LEONARDO DA VINCI 1452-1519

Giovanni Antonio BOLTRAFFIO Milan, 1467–Milan, 1516 Young Man Holding an Arrow Oil on panel, transferred to canvas About 1494–1498 This youth with a halo resembles a Saint Sebastian. His ornate contemporary costume is decorated with specific motifs: the golden lilies recall the emblem of France, while the pendant with a porcupine evokes the French Order of the Porcupine or the emblem of Louis XII. The position of his right hand inside his cloak, near his heart, has sometimes been interpreted as an allusion to the wounds of love, symbolised by the arrow. Pushkin Museum, Moscow, inv. 2667 Attributed to Marco d’OGGIONO Oggiono?, about 1470–Milan, 1524 Portrait of a Child Oil on panel, transferred to canvas About 1492–1495 The sitter has been variously identified as: Massimiliano Sforza, the oldest son of Ludovico il Moro, born in 1493; his second son Francesco, born in 1495; or another Francesco, the son of Duke Gian Galeazzo, born in 1491. The composition, evidently inspired by Leonardo’s innova- tions, shows the child leaning on a parapet; the goldfinch he holds so tightly in his hand has sometimes been interpreted as a symbol of his early death. Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol, inv. K 1653 0 79 0 80 Attributed to Marco d’OGGIONO Oggiono (?), about 1470–Milan, 1524 Portrait of a Child Oil on panel, transferred to canvas Ab ut 1492–1495 The sitter has been variously identified as: Massimiliano Sforza, the oldest son of Ludovico il Moro, born in 1493; his second son Francesco, born in 1495; or another Francesco, the son of Duke Gian Galeazzo, born in 1491. The composition, evidently inspired by Leonardo’s innova- tions, shows the child leaning on a parapet; the goldfinch he holds so tightly in his hand has sometimes been interpreted as a symbol of his early death. Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol, inv. K 1653 0 80