One of Leonardo da Vinci’s most enigmatic and precious masterpieces, “The Beautiful Princess” (La Bella Principessa), will be presented for the first time to the public in Kazakhstan. This unique opportunity was made possible thanks to the efforts of the Italian Embassy in Astana and the support of Forte Bank, Mastercard, the publishing house Scripta Maneant and the Italian Cultural Institute, as well as the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The exhibition will be held at the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana from 7 June to 4 August.
“The Beautiful Princess” is a portrait of a young Italian noblewoman, painted by Leonardo da Vinci at the end of the 15th century. The drawing, taken from the Warsaw Sforziad, is identified as the profile of Bianca Giovanna Sforza, daughter of Ludovico il Moro and wife of Galeazzo Sanseverino, captain of Ludovico il Moro’s armies. The painting, which had disappeared and then been rediscovered, is Leonardo’s only work on parchment and one of his most mysterious and fascinating creations. The painting has previously been exhibited only five times, always attracting immense interest from critics and the public.
“Cultural promotion is one of Italy’s foreign policy tools and a powerful engine for dialogue between countries,” said the Italian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Marco Alberti, adding that “Leonardo da Vinci is the epitome of the Renaissance man, an evergreen icon of multifaceted talent, genius and creativity. The exhibition of one of his masterpieces in Astana represents a unique and extraordinary opportunity to consolidate bilateral cooperation between Italy and Kazakhstan”.
