(Photo : Lucan Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci)

People have long been curious about what the Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci looked like for hundreds of years. Numerous debates over the question were triggered. It is reported that a well-recognized self portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, called Lucan Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, will be presented in one month in China during the 10^th China Art Festival, held in Jinan, Shandong.

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During the China Art Festival, the Shandong Provincial Museum will hold the "European and American Classical Art Exhibition". The audience will not only view and appreciate the Lucan Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, but also see over 300 classical art works created by great artists including Michelangelo, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, etc. According to Vincenzo Sanfo, Art Director of the European and American Classical Art Exhibition and President of Italian Cultural and Art Center, there will be a huge number of artworks in the exhibition. The artworks will cover a 500-year history of European and American art from 14^th century to 20^th century.

Among all the exhibited artworks, the Lucan Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci is particularly precious. In the past, a portrait of a 70-year-old man was recognized as the self portrait of Da Vinci. However, identification analysis showed that Da Vinci created the portrait when he was only over 40 years old. Vincenzo Sanfo emphasized that the Lucan Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci to be presented during the festival has been internationally recognized. The specific time of creation, canvas quality and painting techniques have been carefully verified by global authorities.

According to Vincenzo Sanfo, the portrait was discovered by historian Nicola Barbatelli in a small town in Southern Italy. The 60cm × 44cm portrait shows that Da Vinci's eye color is blue and hair is black. He has profound gaze, high nose and long beard.

"The audience will see the original piece of the self-portrait. They can even recognize the damages on the painting," said Vincenzo Sanfo. He further introduced that it will be the third time and perhaps the last time for the painting to be exhibited outside Italy. "As soon as the exhibition ends, it will return to Italy for comprehensive restoration. It may not be exhibited outside Italy again later."

The European and American Classical Art Exhibition will be held from October, 9th to October, 20th, 2013.