Thanks to Marco Ferri now at least the Florentines can't say they had never heard about the new self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, have a look at: Newspaper article in Il Giornale della Toscana on 22.05.08 (in Italian).
It's a pity that not the more competent art historians and experts of the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, Mark Winter and Maxime Max, had the last word in this article. Therefore I put their commentaries regarding the self-portrait of the great master, which I found in 2003, on this page:
Mark Winter (Art researcher of Italian Paintings of the Renaissance; Experts Inc Art, Holly Hill, Florida), on 31.10.2005: "Dear Ms. Vogt-Luerssen, As a long time student of Leonardo's pictorial oeuvre and as an art researcher of Italian paintings of the Renaissance it is my professional opinion that you have indeed correctly identified this self-portrait as the work of Leonardo da Vinci."
Maxime Max, on 22.8.2007: "Moi je suis sur aussi que cette peinture est bien son auto portrait j'ai étudié durant deux ans son autoportrait officiel et bien d'autres peintures et oeuvres du maître et j'y reconnais bien sa signature a travers ce tableau, pour en avoir le cur net je me suis rendu sur place voir ce tableau que j'ai pu approché au plus près grâce a mon sujet d'étude et j'en remercie vraiment les autorités sur place et la quel désolation de voir cette oeuvre déjà bien plus abîmée que sur ta photo en noir et blanc mais si seulement on pouvais faire des études et analyses sur ce tableau et enfin le déclaré à sa juste valeur autoportrait de Léonard Da Vinci, et vite entreprendre les restaurations de toute urgence ça serait une victoire pour tout les amoureux de Léonardo Da Vinci."
(Translation into English thanks again to Alexander Carril: "I'm also sure that this painting is indeed his self-portrait. I have studied his official self-portrait and other works from the master for two years and I could clearly recognize his signature through this painting. In order to clear the matter up I went personally to the gallery and saw the painting by myself. I could, thanks to the subject of the scholarship research that I'm undertaking, get in closer contact with the painting and I'm really grateful to the local authorities for giving me such authorization. I was very sad when I noticed that this work is now in a worse state than in your black-and-white picture. It would be a great achievement for all the lovers of Leonardo Da Vinci if the necessary restorations could be urgently undertaken as well as all the studies and analyses that would certify in all fairness that this is Leonardo Da Vinci's self-portrait.")
And an advice to Alessandro Cecchi: One day we have go back to the place where we all came from. There you will have the great chance to meet Leonardo da Vinci personally. Would it not be very embarrassing for you calling yourself a great Leonardo da Vinci expert und having written so many books and articles about this great master, not to recognize him when he stands directly in front of you? Therefore my advice: Have a close look at the self-portrait of him to avoid this embarrassment.
And to the readers of this weblog: Please have a look at my article about Leonardo da Vinci
