Carlo Pedretti (1928 – 2018) was an Italian art historian, recognized worldwide as one of the greatest experts on Leonardo da Vinci. He was born in Bologna and dedicated most of his career to the study and research of Leonardo's work. He was a professor of Art History at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for over 40 years, where he also directed the Armand Hammer Center for Leonardo Studies. He published numerous books and articles on the Renaissance master, being a key authority in the authentication of works attributed to him. He passed away in Florence.