A sketch of a bearded man thought to be Leonardo da Vinci will go on show for the first time at Buckingham Palace.
The picture, owned by the Royal Collection, is believed to have been drawn shortly before the artist’s death in 1519.
The artwork will go on show in the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace, as part of the upcoming exhibition titled Leonardo da Vinci: A Life In Drawing, which will run from late May for six months.
The show will mark the 500th anniversary of the artist's death and will be the largest display of his work in more than 65 years.
Visitors will also be able to see da Vinci's studies for works such as The Last Supper and The Foetus In The Womb.
It’s thought that only one other portrait of da Vinci still exists from his lifetime — the other surviving piece was created by Francesco Melzi, one of the artist’s students.
Martin Clayton, head of prints and drawings at the Royal Collection Trust, identified the man in the piece as da Vinci, as he was sorting through drawings at Windsor Castle.
Clayton said the “very quick, casual sketch" is "the closest that we get of a snapshot of Leonardo during his own lifetime".
Comparing the two remaining portraits of da Vinci, Clayton added that in Melzi's sketch “[da Vinci] wanted to be seen as this very august figure, with these untroubled eyes", whereas in the recently uncovered piece “he looks more thoughtful, more wistful, more troubled maybe.”
Leonardo da Vinci: A Life In Drawing runs from May 24 to October 13 at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, rct.uk
