Is this Leonardo Da Vinci's first painting? New discovery says so

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Picture courtesy: Facebook/Ken Yang

Italian scholars claim to have finally unearthed the first known piece by Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci.

The artwork is called The Archangel Gabriel, a painted glazed tile that had been signed and dated by an artist believed to be the 18-year-old Da Vinci.

Scholars, including Professor Ernesto Solari, an art historian,and Ivana Rosa Bonfantino, a handwriting expert, made the claim based on a signature and date printed in the angel's jaw line, which reads "Da Vinci Lionardo," with the apparent date of authorship "1471", as mentioned in a CNN report.

The signature, however, is barely visible to the naked eye.

The glazed tile was found by the descendants of the aristocratic Fenice family of Ravello, Italy.

"My hope is that it remains in Italy - it is part of our national heritage. This piece is the earliest work of Leonardo and has his earliest known signature - it is priceless," Solari was quoted as saying by CNN.