Met Hangs Leonardo Workshop Painting, Possibly by the Master's Hand

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has recently hung in its European paintings gallery (room 609) a work attributed to the workshop of Leonardo da Vinci: the Madonna of the Yarnwinder, also known as the Lansdowne Madonna. The discreet installation, made without any public announcement, has caught the attention of visitors and scholars, reigniting debates over the extent of the master's own hand in this iconic Renaissance piece.

There are two principal versions of the Madonna of the Yarnwinder: the Buccleuch Madonna and the Lansdowne Madonna. Both have long been attributed to Leonardo's workshop, with varying degrees of personal intervention by the master. The Lansdowne version, named after the Marquess of Lansdowne who once owned it, has been considered by many art historians as possibly the one largely executed by Leonardo himself, around 1501, while he was working for the secretary of the King of France.

The work, showing the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child and a spindle (a symbol of the Passion), has had a turbulent history. Stolen in 2003 from a Scottish castle, it was recovered in 2007. Its authenticity and provenance have been the subject of numerous studies; some suggest that the Lansdowne version is the more accomplished, with passages of such quality that they may indicate direct execution by the Florentine master.

The display at the Met, without official commentary, may reflect institutional caution in the face of such uncertainty. The museum has not yet commented on the definitive attribution, but its presentation in such a prestigious venue could spur renewed research and debate. Visitors can now view a work that questions the boundary between workshop production and individual genius—a central issue in the study of Leonardo da Vinci, who died in 1519 and whose entire œuvre is in the public domain.

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Written by the ADM desk based on Artlyst. Read the original article for the full story.