London: A self-portrait attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, long believed by its owners to be a copy, has now been assessed as an original work after forensic findings.
A team led by Luigi Capasso, an anthropology professor at Italy’s Chieti University, examined the artwork—reported to have been discovered in 2008—and identified three fingerprints on it. The team compared these prints with marks found on another Da Vinci painting and concluded they were from the same person.
Researchers said the conclusion was supported with help from art experts and historians, alongside scientific tests including radiocarbon dating and pigment analysis. Investigators also reported finding Da Vinci’s signature and symbols on the work.
Based on carbon dating, the portrait is believed to have been created sometime between 1478 and 1520. Capasso noted that the team approached the question from a scientific and forensic standpoint rather than as art historians.
Earlier, forensic specialists had reportedly found two fingerprint marks on another Da Vinci painting. However, prints seen in a previously discovered painting of a woman—found in a damaged state—could not be conclusively confirmed as Da Vinci’s, even though they appear to belong to the same individual as the newly identified marks.
