Archaeology & History

Leonardo da Vinci DNA sample potentially obtained from his artwork

By T.K. Randall
January 8, 2026 ·  5 comments

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) One of the world's greatest ever minds, Leonardo da Vinci was not only a genius, but a skilled artist as well, creating multiple works of art that remain among the most celebrated in history.

Now, an intriguing discovery has been made that could provide the first concrete genetic insights into the man himself - a DNA sample retrieved from one of his pieces of art.

The sample came from a red chalk sketch known as 'Holy Child', though there is a snag - we don't know for sure if da Vinci actually created it, nor do we know for sure if the sample is his.That said, an analysis has shown similarities between the sample and that retrieved from a letter penned in the 15th-Century by Frosino di ser Giovanni da Vinci - one of Leonardo's relatives.

This leaves the tantalizing possibility that the sample from the drawing could indeed be his.

According to geneticist Charlie Lee of the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Connecticut, the odds of the DNA belonging to da Vinci are about the same as a coin toss.

If Leonardo's genetic material could be definitively obtained, it would provide new insights into his abilities while also helping to authenticate some of his other works.

Source: Live Science | Comments (5)

Tags: Leonardo da Vinci, DNA