, and through caravaggio, rembrandt.two other paintings of this period have come down to us-- the portrait of cecilia gallerani, the mistress of the duke, and the portrait of a musician. the painting of cecilia gallerani is known as the lady with the ermine. the ermine was one of il moro's symbols, so that the portrait becomes a representation of the love of the duke for this woman who was so close to him before his marriage to beatrice d'este. the animal she holds, so lithe and feminine a creature, could almost rival her own delicate beauty and the splendid hand that caresses the creature. the portrait of the musician was painted soon afterwards. the figure is not finished, but the beautiful head, and in particular the eyes, hold one's attention as one looks at the picture. it's almost as if one had picked out a stranger with a glance, as we've all done sometimes, and found it difficult to cut off the silent communication that only the eyes convey. "music is the shape and form of the invisible," leonardo said. he was a