This miniature by an artist Leonardo da Vinci called a "sophisticated mind" shows the oldest son of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Unfortunately, Piero di Lorenzo did not have his father’s political gifts. His failed handling of the French invasion of Italy in 1494 led to his exile and the sacking of the Medici palace. The miniature decorates the first edition of Homer, printed in Florence in 1488 with a Greek font designed for the purpose. The Florentine historian Guicciardini commented on Piero’s "small mind," but here he appears as a promising youth.
