Leonardo da Vinci's Legacy Won't Be Found In His DNA | Defector

"This week researchers from the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project announced they have made the kind of breakthrough you might expect from a project with that name: They have potentially identified Leonardo da Vinci's DNA. The announcement ran exclusively in on Jan. 6 under the (excellent) headline "The Real da Vinci Code" and the researchers have published a preprint, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, about the newly collected DNA."

"Many experts say the drawing is the work of Leonardo, as it has his characteristic left-handed hatching. Others are uncertain, suggesting one of his students could have created the work. According to the preprint, the swab collected a potpourri of DNA: fungal, viral, vegetal, and bacterial, in addition to human. Specifically, the drawing contained traces of the sweet orange tree, which was cultivated in the gardens of the Medici family, a key patron of the artist."

Researchers with the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project swabbed a red-chalk drawing of the pouting baby Jesus and recovered mixed DNA including fungal, viral, vegetal, bacterial, and human sequences. The drawing shows left-handed hatching consistent with Leonardo's technique, though some experts attribute it to a student. Botanical traces included sweet orange, a species cultivated in Medici gardens, suggesting historical provenance links. The team published a preprint and ruled out a modern art dealer as a DNA source, but the human material could derive from any handler, so definitive attribution to Leonardo remains unproven.

Read at Defector