Scientists have discovered a mysterious painting linked to Leonardo da Vinci
Researchers believe they have discovered a previously unknown work by Leonardo da Vinci. At the same time, they noticed a detail in the painting that likely dates from a different era.
The painting in question is a portrait of the Roman emperor Domitian—a work that has been the subject of controversy and mystery for many years, leaving art historians at a loss.
Initially, researchers believed that the portrait of Domitian was painted by Titian—another Italian Renaissance artist and a contemporary of da Vinci. However, the situation became more complicated when the painting’s current owners, who inherited it in 1994, discovered the signature “L daVinci” on the canvas.
As part of the new study, a detailed analysis of the painting’s pigments was conducted. Although the question of the true author remains open, scientists concluded that the canvas was likely retouched centuries after it was created.
“It is possible that restoration work was carried out later, or that certain parts of the painting were altered,” noted the study’s author, Jacob Tir, a senior research engineer at Uppsala University.
The enigmatic portrait of Domitian was part of a series of 12 portraits of Roman emperors. Historians believe that 11 of them were painted by Titian between 1536 and 1539. Experts suggest that the twelfth portrait—the depiction of Domitian—was painted by a different artist. It is known that this series was sold from England to the Spanish royal court, but it was subsequently destroyed in a fire in 1734.
As for the portrait of Domitian, it appeared at a Christie’s auction in London in the 1920s, but no buyer was found at that time. Later, in 1939, the painting was successfully sold at an auction in Sweden and has been in the buyer’s family ever since.
Researchers used Raman spectroscopy, a method that identifies chemical compounds using laser light. In this case, they took microscopic samples from various areas of the painting and exposed them to a laser to determine the composition of the pigments used.
A total of 13 pigments were identified. Twelve of them were traditional pigments used during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
One pigment in particular caught the researchers’ attention: Berlin blue was detected in two places—in the laurel wreath on Domitian’s head and in the blue stone on the pommel of his sword. This is a synthetic pigment that was not produced until the early 18th century.
The presence of Berlin blue does not in any way mean that the painting was created later or is a forgery. According to the researchers, it indicates retouching—that is, the application of paint to areas where the original paint layer had been lost or damaged, writes Discover.
Read also:
The 2026 Emmys announced the winners of the major television categories.
Italian director Luca Guadagnino presented the first part of the documentary *Joie de Vivre*, dedicated to Bernardo Bertolucci, at the Venice Film Festival in Italy.
