Drawing value jumps to £100m as experts decide it is a da Vinci

A portrait has jumped in value from £10,000 to £100m after art experts decided it was drawn by Leonardo da Vinci.

The artwork was previously attributed to an anonymous German artist, however after a year long study, experts now believe the Nuptial Portrait of a Young Woman was instead drawn by the Renaissance master.

It is thought that the 500-year-old drawing was commissioned by the woman to send to a prospective husband.

Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of the Da Vinci museum, in the artist's hometown of Vinci near Florence, said: "The intensity, quality and purity of the work make the recognition of it as a Leonardo the obvious conclusion.

"The most telling clue is the left-handed style, which is typical Leonardo, and every element points to Leonardo. It is an extraordinary work.

"The picture is of a typical woman from Florence but was probably painted around the mid 1480s when he was working out of Milan.

"What is also very exciting is that it is the first known example of Leonardo working on parchment."

Mr Vezzosi did not identify the drawing's owner and said he was not aware of any plans to sell or display it.

He said there could be more works by Leonardo waiting to be discovered.

"There are collectors who keep these works of art in bank vaults, but it is likely that we'll find others," he said.