Why might the ermine be a pun on Gallerani?

Greek galee means ermine or weasel

What happened to the background?

It was painted over in dark color later

Lady with an Ermine Quiz: Leonardo's Portrait in Kraków

Only four portraits of women by Leonardo da Vinci survive, and one hangs in Poland, which this Lady with an Ermine quiz explores. Play 10 interactive questions on Cecilia Gallerani, Ludovico Sforza, the ermine's symbolism, the Greek word galee, the walnut panel, the darkened background, the Czartoryski family, wartime looting and the 2016 sale to the Polish state.

Start Lady with an Ermine Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Artist
Who painted Lady with an Ermine?
Sitter
Who is the woman in the portrait?
Patron
With which ruler of Milan was she linked?
Symbol
What did the ermine symbolize?
Pun
Why might the ermine be a pun on Gallerani?
Museum
In which city is the painting displayed?
Family
Which Polish noble family acquired it around 1800?
Panel
On what is the painting made?
Background
What happened to the background?
Sale
What happened to the collection in 2016?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Who painted Lady with an Ermine?
Answer: Leonardo da Vinci
It dates from about 1489 to 1491.
Q2: Who is the woman in the portrait?
Answer: Cecilia Gallerani
She was a young woman at the Milan court.
Q3: With which ruler of Milan was she linked?
Answer: Ludovico Sforza
He was Leonardo's patron.
Q4: What did the ermine symbolize?
Answer: Purity and Ludovico's emblem
Ludovico belonged to the Order of the Ermine.
Q5: Why might the ermine be a pun on Gallerani?
Answer: Greek galee means ermine or weasel
Leonardo enjoyed wordplay.
Q6: In which city is the painting displayed?
Answer: Krakow
It hangs in the Czartoryski Museum.
Q7: Which Polish noble family acquired it around 1800?
Answer: The Czartoryski family
Adam Jerzy Czartoryski bought it.
Q8: On what is the painting made?
Answer: A walnut panel
Oil on wood was common.
Q9: What happened to the background?
Answer: It was painted over in dark color later
Scans reveal earlier versions.
Q10: What happened to the collection in 2016?
Answer: The Polish state bought it
The price was about 100 million euros.

Lady With An Ermine Quiz – Leonardo's Portrait in Krakow

Lady with an Ermine is a portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci around 1489 to 1491. It shows Cecilia Gallerani, a young woman at the Milan court linked to Duke Ludovico Sforza, Leonardo's patron.

The ermine symbolized purity and was an emblem of Ludovico, who belonged to the Order of the Ermine. It may also be a pun, since the Greek word galee, for weasel or ermine, echoes Gallerani. The oil on walnut panel is one of only four surviving female portraits by Leonardo.

The Czartoryski family acquired it around 1800. It was looted during World War II and later returned. In 2016 the Polish state bought the Czartoryski collection, and the painting hangs in the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow.

What This Quiz Teaches

Art lovers will enjoy these questions.

Who painted the portrait
Who the sitter is
What the ermine means
Where the painting lives
What happened to it over time

Did You Know?

The ermine is larger than a real stoat would be.
Scientific scans revealed changes to the composition.
Its background was darkened by a later hand.
It was hidden during the war years.
The Czartoryski Museum reopened in 2019.