Louvre's 'La Belle Ferronnière' Goes to Tokyo, First Leonardo Loan to Japan in 52 Years

Key facts

• Leonardo da Vinci's Portrait of a Woman, known as La Belle Ferronnière, is on view at the National Art Center, Tokyo, from September 9 to December 13, 2026.
• The painting has never been exhibited in Japan before and is the first Louvre-owned Leonardo loaned there in 52 years.
• The previous Leonardo loan from the Louvre to Japan was the Mona Lisa in 1974, which drew over 1.5 million visitors to the Tokyo National Museum.
• The exhibition "Masterpieces of the Renaissance from the Musée du Louvre" includes more than 50 works from the Louvre, with pieces by Botticelli, Titian, Dürer, Cranach, and El Greco.
• The painting is approximately 530 years old and is now catalogued by the Louvre as Portrait of a Woman.
• The sitter's identity is unconfirmed; leading candidates include Lucrezia Crivelli, Isabella of Aragon, and Beatrice d'Este.
• A poem by da Vinci's contemporary Antonio Tebaldeo referencing a portrait of a woman named Lucrezia supports the Crivelli identification.
• Five other paintings presented as da Vinci works were shown in Japan between 1974 and 2026: Lady with an Ermine (2001–2002), Annunciation (2007), La Scapigliata (2012), Portrait of a Musician (2013), and Madonna of the Yarnwinder (2016).