May 23, 2024

New Leonardos at the Hermitage?


New Leonardos at the Hermitage?
An alternate version of Leonardo's "Virgin of the Rocks," which is currently on display at the Louvre. Evgenii Zolotarev / BBC

An exhibit at the Hermitage claims to be displaying paintings determined to have been created by Leonardo da Vinci. But international experts agreed: these paintings were not touched by the Renaissance master. 

The exhibit, entitled "New Mysteries of the Paintings of Leonardo da Vinci," was partly financed and organized by Konstantin Goloshchapov, an influential St. Petersburg businessman and apparent close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Goloshchapov collects religious art and provided several of the paintings displayed in the Hermitage exhibit. The Hermitage website describes the exhibit as being created "in collaboration" with the scholars Carlo Pedretti and Luca Tomio. One minor issue: Pedretti has been dead since 2018, and Tomio has no academic or institutional affiliations backing up his research. 

The paintings newly attributed to Leonardo, "The Battle of Anghiari" and "The Virgin of the Rocks" are a variation and version, respectively, of works located at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence and the Louvre in Paris. While it is not unheard of for works of art to be reattributed after extensive research and study by experts, or for variations of famous paintings to be discovered, these paintings are near universally considered to not be by Leonardo. 

“Not a single serious researcher, that is, a qualified expert on Leonardo’s work, will support such an attribution," Frank Zöllner, a professor at Leipzig University, told BBC Russia. 

You Might Also Like

Hermitage Cats
  • March 09, 2006

Hermitage Cats

A look at the cats that guard one of the world's great museums.
Worthy of Aivazovsky's Brush
  • September 19, 2021

Worthy of Aivazovsky's Brush

If you love the sea, Ivan Aivazovsky is your man. Everyone should know about this Armenian-Russian painter.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955