumably taking the painting with her – Ludovico was captured by the French, and Leonardo zigzagged his way to and from various Italian cities before finally heading to France.

Little is known of the whereabouts of Cecelia and her ermine until they were bought – probably from an impoverished noble Italian family looking for quick cash to pay the outrageous taxes imposed by Napoleon to fund his army – by the son of a noble Polish family looking to boost Polish pride and national identity in the face of the three partitions of that country by her greedy neighbors. After that, the portrait was carried across Europe to Paris and back while the Czartoryski family went into and returned from exile.

It’s probably its fate during World War II that most people know. Initially hidden from grasping Nazi hands, along with a Rembrandt (found after the war) and a Raphael (still missing) it was on multiple “I want this” lists of Nazi bigwigs. After being found and whisked to Berlin, Hitler allowed his man in charge in Poland to hang it in his Kraków office in return for (genocidal) services rendered to the amount of 4 million dead. Found by American military forces in Germany – along with countless other looted treasures of Europe – it returned to Poland where it sat out the Soviet era.

It is this last period of time I found the most interesting as I knew little about the museum director maneuverings between Poland and the USSR and within the USSR before Poland emerged from communism and didn’t worry about lending Cecelia and the ermine for fear of not getting them back. After that the two have become famous globetrotters showing up in Sweden to help boost a bridge building bid, instantly selling out tickets to a once in a lifetime show of Leonardo paintings in London, yielding up some of their secrets to increasingly sophisticated techniques, and perhaps offering (yeah, it’s a long shot) Leonardo DNA that might reveal if his bones were reburied properly in Amboise.

And through it all, Cecelia’s smile has lured and charmed viewers while the painting displays Leonardo’s thoughts and artistic techniques. The book is very readable if a little reaching in places where not much is known of the painting’s location. I enjoyed the inclusion of so many women important to its history and preservation during war.

When David Bull, an internationally renowned art conservationist, was asked to name the one painting he would hang on the wall to look at every day, he answered without hesitating.

“Oh, that’s easy,” he responded, as though addressing the obvious. “It would be Leonardo’s Lady with an Ermine.”

“Why so easy an answer?” was the next question. Bull’s efficient explanation consisted of three short reasons: “Because I think it’s sublimely beautiful. Because it is a masterly painting of technique. Because it has an intriguing story behind it.”

Check out this book to discover that history. B

The novel opens with a brief history of da Vinc, started with the Master's apprenticeship with Verrocchio and it has been suggested that de Vinci was the model of Verrocciio's David. The artist showed his brilliance thus he was enrolled into the painter's guild at the age of 21 years old showing his geninus And Painter received the commision of Lady of Ermine in 1490 and was considered to be a masterpiece..
Accepting the commission to paint a portrait of a young woman, Cecilla Gallerani and the artist was obiligated to create a flattering impression. The young woman was described as having sublimed grace and guitless beauty. Painter de Vinci's Lady With an Ermine could be considered a political allegory represented through Ludovico's cradling the ermine in her arms. Lucvrezia, the woman was capable of burning holes with her intense stare.
I enjoyed every word of this book and there was a lot more book that I could have focused on. Thank you Eden Collinsworth, Penguin Random House, Doubleday, and NetGalley the privledge of reading a reviewing this boo, in return I wrote an honest review.

This was a very interesting biography of Leonardo da Vinci and his painting! There were many details about the painting that I have never known before! I also liked learning about the back story of the model of Leonardo’s famous painting! The author does an excellent job in describing the events of Renaissance, Italy and how unstable it was during that time! I also liked how the author described how the painting survived and remained love throughout time! The author truly showed that Leonardo da Vinci truly created a masterpiece! This is a must-read for fans of art history! I recommend this for fans of In Search of Mona Lisa!

I love art! It is one of the things that makes me the happiest a. The Italian renaissance has always fascinated me so I was thrilled when I was approved for this arc. One of only four portraits by DaVinci that features a woman this book takes through a time portal that allows us to see the various people, places and history that surrounded this masterpiece.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It is more than just the story of how the painting came to be in existence, it is the story of how it traveled through time and it’s various owners. From its creation in Milan, to Poland and through the World wars to its eventual home in a museum in Krakow, we learn the history of the world and it’s various owners. I especially enjoyed the part about the Sforza family and the commission of the portrait. This book ends up being somewhat of a travelogue through the history in which the painting traveled and it was fascinating. I highly r commend this book for anyone with an interest in art or history.

What the Ermine Saw details the history of one of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces, ‘Lady with an Ermine’, which is a portrait of the beautiful and intelligent Italian courtesan, Cecilia Gallerani. Collinsworth delves into the lives of Gallerani, her lover Ludovico Sforza who commissioned the painting, da Vinci himself, and the people in the little circle surrounding the painting after it was completed. Within fifty years, it vanished from the historical record until about 1801, when a Polish diplomat working for the Russian government purchased it for his mother’s art collection in Poland. For the next 140 years, it was moved and admired and nearly destroyed, but ultimately kept safe by the same family- until it was stolen by Nazi officials, who craved having Renaissance masterpieces for themselves and pillaged the art of the Jews they murdered, and anyone else’s art they could get their hands on. Thanks to the courage and efforts of art historians like Rose Valland, many great masterpieces were not lost or destroyed by the Nazis, and while too many works have not been returned to their rightful owners (or their descendants), many, many priceless objects have been saved and preserved.

This wonderful little book sheds light on moments of history that I had never read about before, and it was amazing to learn about them. It's amazing how following a single painting from one owner to the next can highlight the history of a nation. Thanks to 'What the Ermine Saw', I've learned so much about eighteenth-century Polish history. I definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in the works of Leonardo da Vinci, art history, and history in general.

This was an interesting book based around my all time favorite painting. It covers why it was made and the story surrounding Ludovico Sforza (da Vinci’s patron for the painting) and Cecilia (his mistress, the Lady) and what is known of their lives as well as da Vinci and how he painted, including the different editions of the painting that deem to have been done. Then, the story gets bigger and before you quite know how it happens you are reading about Catherine the Great, Poland, and one of the leading families trying to gain Polish independence. World Wars, Nazis, Communists, and more, this painting has seen it all.

I wish there had been more about the painting in terms of its place in art history- are there other paintings with ermine that this can be compared to or is it unique in that way as well as others? What is it that keeps bringing us back to this small but powerful painting? I was fascinated by the technical art history and learning about what museums have been able to see when they examine the painting and would have been interested to know more about that, maybe also comparing it with more of Leonardo’s work as well. Instead Ermine exists in a vacuum against his other paintings, even when talking about the exhibit where the paintings were all brought together. I thought all of the historical stories were interesting, though many seem to wander far before you figure out how they connect back to Lady with an Ermine. It took awhile before I learned to just go with the flow and trust that the author would eventually show us why these histories were important to the painting. Its a style that might not work for everyone, but if you love the painting, history, or both, I recommend giving this a try. There are some fascinating gems along the trail.

I received an Arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book

The teenager turns her head toward something we can’t see. She is lovely but modestly dressed. She holds a white ermine, almost cuddling an animal known to be fierce and aggressive. Leonardo Da Vinci was commissioned to paint the portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, mistress of his patron the Duke of Milan. There are only four portraits of women known to be by Da Vinci. Like his Mona Lisa, he kept Lady with Ermine for years, changing it several times. He added the ermine, changed its size and color. It finally was hung in the Duke’s room…Until he married, when his wife sent the mistress, her child, and the painting out of the house.

In What the Ermine Saw, Eden Collingsworth traces the history of the painting across time as it descended down through the family who took it to Poland. The painting survived conflict and two world wars, narrowly escaping the bombing that destroyed Dresden (and provoked Kurt Vonnegut to write Slaughterhouse Five). It hung in a private museum and in the home of the Nazi who systemically eradicated Polish culture, burning books and murdering thousands and sending millions to concentration camps.

I was totally immersed in this book, the tumultuous history fascinating. I had never considered how wondrous that works of cherished works of Western art survived at all.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

Engaging pop history that tells a good story of European history though the lens of a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The most interesting sections for me were detailing the political and cultural landscape of Italy when the painting as commissioned; a discussion of what the different portrait features (and the mere existence) of a paining of a young mistress to a due meant; and a look at the the aristocratic Polish family who ended up buying the painting and their struggle to hold on to the paining (and the existence of their country!) in the era of Catherine the Great and Paul I's imperialistic rules in Russia. The the deepest or most nuanced narrative at times, but it's a griping, interesting story about how genius and art can reverberate down the centuries.

In following the painting "Lady with an Ermine" across time and space, the author weaves a compelling narrative about the enduring genius of Leonardo di Vinci and the history of art collecting. The section about the painting's origins in the Italian Renaissance felt incredibly detailed and vibrant and made me realize why this painting is still considered important and enigmatic. The author frequently incorporated the stories of women into this historical account, which felt fitting considering the painting's female subject.

However, as the book progressed I felt the story becoming more and more distanced from the enduring legacy of the painting. While the biographies of the Polish nobility who owned the work are interesting, the book could have benefited from simultaneously exploring why this work of art remained valuable and coveted across several centuries. Some passages felt convoluted as I was reading them, most often due to a need for additional context or clarity. This becomes most evident in the final section, which follows its exhibition history. While the painting's return to Italy and its inclusion in the major Leonardo exhibition serve as fitting conclusions to the painting's history, it felt disconnected from the previous sections and often became repetitive. Since the painting clearly elicited a strong emotional response from figures across history, I wish this theme recurred more frequently throughout the book.

Art history that reads like candy! WHAT THE ERMINE SAW is a tantalizing, irresistible and fast-paced road trip into the history of the incomparable DaVinci painting--its inception, then lost...and found...and lost again. Studded with nuggets of information (and gossip)--highly recommended.

A priceless work of art is lost, then found, lost again, found, lost again, misplaced, abused, hidden away in secret chambers, then found once more. Rinse and repeat.

Leonardo da Vinci, Hitler, Catherine the Great, Cesare Borgia, Machiavelli, Stalin. Sex, death, political intrigue, family intrigue, more sex, more death, intrigues galore . . . a delicious, page turning look at the incredible story of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine and all the various owners across the centuries, as well as an even more delicious look at the back stories delineating what people were willing to do to get their greedy hands on her for themselves.

I really enjoyed this book right from the start and have told several of my friends how much I like it and have recommended they read it, too, once it’s released this Spring.

History the way it should be told, insights into the mind and process of one of our greatest, most unique artists, as well as characters galore; what more (really) can you ask for?

5 Stars

This is a fun, popular art history narrative, following the astounding survival of Leonardo's Lady with Ermine from it's creation as a prestige item for Ludovico Il Moro Sforza showing off his exquisitely educated and beautiful mistress, it's pursuit by his wife's art collecting sister (Isabella d'Este), acquisition by 18th century Polish diplomat from some cash-strapped Italian nobles in the wake of Napoleon, place in the Czartoryski family patriotic attempts to make Poland a sustainable independent nation, exile in Paris, the heiresses who kept it safe through 1830, 1848, 1870 and the first world war, its Nazi confiscation and recovery, Soviet and Polish claims, post-Cold War international wrangling by the ex-pat family branches in France, Spain, US and UK, and it's fund-raising tour of the world before hanging in the restored museum in Krakow. Collinsworth gives capsule biographies and brief background on the tumultuous times and colorful people surrounding it, enough to understand the context of complex events, and highlights the enduring pull of one painting in western culture..