Two recent scholarly findings have surfaced about drawings sketched by Italy’s most famous Renaissance artist and poly-mathematician, Leonardo da Vinci. An Italian scholar believes that a drawing of Jesus included in a private collection in Lecco, is one of Leonardo da Vinci’s works. In a Vienna study, researchers discovered DNA along with microorganisms on a da Vinci drawing.

Italian Scholar Attributes a Drawing of Jesus to Leonardo da Vinci

A drawing of Jesus, kept in a private collection for years was identified by Annalisa Di Maria as a work of da Vinci. Ms. DI Maria who works at the Florence division of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Centre made the discovery in connection with a request for attribution concerning a drawing sketched in red chalk, presented by the Lecco art collector.

In an interview by the Italian daily newspaper La Stampa, Ms. Di Maria said that the Jesus image sketched in red chalk is a genuine representation of da Vinci’s artistic language. However, her attribution work is still ongoing as she has yet to establish the date the artwork was created by da Vinci.

Additionally, Ms. Di Maria told La Stampa that she does not believe the “Salvator Mundi” sold by Christie’s in 2017 for $450.3 million is a da Vinci work at all. Mainly because it reflects a different look from all other artworks created by the famous Renaissance master.

Still not all experts agree with the UNESCO scholar’s claim. Martin Kemp, an art historian who has dedicated most of his life studying the life of da Vinci told the Telegraph that he needed to see the drawing for himself. That way, he can assess whether the method used matches that of da Vinci’s left-handed manner of sketching.

DNA and Other Microorganisms were Found on Leonardo da Vinci’s Artworks

Latest research discovered human DNA, bacteria, and fungi on a few of Leonardo da Vinci’s notable artworks such as Uomo della Bitta and Autoritratto. According to El País, a Spanish newspaper, some of these may have been on the drawings while it was being created during the Renaissance period.

Various art restorers, microbiologists, historians, and others have teamed up in recognizing the particles existing in da Vinci’s drawings. The drawings contain a huge amount of genetic material known in the art world as a bio-archive.

Guadalupe Piñar, one of the microbiologists who spoke to the newspaper said they found traces of virus associated to pneumonia, and microorganisms that reside in intestines, as well as bacteria that inhabit human epidermis.