Portrait of Ginevra de' Benci | Leonardo da Vinci | c. 1474-78

The Portrait of Ginevra de' Benci by Leonardo da Vinci, painted around 1474–1478, is one of his earliest surviving portraits and marks a decisive shift in Renaissance portraiture toward psychological presence rather than mere likeness. The sitter, believed to be Ginevra de’ Benci, is shown with an unusual emotional restraint, her distant gaze and cool expression suggesting introspection rather than idealized beauty. Leonardo’s careful modeling of the face through subtle tonal transitions already demonstrates his early interest in naturalism and the study of human anatomy, while the juniper bush behind her functions as a visual pun on her name and possibly as a symbol of chastity. The painting is also notable for its reverse, which bears an emblem combining a wreath and a motto associated with Neoplatonic ideals, pointing to an intellectual and courtly context rather than a simple marital portrait. Today, the work is especially significant as the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci held in the United States, preserved at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, and it offers a rare glimpse into the formation of his lifelong pursuit of capturing the inner life of his subjects.