Sky Arte Documentary Explores Women Linked to Leonardo's Lady with an Ermine

A new documentary titled 'Le Dame con l’Ermellino' premieres on Sky Arte on Thursday, January 4. Directed by Claudio Poli and written by Arianna Marelli and Caterina Pasolini, the film profiles four European teenagers whose fates became intertwined with Leonardo da Vinci's painting 'Lady with an Ermine' across centuries. The documentary uses rare black-and-white footage and immersive shots to trace the painting's journey. It begins with Cecilia Gallerani, the subject of the portrait, now housed at the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow. It then covers Isabella d'Este, the Marchioness of Mantua who long sought a portrait by Leonardo; Polish princess Izabela Czartoryska, who acquired the work in the early 19th century; and German woman Melitta Sallai, who witnessed the painting's theft by Nazis at the end of World War II. The documentary is produced by Sky Arte in collaboration with Artribune, which curates the channel's website content.