Popculture, art and real-life

“Lady with an Ermine” is one of the most precious masterpieces of painting and the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci himself belonging to Poland. After more than 200 years in a country, a real battle for portrait takes place.

“Lady with an Ermine”, went to Poland in 1800, this is after 310 years since it was created. Leonardo da Vinci painted it for the order of Ludovica Sforza and showed the mistress of Prince - Cecilia Gallerani. After the picture was completed, it went to her possession. It is not known what happened to it after the death of a model, until it was purchased by Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski. Later, the painting was hanged in the castle in Pulawy, and was looked after by Izabela Czartoryska. When the November Uprising started, piece was taken to Paris, returned to the country around 1880 and immediately went to Krakow, to the Czartoryski Museum.

Its location until now is Cracow (the National Museum in Krakow is the depository of the image). Since the late nineteenth century, the image has not traveled much. During World War II, it was transported to Germany. The work was returned in 1946. Since then, it has not been exposed to danger. It left Poland only a few times – it was in Moscow and Washington, later exhibited in Sweden and Italy. Much care to portrait painted by the master is due to its huge artistic value.

Currently, the piece is not, however, in Cracow, but in Warsaw’s Royal Castle. From 18 May 2010 to 28 February 2011, it was the main attraction of the exhibition devoted to masterpieces from the collections of the Princes Czartoryski Museum in Krakow. Although the exhibition came to an end “Lady with an Ermine” did not leave Warsaw. Her return was blocked by the image owner, this is the Princes Czartoryski Foundation, which demands that the portrait remained in the capital until November 2011, which is until the travel to London.

This decision unleashed a storm. It was made as a reaction to the position on the image, which presents the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. At the end of holidays 2010 ministry at the request of Cracow curators, blocked an exit of "Lady " to Berlin. Resort formed an opinion that the image of such a format should not travel, just as no other work of Leonardo's travels - "Mona Lisa". Although it is well preserved, it has more than five hundred years, so nutty board on which is painted should be treated with caution.

Similar position on this issue presents a museum in Cracow. Moreover, it adds that since the end of the exhibition in Warsaw, the image is without any legal protection, and this is unacceptable, especially if such a situation would be maintained for another 8 months.

The Foundation, however, is adamant, and its board has already taken a final decision. It found the attitude of the ministry as embarrassing, and a travel ban to be highly incomprehensible. Therefore, it did not meet terms of the agreement with the Cracow museum and decided that the "Lady with an Ermine" returns to Cracow, however, after a visit to London.