La Bella Principessa

A young woman is shown in profile, her long hair gathered into an ornate net headdress that falls over her shoulder. She wears a dark, richly embroidered garment set against a plain golden background, her gaze directed forward with a calm, composed expression. The portrait is identified as depicting Bianca Maria Sforza, shown in formal wear with a coif and caul binding her hair. It was created in 1495 using mixed media on vellum. The piece belongs to the High Renaissance, a period associated with Leonardo da Vinci, who also created the Adoration of the Magi. Leonardo, born in 1452 and died in 1519, worked within the broader Renaissance and held Italian citizenship. One detail worth noticing is the intricate patterning of the net headdress, which contrasts delicately with the smooth, unbroken gold field behind the sitter's profile.