Dear Nora,
Yes, paintings pop up every year claimed to be Leonardo's. The one I saw in Tallinn, was worth in dept research, but is not verified yet. The painting was discovered in Lucania, Italy, in Dec 2008. Can you imagine, the family used the portrait as a tray for glasses until an art historian, who was invited to sort out the family's art collection, noticed it
There has been ongoing study on item (CIRCE, CNR laboratories etc). So far the wood is poplar (as Mona Lisa) from 1474-1517. The pigments, flat coat etc are from the same time. The feather on the hat is added later and the area of lips is also touched/repainted later. The person on portrait is Da Vinci (very high probability) and there are ca 90% chance that the fingerprint on painting is his. The big question still is, is it self-portrait?
I am very happy that I had a chance to see the portrait in this stage, as it is, only conserved and delicately cleaned.
And Nora, thank you for the friends request!
Br, Maria