Polish Ministry of Culture considering buying Da Vinci painting
19:44
Poland’s Minister of Culture, Piotr Gliński, wants to purchase Leonardo da Vinci’s only painting that is regularly on display in Polish art museums, according to a Tuesday report in the Polish press. The late 15th-century painting, Lady with an Ermine, is permanently on display in Kraków, where it is owned by the Czartoryski Foundation. It is considered to be an exceptionally valuable masterpiece, often mentioned in sync with (arguably) Da Vinci’s most famous work, the Mona Lisa. The painting is estimated to be valued at PLN 1 billion.
The Ministry of Culture issued a statement which said, “Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Gliński announced measures to regulate the status of the permanent collection,” alluding to the importance of “maintenance and care” of the painting over “several decades” in Kraków.
The iconic painting, which is said to depict Cecilia Gallerani, a mistress of Da Vinci’s employer, has a fairly long connection to Poland. In 1798, Polish prince Adam Czartoryski acquired it in Italy and for decades it was part of the family collection at the Czartoryski Museum in Kraków. In 1830, it was whisked away to Dresden to prevent being stolen by the invading Russian Army. It was also seized by the Nazis during the German occupation of Poland in the World War II. Finally, after being discovered in Bavaria it was returned to the Czartoryski Museum. It is currently on display at Wawel Castle while renovations take place at Czartoryski.
