Poland Acquires Czartoryski Collection Including Leonardo's Lady with an Ermine

On December 29, the Polish state announced a plan to purchase the Czartoryski collection, comprising 300,000 works and historical manuscripts. The collection, founded in 1801 by Princess Izabela Czartoryska, includes masterpieces by Rembrandt and Pieter Brueghel the Younger, but its crown jewel is Leonardo da Vinci's "Lady with an Ermine" (1489-90), depicting Cecilia Gallerani, a 16-year-old Milanese noble and lover of Ludovico Sforza. The painting was lost for centuries, reattributed to Leonardo in the 18th century, hidden during WWII, and last seen in Italy in 1998 at the Pinacoteca di Brera. Most works are at the National Museum in Krakow, with the Leonardo at the Wawel Royal Castle; their locations will not change. To enable the state acquisition, the foundation amended its statutes, prompting all board members to resign in protest over exclusion from negotiations. According to Bloomberg, Poland paid only $100 million for the entire collection, valued at an estimated $2 billion, justified as a "donation" by heir Adam Karol, who stated the move aligns with family wishes. A key condition: the collection cannot leave Poland.