"A Lady With Two Faces"
By Francesca Kay
Article analysis

Is an article by Francesca Kay whose title creates curiousity about the lady in question. Interest in the content of the article is capt alert even by thw subheading that sounds "the second most famous woman in Leonardo's life". It follows that the reader may be interested in the "she" who "makes a rare trip to London". The language creates interest in different ways "two faces", "most famous woman", "her magic". The article argumentation starts shifting consideration about the ermine in nature and Leonardo's rapresentation in the painting.The mesmerising effect of the animal is the same the viewer feels in front of Leonardo's work of art where it becames a "beloved part" even if "very much allert". The journalist that develops the article tries to guide the reader to find out the magic of the picture providing information about the lady closely liked to the ermine. A sexteen years old girl, the mistress of Ludovico Sforza, she was leater dismissed and all the same she tooke the painting with her. The journalist moves from the lady to the painting to inform the reader that at the moment of writing the painting is in Krakow and is about to be displaced in thye National Gallery together with other paintings and drowings. Again the journalist focus all of the reader's attention on the lady on the painting now definite "the star". teh next pharagraph tells about her history and question the reasson why Leonardo peared her with an animal the may hardly be considered tender. Also she wants to drow the attention on the lady's face shape that is similar to the ermine's. The coming pharagraph provides a double perspective in answering the question posed: it may be a tribute to Ludovico who used the animal as an embleme, but there is a most interesting point of view: the ermine is Cecilia herself. The two elements of the picture sime to create a rhyme and almost an invisible one, at the same time projecting an abiguos aspect. "Two aspect of one being" this is the most convincing interpretation the reader comes across. Also the ermine has two faces: the pure and the wild. In line with Leonardo's convinction, the great painter has to paint "man and the intenion of his mind". The allure of the painting infact rests on its "troubling duality", state and ermine equal girl and animal. Cecilia was pure and predatory at the same time. Along the whole article she is the core of debeating, her nature, her story and her ambiguity. She captived Ludovico but she depended of patronage and was suject to his decisions. Her elegant and facinating proportions that match with the ermine reinforces the most important message of the article: an invitation to visit the exibition. To behold a woman ambiguos and fault and hold human beings.