Leonardo’s Unfinished Masterpiece in the Sala delle Asse
The Duke’s Trees
Italy’s most ambitious duke commissioned it
A supreme icon in the history of Western civilization painted it
The fate of a castle under siege buried it
Rediscover this newly-restored, enigmatic wall painting in Milan’s Castello Sforzesco
About the Book
500 years since his death, the genius of Leonardo da Vinci is still unrivaled. Not only did he create some of the most iconic images in Western Art, but his priceless legacy continues to astound us in contemporary society.
The Duke’s Trees tells the story Leonardo’s unfinished masterpiece in in the Sala delle Asse in the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. It is his largest wall painting in a prestigious court setting.
A limited-edition, museum-quality monograph encased in cloth with gold-block lettering. The sumptuous dustjacket is by British designer Paul Sloman.
Set in Bembo with over 130 color plates in addition to rare black and white archival photos.
A collectors-edition for art enthuasiasts and university libraries. The book is based on Dr. Costa’s 2006 dissertation which served as a catalyst for much of the important scholarship focusing on the Sala in recent years.
Author of The Duke’s Trees
Patrizia Costa
“Ill.mo et Ex.mo S.re mio […] Lunedì si desarmerà la Camera grande de le asse, cioè della tore. M.ro Leonardo promete finirla per tuto Septembre, et che per questo si potrà etiam goder.”
“My Illustrius Lord […] On Monday si desarmerà the large room of asse, that is of the tower. Master Leonardo promises to finish it by the end of September, so that it can be enjoyed.”
— Letter from Gualtiero Bescapè to Ludovico Sforza on April 21, 1498 on Leonardo’s Work in the Sala delle Asse
