A Magical self-portrait

Have you seen this red chalk drawing of a bearded old man? If so, it was a copy. The original has been kept in an underground vault at a constant 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 55 percent humidity for decades. Now it will go on display in Turin for the first time since World War II. But only fifty people will be allowed to see it in the underground vault, and the temperature will be turned down to compensate for their body heat.

Obviously, there’s something special about this painting. For one thing, it’s a self portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, which of course make it special and very valuable.

 But there’s something else. It has a very unusual history. The curators of the Royal Library in Turin believed so strongly that the drawing had magical powers that they hid it during World War II to keep it from falling into the hands of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

 Giovanni Saccani, the Royal Library’s director, says it was believed that looking into da Vinci’s intense gaze would transfer enormous strength and power to the viewer. Because of this, it was the only item from the library’s vast da Vinci collection that was removed and guarded from the Nazis. It was taken to Rome in a special intelligence operation, but no one knows where it was hidden. It was returned from Rome at the end of World War II.

 The self-portrait was in fragile condition when it was taken and continued to deteriorate after its return. Since 1998, it has been kept in the special vault where its condition has remained stable.

 Does the drawing really have magic power? Some experts doubt it’s even of da Vinci since it is drawn in the style he used as a young artist but shows him as an old man.

 Saccani, however, has no doubt it’s real and has this to say about its powers:

 “Anyone who finds themselves standing in front of this drawing is struck dumb. The first thing they say when they recover is ‘this is giving me the shivers.’ The expressive power of this face is absolutely connected to an emotion and an ability that only Leonardo could possess.”

 Saccani says that many students stand in a room above the vault before a test to soak up some of da Vinci’s genius.