The Madonna of the Yarnwinder: Conservation History and the Painting’s Influence

The first part of the chapter consists of an analysis of the conservation history of the Lansdowne and Buccluech Madonnas using photographs taken of the paintings since the late 19th century.

The second part of the chapter focuses on the many versions of the Madonna of the Yarnwinder which were produced. It demonstrates how a single painting can influence a wide variety of artists from all over Europe and how this influence trickled down into later generations of artists and newly interpreted versions of the painting.

This chapter was originally presented as a paper at the CHARISMA Conference, ‘Leonardo da Vinci’s Technical Practice: Paintings, Drawings and Influence’, held at the National Gallery in London in January 2012.