Experts say 1471 Archangel is oldest Leonardo work

(ANSA) - Rome, June 21 - Two Italian art experts said Thursday that a 1471 depiction of the Archangel Gabriel is the oldest surviving work of Leonardo Da Vinci. Experts Ernesto Solari and Ivana Rosa Bonfantino said the artwork on terracotta is the first piece he signed and his first self-portrait too. The scholars said they based their findings on three years of study in which they examined 6,000 documents. The work is owned by the heirs of an Italian noble family.
    Solari said that it was given to Joanna of Aragon in 1499, perhaps a gift from Leonardo himself.
    A copy of the artwork will be on show as of Friday at the Leonardo da Vinci Experience in Rome.