A Postcard A Day - Tuesday 20 October 2026 - T for ermine, iced coffee and Ronnie

Hello lovely girls,

I have a beautiful postcard to show you today:

It's a world famous work by Leonardo da Vinci called The Lady with the Ermine. It is found in the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow. I didn't see it personally but my friend Keren visited the museum on the day that we flew back  (Their flight was much later than mine so they had time). She obviously bought a postcard and sent it to me. Thank you Keren.

Wikipedia writes:

The Lady with an Ermine is a portrait painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. Dated to c. 1489–1491, the work is painted in oils on a panel of walnut wood. Its subject is Cecilia Gallerani, a mistress of Ludovico Sforza ("Il Moro"), Duke of Milan; Leonardo was painter to the Sforza court in Milan at the time of its execution. It is the second of only four surviving portraits of women painted by Leonardo, the others being Ginevra de' Benci, La Belle Ferronnière and the Mona Lisa.

Cecilia was born in early 1473 into a large family from Siena. Her father's name was Fazio Gallerani. He was not a member of the nobility, but he occupied several important posts at the Milanese court, including the position of ambassador to Republic of Florence and Republic of Lucca. Her mother was Margherita Busti, the daughter of a noted doctor of law.

She was educated alongside her six brothers in Latin and literature. In 1483 at the age of ten, Cecilia was betrothed to Stefano Visconti, but the betrothal was broken off in 1487 for unknown reasons. In May 1489, she left home for the Monastero Nuovo, and it was possibly there that she met Ludovico.

It has always been known that Leonardo painted a portrait of Ludovico Sforza's mistress, Cecilia Gallerani, but the Lady with an Ermine remained largely unknown to scholars until nearly the 20th century. The painting was acquired in Italy in 1798 by Prince Adam George Czartoryski,  and incorporated into the Czartoryski family collections at Puławy in 1800. The inscription on the top-left corner of the painting, LA BELE FERONIERE. LEONARD DAWINCI., was probably added by a restorer shortly after its arrival in Poland, and before the background was overpainted. Czartoryski was clearly aware it was a Leonardo, although the painting had never been discussed in print; no record exists of any previous owner. The Belle Ferronière is the Leonardo portrait in the Louvre,(see photo above) whose sitter bears such a close resemblance; the Czartoryskis considered this sitter to be the same.

"Monuments Men" – Frank P. Albright, Everett Parker Lesley, Joe D. Espinosa – and Polish liaison officer Karol Estreicher pose with the painting upon its return to Poland in April 1946. 

In 1939, anticipating the German occupation of Poland, it was again moved to Sieniawa, but it was discovered and seized by the Nazis and sent to the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin. In 1940, Hans Frank, the Governor General of Poland, saw the painting there and requested it be returned to Kraków, where it hung in his suite of offices in the Wawel Castle. In 1941, it was transferred to a warehouse of other plundered art in Breslau. In 1943 it was brought back to Kraków and exhibited at the Wawel Castle. At the end of the Second World War it was discovered by Allied troops in Frank's country home in Schliersee, Bavaria, and was returned to Poland in 1946. (See photo above) It was again placed on exhibit at the Czartoryski Museum in Kraków.

The stamps are beautiful. The orchid is exquisite and the stamp on the right features

Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz (1911–1943) He was a Polish-Greek champion athlete turned World War II secret agent who led a high-impact sabotage campaign against Axis forces in occupied Greece

The Legendary Saboteur of WWII

A champion swimmer for Iraklis Thessaloniki, Iwanow-Szajnowicz earned a degree in Agriculture from the University of Leuven in Belgium and was fluent in six languages. He was trained as an agent and saboteur by the secret services of Poland and Great Britain and operated in Greece under the codename Bolby, inflicting significant damage on Axis forces.

Captured by the Germans in December 1941, he managed to escape but was later placed on their wanted list. On September 8, 1942, he was apprehended by the Italians. In both instances, Iwanow-Szajnowicz fell into enemy hands due to betrayal. A hero until the end, he had to be shackled at the execution site as he attempted to flee even then. He was executed on January 4, 1943, in Kaisariani, proclaiming, “Long live Poland, long live Greece.” (CultureisAthens.com). 

Read more about him here.

What have I been doing here in Spain? Not much really. All my clubs and associations are starting up again this month. On Friday I will be going to make-up classes. I have also signed up for castañets but nothing has been organised yet. I'm going to the gym twice a week and do Pilates twice a week, and I'm learning the piano:

I've subscribed to Simply Piano and am now figuring out how to get some speakers or how to connect my keyboard to my tablet or phone. In the meantime I'm learning chords and the program that I purchased also features drawing lessons so I have started those too:

Today I am going to link with the T-Party, hosted by Elizabeth and Bluebeard. I need a drink. I have been out with my friends a few times but I have forgotten to take any pictures, so here is one from my stay in Krakow:

We were having breakfast and I asked for iced coffee. This is what I got. It was delicious!

I chose a fruit waffle for my breakfast and look at it! Very nice indeed.

I will finish with some photos of my (photogenic) cat Ronnie:

That's all folks! 

Thank you in advance for your comments. I always love it when people let me know they've visited and commented on what I wrote.

Happy T-Day all!

Lisca