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Art is never finished, only abandoned.
—Leonardo da Vinci
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Isabella d'Este thinks herself lucky to have escaped her sister Beatrice's faith. Beatrice is to be married to the regent of Milan, about whom little good is said. Isabella's opinion is dramatically altered when she meets the man and his city, in which the famous Leonardo da Vinci is working.
The two sisters become rivals, not just in love, but also in art. Meanwhile foreign forces are threatening Italy and they are both forced to take a stand.
Tropes used in Leonardo's Swans include:
- Arranged Marriage.
- Backstab Backfire: Isabella's plan of discouraging Beatrice to have herself painted.
- Birds of a Feather: Why Isabella and Ludovico are attracted to each other. She even sends him swans as to underline this trope.
- The Caligula: Gian, though he's not as powerful as some.
- The Charmer: Ludovico
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Ludovico
- Courtly Love.
- Crowning Moment of Awesome: Beatrice demanding respect from her husband and threatening to join his enemies.
- Death by Childbirth
- Doing It for the Art: One of the main motives to determine Isabella's actions.
- A Father to His Men: Francesco.
- Foreshadowing The story's opening.
- Friendship Moment: Isabella receiving the refugees from Milan and singing with Lucrezia and Cecilia.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Interestingly enough Isabella is both the popular and the smart sister. Beatrice is the tomboy.
- Gorgeous Period Dress: Both sisters are famous for their fashionable clothes.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Francesco.
- Guilt Trip: Ludovico after Beatrice's death.
- The Heretic: Leonardo da Vinci has many ideas that go against the teachings of the church. Since he's also a genius and a popular artist, nobody cares.
- Historical Domain Character
- Horse Jump: Beatrice.
- Ill Girl: Bianca Giovanna.
- In the Back: Several times. Mostly related to Ludovico in some way.
- Magnificent Bastard: Ludovico tries to be this, but doesn't succeed in the long run.
- Red Baron: Il Moro, Diamante.
- The Renaissance
- Secret Relationship
- Shrinking Violet: Bianca Giovanna
- Tomboy: Beatrice.
- Took a Level In Badass: Beatrice again.
- Wangst: There is a reason why Beatrice thinks of Isabella of Aragon as 'the Gloom of Aragon'.