is a painting created by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci in 1489-1490. It is a portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, a mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. The painting depicts Cecilia holding an ermine, a symbol of purity, in front of a dark background. Lady with an Ermine is celebrated for its technical mastery and psychological complexity, with the subject's expression and gesture conveying a sense of vitality and emotion. The painting is also significant for its representation of female beauty, which was a major theme in Renaissance art. Lady with an Ermine has become one of the most famous and beloved works of Renaissance art, and it is widely considered a masterpiece of portraiture. Its influence on subsequent generations of artists is evident in the countless portraits that have been created in the centuries that followed.