Where did Da Vinci's painting disappear for 250 years? (3 of 5)

Leonardo da Vinci's "Lady with an Ermine," often overshadowed by the "Mona Lisa," possesses a rich and dramatic history of its own, marked by periods of disappearance and meticulous protection. This installment of the series delves into the painting's fate following its initial acquisition and the political turmoil that forced its custodians into exile. The narrative emphasizes the dedication of the Czartoryski family to safeguarding this masterpiece against the backdrop of European wars and the systematic looting of art during the Nazi era.

Adam Jerzy Czartoryski

Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, son of Princess Izabela Dorota Czartoryska, played a pivotal role in the painting's preservation. After a brief stay in London, he settled in Paris, purchasing the historic Hôtel Lambert in 1842, where he lived until his death at 91 in 1861. Despite his exile, Adam remained politically active, fiercely opposing Tsar Nicholas I and advocating for Poland's independence. He meticulously protected the Da Vinci painting, which he had gifted to his mother, ensuring its safety within the confines of his Parisian residence, away from the political instability of his homeland.

Dresden

Following Adam's death, his son, Augustin Joseph Czartoryski, inherited the painting. Recognizing the escalating dangers of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), Augustin made the critical decision to move the artwork to Dresden, a German city and the capital of Saxony, for safekeeping. After the war, the painting was relocated to Krakow, only to be returned to Dresden under the protection of the "Royal Collection Administration" just before the outbreak of World War I. This period in Dresden proved significant, as it was there that German art historian Hans Posse first encountered the painting, recognizing its immense importance and beauty.

Hans Posse

Hans Posse, a German art historian, became a central figure in the painting's wartime history. Appointed as Adolf Hitler's personal art envoy in 1939, Posse was tasked with overseeing the organization responsible for confiscating artworks from German-occupied Poland. His mission was to acquire pieces for Hitler's planned "Führer Museum" in Linz, Austria. Posse executed his duties with chilling efficiency, confiscating numerous artworks from Dresden, Munich, and Vienna, meticulously cataloging them. However, the Czartoryski family, specifically Augustin Joseph Czartoryski and his mother Maria Ludwika Krasinska, took extraordinary measures, including securing their palace with sandbags and gas masks for guards, to protect the "Lady with an Ermine" from falling into Posse's hands, highlighting the desperate efforts to preserve cultural treasures during a period of widespread plunder.