发现达芬奇(1)

Right well the last year or so has seen a whole flurry of Leonardo attributions.

I think there was a back painting on the Child with St. Anne, and there was a Florence Terracotta that came up.

And I was wondering when you heard about La Bella Principessa was there something different that particularly struck you about it?

Well initially you get emails or letters saying "I have a new Leonardo," or they've got some kind of new Leonardo secret.

And I think "Ohhhh. . . don't for heaven's sake."

Since the dreaded Da Vinci Code I get them weekly at least, sometimes more than that.

So this is just one of many when I received the initial email saying "I have this, which I think is a new Leonardo portrait," I thought "Oh dear, this is going to be another bout of painful correspondents."

But the digital file came through and I thought "Oh it warrants looking at at least."

So that was the starting point that it wasn't simply something to be a polite reply saying no chance.

Interviewer: What are some of the more radical suggestions that you've heard about particular Leonardo works?