Leonardo da Vinci is not just the superlative of all painters—he is iconic, a superstar. Yet the person eludes us. Accounts during his lifetime describe one too handsome, too strong, too perfect. But in 2008, chance discovery in Italy of an ancient portrait with strangely familiar features gripped the art world. Was this a previously unknown Leonardo self-portrait? Controversy erupted. Such would have far reaching implications for our understanding of Leonardo’s work. Like a CSI for art, this film recounts the heart of an extensive investigation involving world-renowned experts, art historians, scientists, and even police detectives. The newest, most advanced scientific techniques plunge us back 600 years into the life of Leonardo. Like passing us through a mirror, this film recreates probable events surrounding this portrait’s creation in the brilliant, decadent Florence of the early Renaissance, living its last moments of artistic glory.
Screening time: 4:00-5:27 PM, Sunday, May 5, 2019
Length: 86 mins
Country: France
Language: French and English with English subtitles
Director: Luca Travellesi Asana
Producer: ARTE FRANCE, ZED PRODUCTION, SYDONIA