In April 2024, geneticist Norberto Gonzalez-Juarbe rubbed a swab over a red chalk drawing. This sketch, titled Holy Child, might be the work of Leonardo da Vinci. The Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project (LDVP) wants to use biology to prove its authorship. They hope to find the master’s biological signature after a decade of research.
How does the “arteomics” process work?
“Arteomics” is a new field that treats art as a molecular archive. Scientists use moistened swabs to pull DNA from paper fibres. Paper is porous and traps sweat, skin cells, and bacteria. Even drying oil paint acts like a recording device. It captures genetic traces from the artist and the studio. This gives experts a new way to authenticate art beyond just looking at brushstrokes.
What did the initial DNA tests reveal?
The team found Y chromosome sequences on the drawing. These belong to a genetic group called haplogroup E1b1b. A letter from Leonardo’s cousin showed this same lineage. This group is common in Tuscany, where Leonardo was born.
However, this isn’t certain proof yet. The drawing also held “environmental fingerprints”. Researchers found DNA from sweet orange trees on the paper. These trees grew in the Medici gardens during the Renaissance. Another letter contained DNA from the malaria parasite, which was common in Tuscany at the time.
How are scientists tracking Leonardo’s family tree?
Leonardo had no children, and his grave was disturbed long ago. To find a match, the team looks for other family remains. Genealogists identified 14 living male descendants for DNA testing.
In 2024, archaeologists found a hidden vault in a church in Vinci. They recovered bones that likely belong to Leonardo’s grandfather. They also plan to test a lock of “whitish blond” hair. This hair surfaced in 2019 and might have come from Leonardo’s beard.
Was Leonardo’s genius written in his genes?
Some traits of Leonardo’s genius might be biological. His sketches show details that the human eye usually misses. Leonardo could likely see motion at 100 frames per second. Most people only see between 30 and 60 frames per second.
Scientists are looking for specific gene variants in his DNA. These genes, like KCNB1 and KCNV2, help the retina process images at high speeds. If Leonardo saw things others could not, he could create things others did not.
What is next for the Leonardo DNA project?
The team wants to sample Leonardo’s famous notebooks next. This includes the Codex Atlanticus and Bill Gates’s Codex Leicester. One page in the Leicester notebook almost certainly contains Leonardo’s fingerprint. Biology is now a “feature” of art history, not just a contaminant. It offers a living imprint of the masters from centuries ago.
Think of a Renaissance drawing like a biological time capsule. For centuries, we only looked at the “labels” on the outside, like the artist’s style. Now, scientists are opening the capsule to find the “dust” left behind skin cells, plant pollen, and even germs—to reconstruct exactly who held the object and where they were standing 500 years ago.
To understand the man behind the DNA, I highly recommend Walter Isaacson’s definitive biography, Leonardo da Vinci. You can find the hardcover Here On Amazon
