Summary
A letter written 145 years ago and discovered last year suggests the work could be the likeness of 15th-16th century Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli, painted by none other than Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci.
Last year, a document dated 1874 and signed by Talleyrand's chamberlain was unearthed in an archive, mentioning a Machiavelli portrait on wood, painted by Leonardo, measuring 55 by 42 centimeters.
If the painting is authenticated, however, it will serve as proof that Machiavelli and Leonardo had met in person.
The buzz over the painting comes after a major Leonardo da Vinci exhibition opened at the Louvre in Paris last week to mark 500 years since his death -- 12 years before that of Machiavelli.
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