I BROUGHT YOU A ZLOTY

The Ermine, a Powerful Symbol Capable of Evoking Deep Meanings in Art and Collective Psychology

Growing up without parents can be difficult and complex. The challenges can vary depending on the specific circumstances, such as the age at which one loses one’s parents, the support available, and the individual’s personality. However, many people find ways to cope with these challenges and build fulfilling lives. Sometimes, this means finding mentors or other support people in their community, such as family, friends, or teachers. Other times, it means working on oneself through therapy or other forms of emotional and psychological support. Yet despite the challenges, growing up without parents can also lead to the development of great resilience and inner strength.

In this regard, Leonardo da Vinci was the subject of psychological analysis by Sigmund Freud, who hypothesized that the absence of his father and the presence of a loving but distant mother had a significant impact on Leonardo’s psychological growth. According to Freud, Leonardo felt a longing for maternal affection that was manifested in some of his works that implied Leonardo’s desire to have a protective and loving mother figure. Furthermore, Freud suggested that the absence of his father may have contributed to Leonardo’s feeling of abandonment and his incessant search for a substitute father, which was manifested in his work and personal relationships. Interpretations only? Although controversial, they offer an interesting perspective on the complexity of personality and life of growing up without the presence of both parents.

Leonardo da Vinci was known for his ability to depict not only the physical appearance of his subjects, but also their thoughts and emotions through gestures and expressions. “Lady with an Ermine“, currently exhibited at the Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland, one of Leonardo da Vinci’s most fascinating portraits: it depicts a young noblewoman holding an ermine in her arms. From a psychological point of view, the painting reflects different aspects of Leonardo’s personality and emotions. The ermine, a symbol of chastity and nobility, represents Cecilia Gallerani’s purity and virtue. Her calm but intense expression, with her gaze directed towards the viewer, conveys a sense of mystery and charm. The contrast between the woman’s delicacy and the ermine’s ferality reflects the complexity and duality of human nature.

In both art and popular psychology, the ermine has a long history as a symbol of purity, chastity, and nobility. Its symbolic meaning has evolved over the centuries. During the Renaissance, the ermine was a symbol of purity and innocence. Leonardo da Vinci used the animal to represent the virtue and nobility of a sixteen-year-old girl. In religious representations, the ermine’s immaculate white fur was associated with spiritual purity and sanctity. In European courts, the ermine was depicted in royal portraits, as a symbol of power and nobility. Ermine fur was used in the cloaks of rulers, to emphasize their high position.

The ermine was also a powerful symbol for Dastilige Nevante. During his trip to Poland, in fact, the encounter with the ermine evoked in the artist a series of meanings that he condensed into a poem: “I BROUGHT YOU A ZLOTY – Open it, you will find a zloty inside. Take it and spend it, so that your eyes will fill with merciful water. I have brought you myself and a zloty. Do not cry anymore, now you are no longer alone.” That 2018 trip has become a novel, “Stigmata – Denied Identities”, accompanied by twenty illustrated plates. Demonstrating social sensitivity in the use of his creative talent, he will donate both proceeds to children living in disadvantaged conditions.