Lady with an Ermine

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lady-with-an-ermine

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the artist?Leonardo da Vinci
2. What is the date of creation?Circa 1489–1491
3. Who is the lady in Leonardo's painting?The lady is Cecilia Gallerani, a cultured mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan. She is shown as intelligent and thoughtful, not just beautiful.
4. What is an ermine and why does it appear in the portrait?An ermine is a small white animal with a fluffy coat. In the painting it symbolizes purity, chastity, and royalty, and may also hint at the Duke’s Order of the Ermine.

Italian Renaissance: A period of profound artistic, cultural, and intellectual flourishing in Italy from the 14th to the 16th century.
Chiaroscuro: The use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition.
Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, often adding deeper meaning to an artwork.