This news is already nearly a year old but the issue is
still unfolding so I thought it would be appropriate to post a topic. This website typically discusses
antiquity but I thought this topic was significant enough (and relevant to the interests of people on the
forum) that it was worthwhile to post a
thread.
In the year 1505 Leonardo was commisioned to execute a fresco in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Michelangelo was also commisioned to do a fresco on the opposite wall, making it the only time the two artists worked
side by
side together. As evident by numerous surviving sketches and written accounts, Leonardo poured a great amount of time into
his fresco and it was one of the most ambitious projects he
had ever initiated. Leonardo always experimented (which led to the partial destruction of
his fresco of the Last Supper) and with the Battle of Anghiari Leonardo wished to execute the painting in oil, a practice which was never thought possible on such a large fresco. Sadly the technique did not
work so well and parts of the painting would not dry properly and Leonardo eventually abandoned the project. Despite this the piece remained on the wall for over a decade and was greatly admired even in its partly finished state. Numerous copies of the painting were made, with the most famous being Ruben's version which is now housed in the Louvre. Michelangelo only got as far as to executing a large cartoon (a giant prepatory sketch) which was thought to have been destroyed by a jealous
contemporary.
No one knew whatever happened to Leonardo's fresco and most assumed that it was torn down and somehow lost over time. Today in the Palazzo Vecchio there are numerous finished wall paintings adorning the walls including a famed piece by Vasari. Leonardo's painting was considered one of
his great lost works and it was doubtful if we would ever see it again.
That is until recent developments. Researcher Maurizio Seracini has begun a controversial quest for the lost painting and believes he has found it. Led by a clue left by Vasari on one of the existing wall paintings, which is a small scribble on a soldiers flag--not visible from the ground--that reads "
search and you will find." Seracini believes that Vasari would have never
had destroyed Leonardo's painting and that Leonardo's painting likely existed in the same place that Vasari's currently rests. Seracini's theory is that Vasari built a small wall infront of Leonardo's fresco in order to preserve it and painted
his fresco on top of this artificial wall.
Of course many were skeptical but Seracini has done considerable research and has yet to find anything significant that contradicts
his theory. Using advanced technology Seracini did a 3d scan of the entire building and found that there is a pocket behind Vasari's painting which is the only such feature in the entire building. In March of this year Seracini caused considerable uproar when he got permission to drill holes into Vasari's painting in order to discover what was in the pocket behind Vasari's painting. Seracini discovered traces of pigment, including organic material that is nearly chemically identical to pigments used on the Mona Lisa. Evidence of brush marks and other signs of painting were discovered, but the holes were small and the space cramped making it difficult to get a
quality view of the piece.
Not much has come out about the project since the drilling experiment. I myself am eager to know how the project might continue and what the latest details are. National Geographic is making a documentary following the research but this must be on hold like the rest of the project. It was only last year when another da Vinci was discovered which was the first such find in over a hundred years. Few over a dozen da Vinci paintings survive to this day and if two more were discovered in the span of just a few years it would be the art world's equivalent of unearthing Tutankhamun's tomb.
Youtube VideoThe da Vinci that was unveiled to the public in 2011. Thought to have been a poorly executed copy, underneath layers of restorations researchers discovered the original da Vinci. The painting--worth approx. $125 Million was bought in the 1940s for only 45 pounds.
Rubens' copy of the Battle of Anghiari.