Scientists report possible DNA traces of Leonardo da Vinci
The findings are part of the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project (LDVP), a global research initiative launched in 2014. Using noninvasive swabbing techniques, scientists collected biological material from a disputed red chalk drawing known as Holy Child and from 15th-century letters written by a male relative of Leonardo’s family.
Genetic analysis focused on the Y chromosome, which is passed down the paternal line.
Researchers found that DNA recovered from both the drawing and the letters belonged to the same haplogroup, E1b1b—a lineage commonly associated with Tuscany, where Leonardo was born in 1452.
However, scientists cautioned that the findings do not prove the DNA belonged to Leonardo himself. “Establishing unequivocal identity is extremely complex,” said David Caramelli, an anthropologist and ancient DNA specialist at the University of Florence. He noted that the artwork may have been handled by numerous individuals over the past 500 years, some of whom could share the same genetic lineage.
Leonardo left no direct descendants, and his burial site in Amboise, France, was disturbed in the early 19th century, leaving no confirmed remains for direct genetic comparison. To address this, researchers are sequencing DNA from living male descendants of Leonardo’s father and analyzing bones recovered from family vaults in Tuscany.
The study highlights the emerging field of “arteomics,” which examines biological traces such as DNA and microbial signatures to complement traditional art analysis based on style, materials, and technique. “Connoisseurship is still what counts,” said Jesse Ausubel, an environmental scientist at Rockefeller University, adding that biological data could eventually supplement expert judgment.
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