mona lisa essay

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Europe 1300 - 1800

Course: europe 1300 - 1800   >   unit 4.

• About Leonardo
• Letter to the Duke of Milan
• Leonardo: Anatomist - by Nature Video
• Leonardo and his drawings
• Virgin of the Rocks
• Adoration of the Magi
• “Vitruvian Man”
• Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist (Burlington House Cartoon)
• The Last Supper

Portraits were once rare

The most recognized painting in the world.

"We all know the face and hands of the figure, set in its marble chair, in that circle of fantastic rocks, as in some faint light under sea. Perhaps of all ancient pictures time has chilled it least. The presence that thus rose so strangely beside the waters, is expressive of what in the ways of a thousand years men had come to desire. Hers is the head upon which all 'the ends of the world are come,' and the eyelids are a little weary. It is a beauty wrought out from within upon the flesh, the deposit, little cell by cell, of strange thoughts and fantastic reveries and exquisite passions. Set it for a moment beside one of those white Greek goddesses or beautiful women of antiquity, and how would they be troubled by this beauty, into which the soul with all its maladies has passed!"

A new formula

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Leonardo, Mona Lisa

Leonardo da Vinci, Portrait of Lisa Gherardini (known as the Mona Lisa), c. 1503–19, oil on poplar panel, 77 x 53 cm (Musée du Louvre, Paris)

Portraits were once rare

We live in a culture that is so saturated with images, it may be difficult to imagine a time when only the wealthiest people had their likeness captured. The wealthy merchants of renaissance Florence could commission a portrait, but even they would likely only have a single portrait painted during their lifetime. A portrait was about more than likeness, it spoke to status and position. In addition, portraits generally took a long time to paint, and the subject would commonly have to sit for hours or days, while the artist captured their likeness.

View of crowd surrounding Leonardo da Vinci, Portrait of Lisa Gherardini (known as the Mona Lisa) , c. 1503–19, oil on poplar panel, 77 x 53 cm (Musée du Louvre, Paris; photo: -JvL- , CC BY 2.0)

The most recognized painting in the world

The Mona Lisa was originally this type of portrait, but over time its meaning has shifted and it has become an icon of the Renaissance—perhaps the most recognized painting in the world. The Mona Lisa is a likely a portrait of the wife of a Florentine merchant. For some reason however, the portrait was never delivered to its patron, and Leonardo kept it with him when he went to work for Francis I , the King of France.

Leonardo da Vinci, Portrait of Lisa Gherardini (known as the Mona Lisa) , c. 1503–19, oil on poplar panel, 77 x 53 cm (Musée du Louvre, Paris)

The Mona Lisa’s mysterious smile has inspired many writers, singers, and painters. Here’s a passage about the Mona Lisa , written by the Victorian-era (19th-century) writer Walter Pater:

We all know the face and hands of the figure, set in its marble chair, in that circle of fantastic rocks, as in some faint light under sea. Perhaps of all ancient pictures time has chilled it least. The presence that thus rose so strangely beside the waters, is expressive of what in the ways of a thousand years men had come to desire. Hers is the head upon which all “the ends of the world are come,” and the eyelids are a little weary. It is a beauty wrought out from within upon the flesh, the deposit, little cell by cell, of strange thoughts and fantastic reveries and exquisite passions. Set it for a moment beside one of those white Greek goddesses or beautiful women of antiquity, and how would they be troubled by this beauty, into which the soul with all its maladies has passed!

Left: Piero della Francesca, Portrait of Battista Sforza , c. 1465–66, tempera on panel (Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence); right: Leonardo da Vinci, Portrait of Lisa Gherardini (known as the Mona Lisa) , c. 1503–19, oil on poplar panel, 77 x 53 cm (Musée du Louvre, Paris)

Piero della Francesca’s Portrait of Battista Sforza  is typical of portraits during the Early Renaissance (before Leonardo ); figures were often painted in strict profile, and cut off at the bust. Often the figure was posed in front of a birds-eye view of a landscape.

A new formula

Hans Memling, Portrait of a Young Man at Prayer , c. 1485–94, oil on oak panel ( Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza , Madrid)

With Leonardo’s portrait, the face is nearly frontal, the shoulders are turned three-quarters toward the viewer, and the hands are included in the image.

Leonardo uses his characteristic sfumato —a smokey haziness—to soften outlines and create an atmospheric effect around the figure. When a figure is in profile, we have no real sense of who she is, and there is no sense of engagement. With the face turned toward us, however, we get a sense of the personality of the sitter.

Northern Renaissance artists such as Hans Memling (see the Portrait of a Young Man at Prayer ) had already created portraits of figures in positions similar to the Mona Lisa . Memling had even located them in believable spaces. Leonardo combined these Northern innovations with Italian painting’s understanding of the three dimensionality of the body and the perspectival treatment of the surrounding space.

Left: Unknown, Mona Lisa , c. 1503–05, oil on panel (Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid); right: Leonardo da Vinci, Portrait of Lisa Gherardini (known as the Mona Lisa) , c. 1503–19, oil on poplar panel, 77 x 53 cm (Musée du Louvre, Paris)

A recent discovery

An important copy of the Mona Lisa was recently discovered in the collection of the Prado in Madrid. The background had been painted over, but when the painting was cleaned, scientific analysis revealed that the copy was likely painted by another artist who sat beside Leonardo and copied his work, brush-stroke by brush-stroke. The copy gives us an idea of what the Mona Lisa might look like if layers of yellowed varnish were removed.

Bibliography

Read a Reframing Art History chapter that discusses Leonardo da Vinci—” Art in Sovereign States of the Italian Renaissance, c. 1400–1600 .”

Theresa Flanigan, “Mona Lisa’s Smile: Interpreting Emotion in Renaissance Female Portraits,” Studies in Iconography , vol. 40 (2019), pp. 183–230.

This painting at the Louvre .

Louvre Feature: A Closer Look at the Mona Lisa .

Not Just Another Fake Mona Lisa from The New York Times Interactive.

Mona Lisa at Universal Leonardo.

Important fundamentals

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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

Leonardo da vinci (1452–1519).

A Bear Walking

• Leonardo da Vinci

The Head of a Woman in Profile Facing Left

Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio

The Head of the Virgin in Three-Quarter View Facing Right

Allegory on the Fidelity of the Lizard (recto); Design for a Stage Setting (verso)

The Head of a Grotesque Man in Profile Facing Right

After Leonardo da Vinci

Head of a Man in Profile Facing to the Left

Compositional Sketches for the Virgin Adoring the Christ Child, with and without the Infant St. John the Baptist; Diagram of a Perspectival Projection (recto); Slight Doodles (verso)

Studies for Hercules Holding a Club Seen in Frontal View, Male Nude Unsheathing a Sword, and the Movements of Water (Recto); Study for Hercules Holding a Club Seen in Rear View (Verso)

Carmen Bambach Department of Drawings and Prints, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

October 2002

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) is one of the most intriguing personalities in the history of Western art. Trained in Florence as a painter and sculptor in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio (1435–1488), Leonardo is also celebrated for his scientific contributions. His curiosity and insatiable hunger for knowledge never left him. He was constantly observing, experimenting, and inventing, and drawing was, for him, a tool for recording his investigation of nature. Although completed works by Leonardo are few, he left a large body of drawings (almost 2,500) that record his ideas, most still gathered into notebooks. He was principally active in Florence (1472–ca. 1482, 1500–1508) and Milan (ca. 1482–99, 1508–13), but spent the last years of his life in Rome (1513–16) and France (1516/17–1519), where he died. His genius as an artist and inventor continues to inspire artists and scientists alike centuries after his death.

Drawings Outside of Italy, Leonardo’s work can be studied most readily in drawings. He recorded his constant flow of ideas for paintings on paper. In his Studies for the Nativity ( 17.142.1 ), he studied different poses and gestures of the mother and her infant , probably in preparation for the main panel in his famous altarpiece known as the Virgin of the Rocks (Musée du Louvre, Paris). Similarly, in a sheet of designs for a stage setting ( 17.142.2 ), prepared for a staging of a masque (or musical comedy) in Milan in 1496, he made notes on the actors’ positions on stage alongside his sketches, translating images and ideas from his imagination onto paper. Leonardo also drew what he observed from the world around him, including human anatomy , animal and plant life, the motion of water, and the flight of birds. He also investigated the mechanisms of machines used in his day, inventing many devices like a modern-day engineer. His drawing techniques range from rather rapid pen sketches, in The   Head of a Man in Profile Facing to The Left ( 10.45.1) , to carefully finished drawings in red and black chalks, as in The   Head of the Virgin ( 51.90 ). These works also demonstrate his fascination with physiognomy, and contrasts between youth and old age, beauty and ugliness.

The Last Supper (ca. 1492/94–1498) Leonardo’s Last Supper , on the end wall of the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, is one of the most renowned paintings of the High Renaissance. Recently restored, The Last Supper had already begun to flake during the artist’s lifetime due to his failed attempt to paint on the walls in layers (not unlike the technique of tempera on panel), rather than in a true fresco technique . Even in its current state, it is a masterpiece of dramatic narrative and subtle pictorial illusionism.

Leonardo chose to capture the moment just after Christ tells his apostles that one of them will betray him, and at the institution of the Eucharist. The effect of his statement causes a visible response, in the form of a wave of emotion among the apostles. These reactions are quite specific to each apostle, expressing what Leonardo called the “motions of the mind.” Despite the dramatic reaction of the apostles, Leonardo imposes a sense of order on the scene. Christ’s head is at the center of the composition, framed by a halo-like architectural opening. His head is also the vanishing point toward which all lines of the perspectival projection of the architectural setting converge. The apostles are arranged around him in four groups of three united by their posture and gesture. Judas, who was traditionally placed on the opposite side of the table, is here set apart from the other apostles by his shadowed face.

Mona Lisa (ca. 1503–6 and later) Leonardo may also be credited with the most famous portrait of all time, that of Lisa, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, and known as the Mona Lisa (Musée du Louvre, Paris). An aura of mystery surrounds this painting, which is veiled in a soft light, creating an atmosphere of enchantment. There are no hard lines or contours here (a technique of painting known as sfumato— fumo in Italian means “smoke”), only seamless transitions between light and dark. Perhaps the most striking feature of the painting is the sitter’s ambiguous half smile. She looks directly at the viewer, but her arms, torso, and head each twist subtly in a different direction, conveying an arrested sense of movement. Leonardo explores the possibilities of oil paint in the soft folds of the drapery, texture of skin, and contrasting light and dark (chiaroscuro). The deeply receding background, with its winding rivers and rock formations, is an example of Leonardo’s personal view of the natural world: one in which everything is liquid, in flux, and filled with movement and energy.

Bambach, Carmen. “Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/leon/hd_leon.htm (October 2002)

Further Reading

Bambach, Carmen C., ed. Leonardo da Vinci, Master Draftsman . Exhibition catalogue.. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

Additional Essays by Carmen Bambach

• Bambach, Carmen. “ Anatomy in the Renaissance .” (October 2002)
• Bambach, Carmen. “ Renaissance Drawings: Material and Function .” (October 2002)

Related Essays

• Anatomy in the Renaissance
• Architecture in Renaissance Italy
• Portraiture in Renaissance and Baroque Europe
• The Rediscovery of Classical Antiquity
• Renaissance Drawings: Material and Function
• Antonello da Messina (ca. 1430–1479)
• Arms and Armor in Renaissance Europe
• The Crucifixion and Passion of Christ in Italian Painting
• Drawing in the Middle Ages
• Dutch and Flemish Artists in Rome, 1500–1600
• Early Netherlandish Painting
• Filippino Lippi (ca. 1457–1504)
• Northern Italian Renaissance Painting
• The Papacy and the Vatican Palace
• Patronage at the Later Valois Courts (1461–1589)
• Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) and Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641): Paintings
• Rembrandt (1606–1669): Paintings
• Sixteenth-Century Painting in Emilia-Romagna
• Sixteenth-Century Painting in Lombardy
• Sixteenth-Century Painting in Venice and the Veneto
• Unfinished Works in European Art, ca. 1500–1900
• Venetian Color and Florentine Design

List of Rulers

• List of Rulers of Europe
• Central Europe (including Germany), 1400–1600 A.D.
• Florence and Central Italy, 1400–1600 A.D.
• France, 1400–1600 A.D.
• Rome and Southern Italy, 1400–1600 A.D.
• Venice and Northern Italy, 1400–1600 A.D.
• 15th Century A.D.
• Biblical Scene
• Central Italy
• High Renaissance
• The Last Supper
• Madonna and Child
• New Testament
• Religious Art
• Renaissance Art
• Scientific Instrument
• Virgin Mary
• Wall Painting

Artist or Maker

• Boltraffio, Giovanni Antonio
• Parmigianino

Who really was Mona Lisa? More than 500 years on, there’s good reason to think we got it wrong

Historian, Australian Catholic University

Disclosure statement

Darius von Guttner Sporzynski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Australian Catholic University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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In the pantheon of Renaissance art, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa stands as an unrivalled icon. This half-length portrait is more than just an artistic masterpiece; it embodies the allure of an era marked by unparalleled cultural flourishing.

Yet, beneath the surface of the Mona Lisa’s elusive smile lies a debate that touches the very essence of the Renaissance, its politics and the role of women in history.

A mystery woman

The intrigue of the Mona Lisa, also known as La Gioconda , isn’t solely due to Leonardo’s revolutionary painting techniques. It’s also because the identity of the subject is unconfirmed to this day. More than half a millennium since it was first painted, the real identity of the Mona Lisa remains one of art’s greatest mysteries, intriguing scholars and enthusiasts alike.

The painting has traditionally been associated with Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. But another compelling theory suggests a different sitter: Isabella of Aragon.

Isabella of Aragon was born into the illustrious House of Aragon in Naples, in 1470. She was a princess who was deeply entwined in the political and cultural fabric of the Renaissance.

Her 1490 marriage to Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan, positioned Isabella at the heart of Italian politics. And this role was both complicated and elevated by the ambitions and machinations of Ludovico Sforza (also called Ludovico il Moro), her husband’s uncle and usurper of the Milanese dukedom.

Scholarly perspectives

The theory that Isabella is the real Mona Lisa is supported by a combination of stylistic analyses, historical connections and reinterpretations of Leonardo’s intent as an artist.

In his biography of Leonardo , author Robert Payne points to preliminary studies by the artist that bear a striking resemblances to Isabella around age 20. Payne suggests Leonardo captured Isabella across different life stages , including during widowhood, as depicted in the Mona Lisa.

US artist Lillian F. Schwartz’s 1988 study used x-rays to reveal an initial sketch of a woman hidden beneath Leonardo’s painting. This sketch was then painted over with Leonardo’s own likeness.

Schwartz believes the woman in the sketch is Isabella, because of its similarity with a cartoon Leonardo made of the princess. She proposes the work was made by integrating specific features of the initial model with Leonardo’s own features.

This hypothesis is further supported by art historians Jerzy Kulski and Maike Vogt-Luerssen .

According to Vogt-Luerssen’s detailed analysis of the Mona Lisa, the symbols of the Sforza house and the depiction of mourning garb both align with Isabella’s known life circumstances. They suggest the Mona Lisa isn’t a commissioned portrait, but a nuanced representation of a woman’s journey through triumph and tragedy.

Similarly, Kulski highlights the portrait’s heraldic designs , which would be atypical for a silk merchant’s wife. He, too, suggests the painting shows Isabella mourning her late husband.

The Mona Lisa’s enigmatic expression also captures Isabella’s self-described state post-1500 of being “ alone in misfortune ”. Contrary to representing a wealthy, recently married woman, the portrait exudes the aura of a virtuous widow.

Late professor of art history Joanna Woods-Marsden suggested the Mona Lisa transcends traditional portraiture and embodies Leonardo’s ideal, rather than being a straightforward commission.

This perspective frames the work as a deeply personal project for Leonardo, possibly signifying a special connection between him and Isabella. Leonardo’s reluctance to part with the work also indicates a deeper, personal investment in it.

Beyond the canvas

The theory that Isabella of Aragon could be the true Mona Lisa is a profound reevaluation of the painting’s context, opening up new avenues through which to appreciate the work.

It elevates Isabella from a figure overshadowed by the men in her life, to a woman of courage and complexity who deserves recognition in her own right.

Through her strategic marriage and political savvy, Isabella played a crucial role in the alliances and conflicts that defined the Italian Renaissance. By possibly choosing her as his subject, Leonardo immortalised her and also made a profound statement on the complexity and agency of women in a male-dominated society.

The ongoing debate over Mona Lisa’s identity underscores this work’s significance as a cultural and historical artefact. It also invites us to reflect on the roles of women in the Renaissance and challenge common narratives that minimise them.

In this light, it becomes a legacy of the women who shaped the Renaissance.

• Art history
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Renaissance art
• Visual art and design

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Essay on Mona Lisa

Students are often asked to write an essay on Mona Lisa in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Mona Lisa

The mona lisa’s mystery.

The Mona Lisa is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It shows a woman with a soft smile. People are curious about her smile. They also wonder who she is. Some think she is Lisa Gherardini, a merchant’s wife.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Masterpiece

Leonardo took many years to paint the Mona Lisa. He was very careful with details. The painting is small, but it is very valuable. It is kept in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

The Painting’s Fame

The Mona Lisa is well-known around the world. Many people visit the Louvre just to see it. The painting became even more famous when it was stolen in 1911. It was found and returned two years later.

250 Words Essay on Mona Lisa

Who is mona lisa.

The Mona Lisa is a world-famous painting by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is a picture of a woman with a mysterious smile. This painting is special because many people are curious about who she was and why she is smiling. The woman in the painting is thought to be Lisa Gherardini, a lady from Florence, Italy.

Where Can You See Her?

You can find the Mona Lisa in a museum in Paris, France, called the Louvre. It is kept behind bulletproof glass to protect it because it is so precious. Every year, millions of people go to see this painting.

The Mystery of Her Smile

One of the reasons the Mona Lisa is so famous is because of her smile. It looks like it changes when you look at it from different angles. Some people think she is happy, while others think she might be sad. This mystery is part of what makes the painting interesting.

Why Is She Famous?

Besides her smile, the Mona Lisa is famous because Leonardo da Vinci was a very skilled painter. He used techniques that made her look real, like the way he painted her eyes and the light on her face. Also, the painting has been stolen in the past, which made it even more famous.

The Mona Lisa is not just a painting; it is a piece of history that has fascinated people for over 500 years. Its simplicity and mystery make it a masterpiece that people of all ages can appreciate.

500 Words Essay on Mona Lisa

Introduction to mona lisa.

The Mona Lisa is a world-famous painting by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is often called the best-known, the most visited, and the most written about piece of art in the world. The painting shows a woman sitting with her hands folded, and she has a gentle smile on her face. The Mona Lisa is a treasure that has been admired for many years and is now in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

One of the most interesting things about the Mona Lisa is her smile. People often talk about how her smile seems to change when you look at it from different angles. Sometimes, it looks like she is smiling, and other times, it does not. This effect is because of Leonardo’s skillful painting technique. He was able to create this mysterious effect with his brushstrokes and the way he used light and shadow. This smile has made many people curious and has become a big reason why so many people love this painting.

The Woman in the Painting

The woman in the painting is believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy businessman from Florence, Italy. Her husband may have asked Leonardo to paint her portrait. Even though most people agree that it is Lisa in the painting, some still debate and come up with different ideas about who she might be. This adds to the mystery and interest in the Mona Lisa.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Technique

Leonardo da Vinci was not just a painter; he was also a scientist and an inventor. He used his knowledge of the world to make his paintings look real. In the Mona Lisa, he used a technique called ‘sfumato’, which means ‘gone up in smoke’ in Italian. This technique makes the edges look soft and helps to create a more lifelike image. Leonardo’s skill in painting and his use of this technique make the Mona Lisa a very special artwork.

The Painting’s Journey

The Mona Lisa has had a long history. After Leonardo finished it, the painting was in the hands of many different people and even a king of France. It was stolen from the Louvre Museum in 1911 but was found and returned two years later. The painting has also been attacked and damaged, but it has been carefully fixed each time. Now, it is protected by bulletproof glass to keep it safe.

Why People Love the Mona Lisa

People from all over the world come to see the Mona Lisa. They might love it because of its mystery, the story behind it, or just because it is so famous. The painting is a piece of history and shows Leonardo da Vinci’s amazing talent. It is a symbol of how art can last for a very long time and still be important to many people.

The Mona Lisa is more than just a painting; it is a piece of human history that tells a story of art, mystery, and beauty. It shows Leonardo da Vinci’s incredible skill and reminds us why he is still known as one of the greatest artists ever. The Mona Lisa’s gentle smile will continue to fascinate and inspire people for many years to come.

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Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?

• Art History
• Architecture

Unique Art Techniques

The most famous face in the world.

• B.A., History, Ohio University

The Mona Lisa is perhaps the most recognizable piece of art in the world, but have you ever wondered just why the Mona Lisa is so famous? There are a number of reasons behind this work's enduring fame, and combined, they create a fascinating story that has survived through the ages. To understand why the Mona Lisa remains one of the art world's most iconic images, we have to look at her mysterious history, famous theft attempts, and innovative art techniques .

Interesting Facts: The Mona Lisa

• The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci and is believed to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco Giocondo.
• For such a famous painting, it is surprisingly small; it measures just 30 inches by 21 inches (77 cm by 53 cm).
• The painting uses a number of unique art techniques to draw the viewer in; Leonardo's skill is sometimes referred to as the Mona Lisa Effect .
• The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911, and wasn't recovered for over two years; she is now housed behind bulletproof glass to protect her from vandals.

The Mona Lisa's Origins

The Mona Lisa was painted over the course of several years by Leonardo da Vinci, the Florentine polymath and artist who created some of the Renaissance's most iconic works. Born Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci in 1452, he was the illegitimate son of a nobleman, and although there is little information about his childhood, scholars do know that as a young man he was apprenticed to an artist and sculptor named Andrea di Cione del Verrocchio. He created many sophisticated pieces of art over the course of his career, and in the early 1500s, began work on what would come to be known as the Mona Lisa.

Unlike many artworks of the time, the Mona Lisa is not painted on canvas. Instead, she is painted on a poplar wood panel. While this may seem odd, keep in mind that Leonardo was a sculptor and artist who had painted on large walls of plaster throughout much of his career, so a wooden panel probably wasn't much of a stretch for him.

It is generally believed that the painting is of Lisa Gherardini , the wife of a wealthy silk merchant named Francesco del Giocondo. The word mona is a colloquial version of the Italian word for madam or ma'am, hence the title Mona Lisa. The work's alternate title is La Giaconda. It is believed that the painting was commissioned by Giocondo to commemorate the birth of the couple's second child.

Over the years, there have been theories that Lisa Gherardini was not in fact the model in this painting. Speculation abounds that the mysterious woman in the image could be any one of a dozen Italian noblewomen of the time; there is even a popular theory that the Mona Lisa is a feminized version of Leonardo himself. However, a note written in 1503 by Agostino Vespucci, an Italian clerk who was assistant to  Niccolò Machiavelli , indicates that Leonardo told Vespucci he was indeed working on a painting of del Giocondo's wife. In general, art historians agree that the Mona Lisa really is Lisa Gherardini.

Scholars also agree that Leonardo created more than one version of the Mona Lisa; in addition to the del Giocondo commission, there was likely a second commissioned by Giuliano de Medici in 1513. The Medici version is believed to be the one that hangs in the Louvre today.

Unlike some artwork of the sixteenth century, the Mona Lisa is a very realistic portrait of a very real human being. Alicja Zelazko of Encyclopedia Britannica attributes this to Leonardo's skill with a brush, and his use of art techniques that were new and exciting during the Renaissance. She says,

The subject’s softly sculptural face shows Leonardo’s skillful handling of  sfumato , an artistic technique that uses subtle gradations of light and shadow to model form, and shows his understanding of the skull beneath the skin. The delicately painted veil, the finely wrought tresses, and the careful rendering of folded fabric reveal Leonardo’s studied observations and inexhaustible patience. 

In addition to the use of sfumato , which was rarely done at the time, the woman in the portrait has an enigmatic expression on her face. At once both aloof and alluring, her soft smile actually changes, depending on the angle from which the viewer is looking. Thanks to differences in spatial frequency perception within the human eye, from one viewpoint she looks cheerful... and from another, the viewer can't quite tell if she's happy or not.

The Mona Lisa is also the earliest Italian portrait in which the subject is framed in a half-length portrait; the woman's arms and hands are displayed without touching the frame. She is shown only from head to waist, sitting in a chair; her left arm rests on the arm of the chair. Two fragmentary columns frame her, creating a window effect that looks out over the landscape behind her. 

Finally, thanks to Leonardo’s mastery of lighting and shadows, the woman's eyes appear to follow the viewer wherever they may be standing. Leonardo wasn't the first to create the appearance that a subject's eyes are following people around the room, but the effect is so closely associated with his skill that it has become known—somewhat incorrectly—as the " Mona Lisa Effect. "

Grand Theft Painting

For centuries, the Mona Lisa hung quietly in the Louvre, generally unnoticed, but on August 21, 1911, it was stolen right off the museum's wall in a heist that rocked the art world. Author Seymour Reit says , "Someone walked into the Salon Carré, lifted it off the wall and went out with it! The painting was stolen Monday morning, but the interesting thing about it was that it wasn't 'til Tuesday at noon that they first realized it was gone."

Once the theft was discovered, the Louvre closed for a week so investigators could piece together the puzzle. Initially, conspiracy theories were everywhere: the Louvre had staged the heist as a publicity stunt, Pablo Picasso was behind it, or perhaps French poet Guillaume Apollinaire had taken the painting. The French police blamed the Louvre for lax security, while the Louvre publicly ridiculed law enforcement officials for failing to turn up any leads.

After more than two years, in late 1913, a Florentine art dealer named Alfredo Geri received a letter from a man who claimed to have the painting. Geri immediately contacted the police, who soon arrested Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian carpenter who had been working at the Louvre at the time of the theft. Peruggia admitted that he had simply lifted the masterpiece from the four hooks upon which it hung, stuck it under his workman's tunic, and just walked out the door of the Louvre. The Mona Lisa was found tucked safely away in Peruggia's apartments, just a few blocks from the museum. Peruggia said he stole the painting because it belonged in an Italian museum rather than a French one. There were also rumors he had taken it so that a forger could make copies of it to sell on the black market.

Once the Mona Lisa was returned to the Louvre, the French turned out in droves to see her, and soon, so did people from all over the globe. The small, simple painting of a maybe-smiling woman had become an overnight sensation, and was the most famous work of art in the world.

Since the 1913 theft, the Mona Lisa has been the target of other activities. In 1956, someone threw acid on the painting, and in another attack the same year, a rock was thrown at it, causing a small bit of damage at the subject's left elbow. In 2009, a Russian tourist flung a terra cotta mug at the painting; no damage was done, because Mona Lisa has been behind bulletproof glass for several decades.

The Mona Lisa has influenced countless painters, from Leonardo's contemporaries to today's modern artists. In the centuries since her creation, the Mona Lisa has been copied thousands of times over by artists around the world. Marcel Duchamp took a postcard of Mona Lisa and added a mustache and a goatee. Other modern masters like Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali painted their own versions of her, and artists have painted her in every conceivable manner, including as a dinosaur, a unicorn, one of Saturday Night Live 's Coneheads, and wearing sunglasses and Mickey Mouse ears.

Although it is impossible to put a dollar amount on a 500-year-old painting, it is estimated that the Mona Lisa is worth nearly $1 billion.

• Hales, Dianne. “The 10 Worst Things That Happened to Mona Lisa.”  The Huffington Post , TheHuffingtonPost.com, 5 Aug. 2014, www.huffingtonpost.com/dianne-hales/the-10-worst-things-mona-lisa_b_5628937.html.
• “How To Steal A Masterpiece and Other Art Crimes.”  The Washington Post , WP Company, 11 Oct. 1981, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1981/10/11/how-to-steal-a-masterpiece-and-other-art-crimes/ef25171f-88a4-44ea-8872-d78247b324e7/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.27db2b025fd5.
• “Theft of the Mona Lisa.”  PBS , Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/mona_nav/main_monafrm.html.
• “Work Mona Lisa – Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, Wife of Francesco Del Giocondo.”  The Seated Scribe | Louvre Museum | Paris , www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/mona-lisa-portrait-lisa-gherardini-wife-francesco-del-giocondo.
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Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa Painting Analysis

Mona lisa analysis: essay introduction, mona lisa painting analysis: description, mona lisa analysis: essay conclusion.

Name of the painting: Mona Lisa

Name of the artist: Leonardo da Vinci

Dates created: 1504-1506

Mona Lisa is one of the most prominent and recognizable paintings in the world and is considered the greatest masterpiece of its author, Leonardo da Vinci. Created in 1503, the painting has been discussed for centuries by artists, academics, medics, and the general public (Mehra & Campbell, 2018). A vast amount of the painting’s interpretations already exist, and some are still being proposed nowadays. However, this paper mostly aims to explore the central theme, subject, and message of the Mona Lisa .

Da Vinci’s masterpiece was written during the Renaissance, and thus, was strongly influenced by the ideas of that period. The philosophy of the Renaissance placed a human in the center of the world; that is why portraits were so popular with Italian masters of the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Leonardo was among the first artists to capture a person sitting in front of the fictional landscape. Even though Mona Lisa is reminiscent of Madonna, it is still clear that the painter tried to depict an ordinary person. For creating this painting, Leonardo used a technique called “sfumato.” This term refers to the technique of oil painting that allows achieving a soft transition from one color to another. The great combination of the woman and the landscape in Mona Lisa is due to this technique (Da Vinci, n.d.). Therefore, this work by Leonardo may be considered not as a classical portrait, and this is what makes it unique among other paintings of a similar genre.

Mona Lisa has an outstanding impact on various types of Western art, but there were some things that shaped Leonardo’s work as well. As it was already mentioned, the Renaissance period had a strong effect on Leonardo’s works. The painter portrayed a real woman who was not consistent with medieval Christian philosophy. Leonardo is also famous for creating paintings on religious themes, but Mona Lisa does not depict another Madonna. The painting shows a typical woman of Leonardo’s age which confirms his commitment to the humanistic vision of the world. Therefore, it is impossible to omit the influence of this woman on Leonardo’s painting. Most critics and researchers agree that Mona Lisa portrays an Italian woman Lisa Gherardini. She was the wife of a rich merchant who ordered her portrait from Leonardo. This happened soon after Lisa gave birth to a child (Kemp & Pallanti, 2017). This might partly explain why Leonardo depicted the woman smiling.

I have always appreciated Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, but after careful examination, I discovered a new meaning in it. Being aware of the story behind the painting helps to understand it better and makes it more interesting to observe. When you know which person is portrayed in the painting, it is possible to enter his or her life for some time and experience the feelings that he or she had. It is also essential to consider the social and philosophical contest in which the painting was written. It might be hard to realize the significance of the Mona Lisa for the history of art if you do not know that it was one of the first portraits that depicted a real person. Undoubtedly, one can enjoy a painting even if one is not aware of its background. However, once you have become familiar with the painting’s story, you may start to value the piece of art even more.

This paper did not attempt to discover or propose new interpretations of the Mona Lisa . I tried to focus on the main factors that influenced Leonardo’s masterpiece as well as study the most crucial features of the painting. Now that I have become aware of the fact that Leonardo was one of the first Renaissance masters to combine a regular person with the landscape, I can appreciate the painting not only from the artistic perspective but also from the historical.

Da Vinci, Leonardo. Mona Lisa .

Kemp, M., & Pallanti, G. (2017). Mona Lisa: The people and the painting . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Mehra, M. R., & Campbell, H.R. (2018). The Mona Lisa decrypted: Allure of an Imperfect Reality. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 93 (9), 1325-1327.

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The Mona Lisa is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci, which he began around 1503 and worked on until his death in 1519. It depicts a mysteriously smiling woman known as Mona Lisa. The identity of the Mona Lisa is unresolved, but the majority of researchers believe it to be Lisa del Giocondo. The Mona Lisa is considered the most famous and renowned artwork in the world and is often regarded as the epitome of Renaissance art. The portrait is called La Gioconda ('the joyful one') in Italy and La Joconde (from the Italian 'Gioconda') in France. The painting is currently housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Für die Kunst Von der Kunst Mit der Kunst

Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?

The Mona Lisa concludes a three-part portrait series by Leonardo and showcases his painting technique at its zenith. Many people are captivated by the beauty and grace of the Mona Lisa, considering it a masterpiece of art. The vividly lifelike painting is famous for the subtle emotions it conveys, featuring numerous references to Leonardo's thoughts, geometric symbolism, double imagery, and exceptional craftsmanship. Mona Lisa's famous smile seems to hide something mysterious, and it almost appears as if she is reacting to the observers. Before Leonardo's Mona Lisa, no portrait had achieved such interaction. The portrait proves that painters can create in a moment what poets may need thousands of words for. Thus, the timeless portrait is a visual poetry, depicting Mona Lisa as an educated mother on planet Earth.

The Mona Lisa is also famous for being one of the most studied and analyzed paintings in the world. There are many theories about who the woman in the painting is and why she is smiling, leading to the creation of numerous myths and legends over the years. All of this has contributed to making the Mona Lisa one of the most iconic artworks in the world.

Who was the Mona Lisa?

The portrait originally depicted a lady from Florence, likely Mona Lisa del Giocondo, born Lisa Gherardini. Mona, or Monna, is not a given name but the Old Italian abbreviation for the address Madonna ('My Lady'). With rare permission from the Louvre, physicist Pascal Cotte examined the precious painting between 2004 and 2015. Using an innovative method, he demonstrated that today's Mona Lisa is a repainting of a portrait underneath. While the underlying portrait bears some resemblance to the current one, it significantly differs in the face. This showed that Leonardo altered the original portrait of Lisa del Giocondo over many years until an idealized female figure emerged. The present version likely does not depict a real person with high probability.

Was the Mona Lisa ill when she was painted?

Mona Lisa shows three symptoms of illness. Firstly, she has a yellow spot between her nasal bone and her left eye. Secondly, there is a bump on her right hand. The Mona Lisa is also missing her eyebrows. As Leonardo's anatomical studies gave him extensive knowledge of the human body and its diseases, he is also considered the best painter of all time and the Mona Lisa of today probably does not depict a real person, Leonardo must have imagined these symptoms. However, Leonardo did not originally paint her yellowish shimmering skin in this way. Rather, the painting has become slightly discolored over the centuries.

The different perspectives of the Mona Lisa

A special feature of the painting is the use of multiple perspectives. Although the Mona Lisa is depicted frontally, the background of the painting shows landscape elements from three different angles, recognizable by the three different horizon lines. In reality, however, it would be impossible to see such a landscape from different viewing heights at the same time. The impossibility of this idea makes it clear that the background landscape is more the product of Leonardo's imagination and that the depiction of a real landscape is impossible. However, it is possible that certain elements, such as the stone bridge on the right-hand edge of the picture, were real models. Overall, the background seems more like a painted backdrop, comparable to the backgrounds in the theater. Similarly, in the early days of portrait photography, painted backdrops were used to conceal the plain walls of photo studios. However, if Leonardo has deliberately alienated the background of the painting, he is literally inviting us to examine it more closely.

The smile of the Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa's smile is the most studied subject of the painting in terms of art history. It has already become clear by this point that Leonardo has condensed many different aspects into numerous details to create a wonderful painting. Mona Lisa's smile is just another - albeit the best known - of these details. It changes its meaning depending on the context and the viewer's level of knowledge and therefore cannot be clearly interpreted. What is clearer, however, is the optical trick Leonardo used.

Some claim to see a bearded Mona Lisa when looking at the painting for a long time and interpret it as a self-portrait of Leonardo. This is based on an optical illusion. The portrait of the Mona Lisa is designed in such a way that large dark areas have been painted around the very light face. Together with the strikingly light décolleté, they frame the largest light area. Fixing on a point in the painting produces an effect that is called an afterimage in the physiology of perception. This is a hallucination created by the human eye that produces a negative image, as is known from analog photography. The light spot of the décolleté appears in the negative image like a neatly trimmed dark beard. It is further emphasized by the dark shading in the chin area. However, the claim that the painting is a self-portrait of Leonardo is dubious, as no portrait of Leonardo is known to date that demonstrably shows him.

Theft and vandalism

• The Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911 by a worker who was glazing various paintings in the Louvre. Two years after the crime, the thief was caught in a fake money transfer and the Mona Lisa was returned to the Louvre in 1913. The painter Picasso was interrogated by the police for a time because he had unknowingly acquired works of art stolen from the Louvre and was therefore suspected of having commissioned the theft of the Mona Lisa. After the stolen works were returned, the matter was not pursued any further
• The painting has been the target of repeated attacks. In this order, it has already been pelted with a stone, showered with acid, rained on by a sprinkler system for a night and smeared with a cake. Since the acid attack, it has been behind bulletproof glass

Painting is divided into two main parts.The first is form, i.e. the line that delimits the shape of the bodies and their details.The second is color, which is contained within these boundaries. Leonardo da Vinci from Codex Urbinas ('Treatise on Painting')

The line width corresponds to 1 mm in the original painting (desktop)

The Louvre provides the unframed version of the painting against a black background. On the one hand, this shows that Leonardo did not paint the entire wooden panel. Secondly, it is clear that the painting has not been cropped at the edges. This means that Leonardo deliberately chose this particular section of the painting. The frame used for this analysis is indicated by a white border (mouseover/tap)

The painting has an aspect ratio of 2:3.This allows it to be divided into six squares of equal size.As in the previous portrait, La Belle Ferronière, the central vertical line runs through the sitter's left eye

The portrait shows the golden ratio.The distance between the front edges of the column feet and the height of the picture form a golden rectangle (blue transparent area).If the height of the picture is divided twice in succession in the golden ratio, this leads to the height of the Mona Lisa's eyes (orange horizontal line). Further divisions just miss prominent elements and therefore appear unintentional (mouseover/tap)

The painting shows the scene from several perspectives.The sitter, the wall and the landscape each have their own horizon lines.As a result, the landscape is depicted from three perspectives at the same time, which is impossible in reality.The left vanishing line (left column base to the center of the forehead) is inclined by exactly 60° (interior angle of an equilateral triangle). The right vanishing line by exactly 54° (angle bisector in an equilateral 5-sided corner)

The unnaturally blue mountains on the right are reminiscent of masses of water (mouseover)

In the lower part of the painting, the geometric relationships correspond to the dimensions of Noah's ark mentioned in the Bible. Its entrance was at the side. The ark had three storeys (green line, mouseover). Its roof was raised by 1/30. The golden ratio of the picture height is 1/30 above the lower edge of the parapet (upper green and orange horizontal line). The dimensions are thus related to the water depicted in the right background of the picture

Halfway up the wall, an isosceles triangle (30°,30°,120°) is formed, the apex of which meets the golden section of the picture height.An equilateral triangle stretches from the eye of the Mona Lisa to the base of the isosceles triangle.The distance from the eye to the apex of the isosceles triangle corresponds to the minor of the golden section of the picture height (orange horizontal line)

The landscape on the left has a completely different character to the one on the right.In the Mona Lisa's hair, the picture puzzle of an old, bearded man can be seen looking at the base of the column on the left edge of the picture at a 60° angle (mouseover).The base of the column is located in the golden section of the picture's height and is the starting point for numerous geometric relationships in the painting

There are numerous geometric relationships between prominent points and lines in the painting.What all the resulting triangles have in common is that their upper angles are symbolic angles and increase in size towards the bottom (60°, 72°, 90° and 120°) to finally form an equilateral triangle whose apex emphasizes the left eye of the Mona Lisa (mouseover).The bases of the triangles are the rear edge of the wall and half the height of the front wall, as well as a 5° angle from the left base of the column to the shoulder of the Mona Lisa (blue parallel to the blue line of the bridge)

45° angles of the fingers form a geometric crab (red areas).The lower triangle (30°, 120° and 30°) can be moved to the upper edge of the picture.From its base, a 45° angle leads to the left and right lower edge of the picture (angle between the yellow slanted lines). 45° is the center angle of an equilateral 8-sided corner. The elegance of the geometric design becomes clear on mouseover. The uppermost angle from the edge of the picture to the perspective horizon line of the column bases is 135°, the interior angle of an equilateral 8-corner is

Leonardo da Vinci 1503-1519 Oil on wood (poplar) 53,4 x 79,4 cm Paris, Musée du Louvre

The identity of the Mona Lisa has not yet been established beyond doubt. However, the majority of researchers assume that it is Lisa del Gicondo, born Lisa Gherardini.

What makes the identification of the Mona Lisa so difficult is the fact that no commission documents, contracts, invoices or similar exist for the portrait. Leonardo da Vinci did not mention the painting in his notes, nor are there any clear descriptions from contemporary witnesses.

Theory I – Lisa del Giocondo

The majority of Leonardo scholars consider the sitter to be Lisa del Giocondo. All the arguments that support this thesis are now listed.

Was there a Mona Lisa?

Lisa di Antonmaria Noldo Gherardini is a historically documented person and was a Florentine noblewoman. Despite extensive research on her, little is known about her life today.

The Gherardini Family

The Gherardini family was an established Florentine family. Much of their once extensive land holdings were lost due to political missteps. Their ancestral castle was destroyed around 1300, leaving only the foundations. Nevertheless, they were not impoverished. They moved to the Villa Gherardini, a castle-like vineyard, which they developed into the family seat over the following centuries.

The Villa, located about 20 km southeast of Florence in the Chianti region, is now known as Villa Vignamaggio, a popular tourist attraction. It houses a restaurant ('Monna Lisa') and hosts wine tastings and weddings. Leonardo may have been inspired by a loggia of the Villa and used it as a reference for the background in the portrait of the Mona Lisa. A loggia is an open balcony, usually with small columns supporting a roof.

Despite political setbacks, the Gherardini family remained influential, maintaining close ties with Florence's most important families. Lisa's father, Antonmaria Gherardini, was wealthy and owned a centrally located townhouse in Florence and an estate in San Donato in Poggio, near the Villa Gherardini. He had married Camilla, a daughter of the significant Ruccelai family, creating ties to the influential Medici family through marriage.

Who was Lisa Gherardini?

Lisa Gherardini was born in 1479. At the age of sixteen, in 1495, she married Francesco del Giocondo, a wealthy cloth merchant from Florence. Francesco, 30 years old at the time, had previously been married to Camilla, Lisa's stepmother's sister, who died young. Francesco and Lisa had six children, with one daughter dying shortly after birth in 1499.

After the birth of their second child on December 12, 1502, they moved into a townhouse on Via della Stufa in Florence in March 1503. The house, located near the Medici Palace, showcased Francesco's economic success. Because such a move was a typical reason for commissioning a portrait at the time, most researchers believe that the portrait of the Mona Lisa began around 1503. Given that Leonardo's father knew Francesco del Giocondo since 1497, it is likely that he facilitated the commission to Leonardo.

During that period, it was common for affluent city dwellers to retreat to the countryside in the hot summer months. The del Giocondos also owned the Villa Antinori, a magnificent property on the outskirts of Florence. A loggia from this building is also considered as a possible background for Leonardo's portrait of the Mona Lisa.

After her husband's death in 1538, Lisa Gherardini entered the convent of Saint Ursula in Florence. She passed away there on July 15, 1542, at the age of 63.

Painted on commission from Francesco del Giocondo (after Vasari)

Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) was a renowned architect and painter in Florence. Thanks to his artist biographies published in 1550, he is also considered the first art historian. The work includes a much-quoted account of the life of Leonardo da Vinci, who had passed away 30 years prior. Vasari mentions the Mona Lisa:

"Leonardo also began to paint the portrait of Mona Lisa, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. He spent four years on it, then left it unfinished, and it is now in the possession of King Francis of France at Fontainebleau.

Anyone who wanted to see how far art could imitate nature recognized it in this beautiful head. Every small detail was depicted in the finest manner, the eyes had brightness and moisture, as we see in life, all around one noticed the reddish-blue circles and veins, which can only be executed with the greatest delicacy. At the brows, you could see where they were fullest, where they were sparse, how they emerged from the pores of the skin and arched, as naturally as one can think. On the nose, the delicate openings were rosy and faithfully reproduced. The mouth, where the lips close and the red blends with the color of the face, had a perfection that made it appear not painted, but truly like flesh and blood. Whoever looked closely at the hollow of the neck believed to see the pulsating of the veins.

In short, one can say that this painting was executed in a way that made every excellent artist and everyone who saw it tremble. Mona Lisa was very beautiful, and Leonardo needed the precaution that, while he was painting, there always had to be someone present who sang, played, and made jokes so that she would remain cheerful and not acquire a sad look, as often happens when one sits to have their portrait painted. Above this face, however, hovers such a lovely smile that it seemed to be more from a heavenly than a human hand; and it was considered admirable because it was completely lifelike."

Vasari refers to Lisa del Giocondo as "Mona Lisa." "Mona" is an Old Italian abbreviation for the address Madonna ('My Lady'). Vasari's praise for the painting of the Mona Lisa's eyebrows indicates that he did not see the painting himself, as the Mona Lisa does not have eyebrows.

Historians Kemp and Zöllner have been able to demonstrate that Vasari was acquainted with two cousins of Francesco del Giocondo. Therefore, it is likely that Vasari could have personally met the older couple del Giocondo, as Lisa del Giocondo lived until 1542. Additionally, Vasari grew up under the care of the Medici family and was educated alongside their children. The Medicis were well-connected in Florence, familiar with Leonardo, and, moreover, distantly related to Mona Lisa's mother. It is likely that Vasari knew that Leonardo created a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo. However, Vasari tends to create legends, and his statements do not always align with the findings of art historians. It is also often unclear which of his statements are based on hearsay, meaning he lacked sufficient sources.

Painted by order of Giuliano de Medici (after de Beatis)

Although the portrait of the Mona Lisa is said to have been commissioned by her husband Francesco, the painting was never in the possession of the del Giocondos. It is possible that it was not Francesco but Giuliano de Medici who commissioned the painting, as reported by a contemporary source.

During Leonardo's last three years, when he lived at the French royal court in Amboise, he was visited in 1517 by a delegation from Cardinal Luigi d'Aragona. The cardinal's scribe, Antonio de Beatis, wrote a report on the visit. This last eyewitness account is of great importance in Leonardo research as it mentions other paintings that de Beatis saw in Leonardo's workshop.

"In one of the districts, my lord and the rest of us went to see the Florentine Leonardo da Vinci, more than 70 years old [Here the scribe is mistaken; Leonardo was only 65 at the time], an outstanding painter of our time, who showed his illustrious lordship three paintings: one of a certain Florentine lady, a very beautiful painting made at the request of the Magnificent Giuliano de Medici; the second of a young John the Baptist, and one of the Madonna and her son, who are placed in the lap of Saint Anne, all very perfect, ..."

The "certain Florentine lady" most likely refers to the Mona Lisa. Lisa Gherardini's family was indirectly connected to the Medicis through marriage. The Florentine youths Giuliano de Medici and Lisa Gherardini were of the same age and grew up in close proximity. Due to the familial connection, it is highly likely that they knew each other, and there is speculation that Giuliano fell in love with Lisa.

However, the Medicis were expelled from Florence in 1494 and could only return in 1512. The 15-year-old Giuliano had to leave the city and spent many years in exile at the court of the Duke of Urbino. One year after the Medicis' expulsion from Florence, Lisa Gherardini married the wealthy merchant Francesco del Giocondo.

Leonardo had been living in Milan since around 1482 and returned to Florence only in 1503 for a few years. According to the theory, the exiled Giuliano de' Medici asked Leonardo to create a portrait of the now-married Lisa del Giocondo for sentimental reasons. This would explain why the painting was never in the possession of the del Giocondos.

Giuliano de Medici was the brother of Pope Leo X (1513-1521) and an admirer of Leonardo. At Giuliano's request, Leonardo stayed at the papal court in Rome from 1513 to 1516. When Giuliano unexpectedly died in 1516, Leonardo left Rome and went to France. De Beatis's report indicates that he had the portrait of a certain Florentine lady with him, made at the request of Giuliano de Medici. Therefore, Leonardo may not have been able to hand over the Mona Lisa to Giuliano because the painting was still unfinished, or he took back the completed work after Giuliano's death.

This theory is speculative, and the only evidence is Beatis's mention of the certain Florentine lady commissioned by Giuliano de Medici.

The Heidelberg Note

A source published in 2005 proves that Leonardo worked on the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo.

A book about the ancient politician and writer Cicero, which was printed in 1477, was found in the Heidelberg University Archive (shelfmark D 7620 qt. INC). It has been proven that the book belonged to one Agostino Vespucci. Vespucci was a scribe and close collaborator of the famous Florentine politician Niccolo Macchiavelli. At the time, Macchiavelli supported Leonardo with commissions from the Florentine city government. It was probably at his instigation that Leonardo was commissioned to paint the huge mural "Battle of Anghiari". For this purpose, Vespucci translated a description of the battle from Latin, which is still preserved today, and gave it to Leonardo. Vespucci and Leonardo therefore knew each other well, which increases the credibility of the source.

Agostino Vespucci left a short handwritten note in the book in which he praised Leonardo's painting and mentioned that he was currently working on a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo. The note also confirms Leonardo's work on the paintings "Anna Selbdritt" and "Battle of Anghiari" for the Council Chamber of Palazzo Vecchio. This note is considered an important document in the history of the Mona Lisa's creation, even if the authenticity of the note can hardly be proven.

The play on words with Lisa del Giocondo's surname

In the Renaissance, wordplay was very popular, and Leonardo da Vinci had a particular fondness for it.

His famous portrait of the lady with an ermine features Cecilia Gallerani. The ermine belongs to the weasel family, and the Ancient Greek word for weasel is "galê" or "galéē."

Another portrait depicts the lady Ginevra de' Benci. She is seated in front of a juniper tree. "Juniper" translates to "Ginepro" in Italian.

Leonardo's preference for wordplay also supports the identification of the lady as Lisa del Giocondo. The most noticeable feature of the painting is her cheerful expression. "Gioconda" is the Italian word for "the Cheerful," and it is assumed that her joyous smile alludes to her surname "del Giocondo."

Salai's Estate

Salai was one of Leonardo's longest-serving collaborators and was named as one of Leonardo's heirs in his will. A few years after Leonardo's death in 1519, Salai died unexpectedly in a duel in 1524. Following his death, his wife and sisters disputed his estate. A document has been preserved, revealing that Salai owned a painting referred to as "La Joconda," described briefly as "a woman turned backward."

Even today, the Mona Lisa is referred to as "La Joconda" or "La Joconde" in France. "La Joconde" was originally not a French term but is derived from the Italian "Gioconda." This designation from Salai's estate links that particular portrait with the surname of the Florentine lady Lisa del Giocondo.

The value of Salai's "La Joconda" was set by the notary at 100 Scudi (= 175 Florins = 612.5 Gold). For the time, this was a considerable sum, strongly suggesting that Salai's "La Joconda" was an original painting by Leonardo. If so, it could only be Leonardo's portrait of Lisa del Giocondo.

Theory II – Pacifica Brandani

In addition to the identification of the Mona Lisa as Lisa del Giocondo, a few researchers propose the idea that it could be a portrait of Pacifica Brandani. Since the hypothesis is internally consistent, it should not go unmentioned.

The starting point for this theory is the well-known travel report from de Beatis in 1517, which stated "[...] one of a certain Florentine lady, a very beautiful painting made at the request of the Magnificent Giuliano de Medici."

Giuliano's biography includes the tragic fate of his only son, Ippolito. When Giuliano was in exile, he had an affair with the court lady Pacifica Brandani at the court of Urbino. She became pregnant but died in 1511 during the birth of their son, Ippolito. Since Ippolito could not know his mother, Giuliano is said to have commissioned from Leonardo a painting of an idealized, cheerful mother figure. The painting was intended to console young Ippolito over the loss of his mother. Therefore, the portrait is said to have been named La Gioconda (Italian for "the Cheerful").

However, according to the theory, Ippolito did not receive the painting. When his father Giuliano died in 1516, Leonardo is believed to have retained the still unfinished painting when he left for the French court in 1516. While this narrative seems plausible, it relies solely on the remark "at the request of the Magnificent Giuliano de Medici" in de Beatis's travel report.

Modern findings

The most significant discovery related to the identity of the Mona Lisa was made by the French physicist Pascal Cotte. He developed an innovative physical method to reconstruct the chronological order of paint layers in paintings. The Louvre granted him the rare permission to examine the original painting between 2004 and 2015. Surprisingly, he found that beneath the portrait of the Mona Lisa, there is an earlier portrait depicting a significantly younger lady. The current Mona Lisa is, therefore, the result of overpainting. The earlier portrait is largely identical in position and overall composition but differs significantly in hairstyle, face, and shoulder area.

Result of Pascal Cotte's examination

The result of Pascal Cotte's examination clarifies significant open questions related to the Mona Lisa. Vasari describes the finely painted eyebrows of the Mona Lisa, even though she obviously has none. He must have relied on accounts he heard about the first version of the Mona Lisa. He likely never saw the original painting himself, as it was at the French court in Fontainebleau during his lifetime, as he himself reports.

Pascal Cotte's findings also explain the striking similarity of three portraits by Raphael to that of the Mona Lisa. They undoubtedly originated around the same time. Raphael was in Florence between 1504 and 1505, the period when the Mona Lisa was started. The younger Raphael knew Leonardo personally and imitated his style in many of his works. It is very likely that Raphael saw the portrait of Lisa del Giocondo in Leonardo's workshop. It must have been the version revealed in Pascal Cotte's examination because that's the only way to explain why Raphael's portraits closely resemble Leonardo's Mona Lisa but differ significantly from the present version. Raphael must have seen an earlier version of the Mona Lisa, precisely the one Pascal Cotte identified.

The extensive copies by Raphael and the analysis by Pascal Cotte now lead to a straightforward conclusion, consistent with all previous findings.

In 1503, Leonardo received the commission in Florence to paint Lisa del Giocondo. The commission either came from her husband, Francesco del Giocondo, through the mediation of Leonardo's father, or from the infatuated Giuliano de' Medici in exile in Urbino. Leonardo began the portrait but left it unfinished. At that time, the painting looked as Pascal Cotte discovered. Raphael must have seen the unfinished work between 1504 and 1505 in Leonardo's workshop and imitated this Mona Lisa in at least three portraits. When Leonardo left Florence for the second time in 1508 and returned to Milan, four years of unfinished work on the portrait, mentioned by Vasari, had passed.

After 1508, Leonardo must have extensively revised the work until it took its present form. This supports the theory that in this second version, Leonardo no longer had Lisa del Giocondo in mind but probably created an idealized female figure. Whether this happened after 1511 and again on the commission of Giuliano de' Medici, following the Pacifica Brandani theory, to give his grieving son a comforting image of a mother, or whether Leonardo revised the work on his own initiative, remains unclear. Overall, this is currently the simplest explanation for the history of the creation of the Mona Lisa.

This does not rule out the possibility that contemporaneously with Leonardo's work on the painting, there were copies by students in his workshop. However, when objectively considering their painterly quality, these copies do not match Leonardo's Mona Lisa and are evidently imitations. They demonstrate how challenging it is for painters to imitate Leonardo's style.

Creation time and owner

Leonardo's life around 1503.

When Leonardo began the portrait of the Mona Lisa in 1503, he was approximately 50 years old. Born and raised in Florence, he had been living in Milan since the age of 30. After completing "The Last Supper" in 1498, he was considered the greatest living artist. However, when the Duke of Milan was expelled by the French the following year, turbulent times began for Leonardo. He fled the war, sought new patrons in northern Italy, but eventually returned to Florence in the summer of 1500. Around 1501, he started the large-scale painting "The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne" and the "Madonna of the Yarnwinder" for a French court official. Influenced by his collaboration with the mathematician Luca Pacioli, he delved into mathematical studies during this time.

The Borgia campaign and the Battle of Anghiari

In the summer of 1502 until spring 1503, Leonardo accompanied Cesare Borgia, the son of the Pope, as a military engineer. Upon his return to Florence, he started the portrait of the Mona Lisa. In 1504, his father died, and Leonardo's illegitimate son was excluded from the inheritance. In the same year, he received the commission for his second major fresco, the "Battle of Anghiari," for the city parliament of Florence. The younger painter Michelangelo was to create an equally large painting on the opposite wall simultaneously, initiating a competition between the two artists. However, due to wet walls, the work progressed slowly and was eventually abandoned. In 1504, Raphael also came to Florence and painted portraits in the style of the Mona Lisa, inspired by Leonardo's painting.

Return to Milan

From 1506, he commuted between Florence and Milan, and by 1508, he was living in Milan again. The portrait of Mona Lisa likely had less significance until then, as Leonardo focused on more prestigious commissions. Vasari claims it was still unfinished in 1508, and it probably received its final form after that year. According to de Beatis, the painting accompanied Leonardo to France in 1516 and remained there until his death in 1519 at Château du Clos Lucé.

Fate after Leonardo's death

It is unclear what happened to the paintings that de Beatis saw with Leonardo. Leonardo's will does not mention any paintings, but it does include bequests to two of his pupils. Francesco Melzi received Leonardo's significant notebooks, other books, equipment, clothes, and gold. On the other hand, Salai received a property in Milan, which he had already leased from Leonardo. Salai's will indicates that he likely owned some of Leonardo's paintings.

Salai's Will

Salai died in 1524 at the age of about 44 in a duel, just a few years after Leonardo's death. His sisters and his widow subsequently contested the inheritance, which mainly consisted of valuable paintings. The notarial records list a painting titled "La Joconda," and since it is relatively highly valued in the document at 100 Scudo (175 Florin = 612.5 Gold), it is likely the Mona Lisa. Shortly thereafter, the French King Francis I must have acquired the painting.

Salai's Sale of Paintings

In 1999, French art historian Bertrand Jestaz published an essay about a rediscovered sales contract. He explains that the painting currently housed in the Louvre ended up in the royal collections in 1518 as part of a sale of some of Salai's paintings to King Francis I. The king paid Salai about 2604 Livres (approximately 651 Florin = 2.3 kg Gold), "for certain panel paintings that he gave to the king." Therefore, it is widely believed today that Leonardo gave the still unfinished paintings, including the Mona Lisa, to Salai about a year before he died. The paintings listed in Salai's will are presumed to be copies made by Salai.

In the Possession of French Kings

The exact circumstances of how the painting came into the possession of the French king remain uncertain to this day. However, Vasari reported in 1550 that the Mona Lisa was now at Fontainebleau Castle, an important hunting lodge of Francis I. The painting remained there until Louis XIV had it moved to Versailles around 1682.

The French Revolution and Napoleon's Bedroom

During the French Revolution in 1789, all paintings from the royal collection were transferred to the Louvre, and in 1793, the Mona Lisa was publicly exhibited for the first time.

The painting may have remained there for only a few years because there is a legend that Napoleon had the painting brought to his bedroom in the Tuileries Palace around 1799. According to the legend, the portrait hung there until his exile in 1815. The Mona Lisa has been publicly displayed in the Louvre since at least 1815.

The Theft of 1911

The Mona Lisa was stolen on August 21, 1911, by the Italian Vincenzo Peruggia in a sensational act from the Louvre.

The Louvre Museum, fearing vandalism, had decided to secure all paintings behind a glass barrier by 1911. Peruggia was one of the glaziers involved in this project. Due to his work at the museum, he was well-known to the staff and familiar with the premises.

On the day of the theft, a Monday when the Louvre was closed to the public, Peruggia entered the building in his work clothes, blending in with the staff. He went to the Mona Lisa and took advantage of an unobserved moment to remove the painting, initially placing it in a staircase where he took it out of the frame. The Mona Lisa, painted on a wooden panel, is relatively small (53 × 77cm), making it easy for Peruggia to conceal. He might have hidden it under his smock or wrapped it up, carrying it like a sheet of glass. Then he left the Louvre. The theft was only noticed the following day when a painter, who had been copying the Mona Lisa for some time, inquired about the painting.

Peruggia viewed the theft as a patriotic act, intending to bring the painting to Italy, Leonardo da Vinci's homeland. The theft remained unsolved for two years. It was only when Peruggia attempted to sell the painting to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence that he was arrested during the planned handover. The painting was exhibited in several Italian cities for a few months before returning to the Louvre on December 31, 1913.

Picasso and the Theft of the Mona Lisa

For a while, the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso and his circle were suspected of being involved in the theft. Picasso lived in Paris at the time and was acquainted with Géry Pieret through his friend, the poet Apollinaire. Apollinaire and Pieret were friends, sometimes living together. Pieret was an occasional thief who stole valuable sculptures from the then barely secured Louvre and sold at least two of them to Apollinaire in 1907, who then passed them on to Picasso. Shortly after the theft of the Mona Lisa, Picasso returned the two sculptures and was questioned by the police, while Apollinaire was even arrested for two days. They were accused of being part of an international theft ring. Picasso was not charged further after the interrogation, and Apollinaire was acquitted in a subsequent trial due to a lack of evidence.

World War II

During World War II, France was occupied by Germany. Before the Germans took Paris, the Louvre, fearing theft or damage, conducted an elaborate operation to transport almost the entire art collection anonymously and sealed to Château de Chambord. The Mona Lisa was in an inconspicuous crate. During the war, the valuable painting was moved several times to different locations in France without falling into the possession of the German occupiers.

With the end of the war, the Mona Lisa was able to return to the Louvre, where it was publicly displayed again from October 1947.

In 1956, an unknown individual poured acid on the painting, causing severe damage to the lower part of the image. In the same year, a visitor threw a stone at the painting, damaging the left elbow of the figure. Since then, the Mona Lisa has been behind bulletproof glass.

The Mona Lisa in the USA

In 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy, the wife of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, persuaded the then French President Charles de Gaulle to exhibit the painting in the United States. In an elaborate operation, the painting was transported across the Atlantic in January 1963 under tight security and exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and shortly afterward at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The then-director of the museum, Thomas Hoving, wrote in his memoirs that the Mona Lisa was exposed to flowing water from an accidentally triggered sprinkler system overnight during the exhibition. However, since the painting was behind water-resistant bulletproof glass, the Mona Lisa remained undamaged.

The Mona Lisa in Japan and Russia

In 1974, there was a second international exhibition in Tokyo and Moscow.

In 2022, a visitor attempted to shatter the bulletproof glass of the Mona Lisa. As expected, he failed, but he smeared the glass with a cream pie. To approach the painting, he had disguised himself as a woman and sat in a wheelchair. He claimed that his motive was to draw attention to the environment.

Public exhibition at the Louvre in Paris

The painting is currently displayed in the largest hall of the Louvre in Paris, the Salle des États.

Image analysis

The leading art historian and Leonardo expert Martin Kemp (Oxford, Harvard, Princeton) associates the Mona Lisa, specifically the right background of the painting, with the depiction of a deluge. This image analysis follows and elaborates on this view, recognizing the motif of water as the connecting element in the background.

This perspective is justified by the interplay of trompe-l'oeil effects and complex yet clear geometric relationships of high symbolic value existing among prominent elements of the painting. After a general presentation of formal peculiarities of the painting, it becomes clear that Leonardo conceived the Mona Lisa closely tied to the motif of water and the hidden power within it. Correspondingly, symbolic connections are made to the two most famous floods. Firstly, Leonardo suggests a rearing water wave in the right background reminiscent of Noah's flood. He confirms the initially barely perceptible by using the proportions of Noah's Ark mentioned in the Bible for the lower third of the painting.

Secondly, the painting reveals a simple but complex system of geometric relationships that ultimately refer to the Platonic solids. They are first described in Plato's book Timaeus. This book talks about the legendary city of Atlantis and its downfall. For this second aspect, it will be shown how much Leonardo's persona was equated with that of Plato by contemporary artists. Additionally, how Leonardo uses geometric relationships between prominent elements in the painting to guide the viewer's gaze to her hands, only to ultimately focus on the Mona Lisa's left eye.

To clearly depict the geometric relationships that underpin these connections, the unframed version available on the Louvre's website was used for this analysis # .

Image Description

A lady in a three-quarter portrait is seated on a chair. The chair's back forms a semicircle, connected to the seat through small balusters, with five balusters visible.

The chair is oriented to the left, and the lady, through a slight rotation of hip, shoulder, and head, faces left towards the viewer. While doing so, she looks slightly past the viewer to something behind them, smiling.

Her hands are clasped one over the other on the left chairback. The left hand holds a brown blanket, draped over her legs. The index and middle fingers of the right hand are slightly spread.

She wears a dark green dress with orange sleeves, finely gathered into folds. The dark green part of the dress is turned up at the sleeves and fastened at the shoulder. The seam at the neckline is intricately embroidered with orange stitches. The dress falls in fine waves due to the gathered seam. Her neck and neckline are uncovered, and she wears no jewelry.

Her brown open hair cascades in fine curls from a center part down to her shoulders on both sides. Her hair is covered by a very long, nearly transparent veil. The veil is rolled down towards the bottom and hangs loosely over her left shoulder.

Directly behind her is a waist-high wall. At the left and right edges of the painting, the bases of two columns can be seen, placed on the wall.

In the background, a mountainous landscape with paths and waterways. In the right half of the painting, a bridge over a river.

The lower part of the painting (ceiling, chair, and wall), as well as large sections of the landscape, are unfinished.

I The six quadrants

The outer dimensions of the portrait correspond quite closely to the ratio of 2:3. Therefore, the portrait can be divided into six approximately equal-sized squares.

The Mona Lisa as the conclusion of a three-part portrait series

The division of the paintings into prominently constructed squares is a recurring motif in Leonardo's three undeniably genuine female portraits. There is a clear connection between the number of squares and the timing of their creation:

The paintings also exhibit a certain chronology. Cecilia Gallerani (Lady with an Ermine) and Lucrezia Crivelli (La Belle Ferronière) were successively mistresses of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, and each was the mother of an illegitimate child. Leonardo had worked for the Duke of Milan for approximately 12 years until 1499.

Lady with an Ermine is the simplest in terms of image construction and does not depict any architecture or landscape. In contrast, La Belle Ferronière introduces a wall into the painting, creating a separation between her and the viewers. Despite appearing initially unremarkable, upon closer examination of the composition, the painting reveals a rather complex interplay of harmonies. The subsequent portrait of the Mona Lisa repeats the motif of the wall and now introduces a landscape. The Mona Lisa is no longer behind a wall but in front of it, in a space with the viewers. Due to these non-random connections, it is reasonable to consider the three paintings as part of a series. The childlike Lady with an Ermine is followed by the portrait of a young adult, and with the Mona Lisa, a maternal figure is presented.

Leonardo's Emphasis on the Eyes

It is typical of Leonardo to emphasize one eye of the portrayed figure by placing it on one of the two classical divisions of the width of the painting: halving or the golden ratio. In the case of the Mona Lisa, the vertical midline of the portrait emphasizes her left eye I , as is also the case in the preceding painting La Belle Ferronière, but in contrast to the Lady with an Ermine.

The Orange Horizon

A second painted horizon line is suggested by a complementary contrast that runs below the top third of the painting. The orange-brown earth tones sharply border along a circular line from a blue color field above it (green line). The unnaturally blue color field above can also be interpreted as a dark cloud wall, for instance, during a severe storm, due to its color and blurry forms. However, this line is too strongly curved for a real landscape (green line). For such a round-looking horizon, one would have to look at the Earth from a very high altitude.

Conclusion on the Different Horizons of the Mona Lisa

Regarding the perspective used, there initially appears to be an inconsistent overall impression. Leonardo was a master of perspective, so painterly incompetence can be ruled out. Perhaps the background landscape shows a picture within a picture, meaning a painted wall or tapestry. This would explain both the unfinished overall impression and the perspective errors. Especially the vanishing point of the columns at the edge of the painting is clearly faulty.

The situation is different if Leonardo wanted to depict the four perspectives (person, architecture, blue and orange horizon) as multiple superimposed views of a landscape, shown from progressively higher viewpoints.

• In this case, viewers would initially see the Mona Lisa sitting next to her, looking at her
• The architectural horizon line is high in the painting, indicating that the scene is viewed from a low standpoint, but still above the Mona Lisa's head, for instance, by a person not sitting next to her but standing (white line)
• The blue horizon line is lower, indicating that the scene is now viewed from a higher standpoint. The horizon line only slightly slopes downward on the right side (blue line)
• The orange horizon line is even lower, indicating that the scene is now viewed from an even higher standpoint. The horizon line is strongly curved (green line)

The order can also be reversed. In this case, viewers would first see the Mona Lisa from a great height and then descend to her in three stages until reaching eye level. The motif of great height, of ascending into the air, is a central theme in Leonardo's life. Around 1505, two years after starting work on the Mona Lisa, Leonardo conducted flight experiments with the flying machines he constructed at Swan Mountain near Florence. He developed screw propellers (helicopters), and he invented a functional parachute that glides vertically downward.

The tidal wave interpretation of the Mona Lisa by Martin Kemp

Martin Kemp was a professor of art history at the University of Oxford, with guest professorships at Harvard and Princeton, and is considered the world's most renowned Leonardo expert. He formulates the depiction of the flood in Leonardo's Mona Lisa as follows:

"The landscape of the Mona Lisa, situated on two levels - the higher water surface on the right side [of the painting] is above its natural position - is the quintessence of what Leonardo had learned when contemplating high and low places in Tuscany. The instability of one of the mountains to the left of the head [i.e., from her perspective, on the left], which has an extremely pronounced rock ledge and is deeply incised below, suggests that things will change radically at some unknown time in the future. A tremendous transformation is imminent, where the gently meandering rivers in the lowland under the Mona Lisa's balcony, with the neatly crafted bridge, will be surprised and reshaped by a force majeure against which any human engineer is powerless." (Kemp, Martin [2005]: Leonardo. Munich: Verlag C.H. Beck oHG, pp. 176 f.)

According to Kemp, Leonardo aimed to depict the immense power of the water rushing into the valley. Kemp presents these observations in the chapter 'Master of Water,' specifically in the context of Leonardo's attempts to harness the uncontrollable power of water.

Accordingly, the ark had the dimensions of the golden ratio:

• It was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.
• The ratio of the side lengths was thus (divided by 10) 30:5:3.
• The ratio of width to height was 3:5 (0.6), pointing to the golden ratio, as 3 and 5 are Fibonacci numbers.
• The roof was to be raised by an additional cubit, making the highest point of the ark 30+1 cubits high.
• The ratio of 31:50 (height of the roof and width of the ark) was therefore 0.62, close to the golden ratio, which is 0.618.
• An ark with a width of 1 thus had a raised roof with a height between 0.6 and 0.62.

Additionally, the entrance to the ark was to be on the side.

The book "Timaeus" (Italian "Timeo")

One of Plato's most famous works is the book "Timaeus." It contains two themes whose connection is not immediately apparent. Firstly, it introduces the legendary city of Atlantis and vividly describes how it sank into the sea after a tremendous flood. Secondly, it explains the so-called Platonic solids, named after Plato. The connection between flood and geometry in "Timaeus" establishes a link with Leonardo's Mona Lisa.

Raphael portrays Leonardo as Plato with Timaeus

After giving the Mona Lisa its current appearance around 1508, Leonardo was depicted by the younger Raphael as Plato in "The School of Athens" (1510-1511). In the painting, Plato is holding the book "Timaeus." Raphael had seen the original version of the Mona Lisa in Leonardo's workshop in Florence a few years earlier and imitated it in three paintings.

Leonardo's Academy

The younger Raphael may have depicted Leonardo as Plato out of a general sense of respect, or it could also express a teacher-student relationship, where Leonardo's workshop was understood as an academy in the Platonic sense. Around 1500, during a brief stay in Venice, Leonardo himself created several drawings with geometric interlace patterns. In their center, Leonardo wrote "Leonardo Academia," surrounded by the word "Vici" (Latin for 'I have won'), drawing inspiration from Plato's Academy.

Plato's triangles

The old man in the Mona Lisa's hair is looking at a compressed cube with the left column base, on which there is a compressed sphere VII . The column bases are more sharply defined on the left side than on the right side, which appears almost transparent, which additionally emphasizes it. The column bases are also in the golden ratio of the picture height. Together with the central parting of the Mona Lisa, the corners of the column bases form the perspective vanishing lines of Painting III . The old man is therefore not looking at precisely this point for no reason. He is inviting us to discover further geometric features of the painting. The child on the left now appears almost jocular, fleeing into his mother's arms in the face of this task.

The Platonic solids and their angles

The Platonic solids are the tetrahedron, octahedron, cube, dodecahedron and icosahedron.

All five Platonic solids consist of just three basic shapes: equilateral triangle, square and regular pentagon. Each of these shapes has specific angles. Sorted according to their size, these are 30°, 45°, 54°, 60°, 72°, 90°, 108° and 120°.

The bridge of the Mona Lisa

The bridge in the right background of the Mona Lisa consists of 3, 4 or 5 arches, which can no longer be determined beyond doubt due to a light line through four arches that may have been added later. It is interesting to note that the bridge is tilted almost exactly 5° to the top right (blue line). This is the same angle as that from the left column base to the tip on the left sleeve of Mona Lisa VIII . Both lines therefore run parallel.

IX The crab

Analogous to the downward-leading symbolic angles, the perplexing image of a vertically cut body of water enhances the association of an underwater world for the lower third of the painting. In the context of Leonardo's submarine inventions and the associated imaginative world, this even seems plausible.

The hands of the Mona Lisa

The central motif of the lower third of the painting is the hands of the Mona Lisa. They are overlaid in a very special way. A first indication of something special is marked by the golden ratio of the image width, which is located where the lower lines of the hands intersect (mouseover, orange vertical). Given what has been shown so far, it is not surprising that the fingers of the Mona Lisa are aligned with specific angles: 30°, 45°, and 60°. When these are connected, they appear against the background of an underwater landscape and, in conjunction with the fingers that are symmetric to each other in a very special way, they resemble a crab.

The angles of the hands

• From the center of the horizontal golden ratio (orange horizontal), a 60° angle can be drawn to the ring finger of the left hand (white line). From its end, a 75° angle leads over the knuckles to the upper left, to the middle of the height between the lower edge of the screen and the lower wall edge. This creates a symbolical triangle with inner angles of 45°, 60°, and 75° (72° + 3), which is not further explained here
• the blue lines of the crab have an angle of 45°. They form an M-shaped network of lines. Exactly through the center of the "M," the golden ratio of the image width passes (mouseover, orange vertical)
• The middle finger and index finger of the right hand are slightly spread apart, and the angle of the index finger is 30° (orange line). Now it takes only a little imagination to recognize the crab (red areas).

Conclusion: From the bottom of the sea to the highest heights

coming soon

The greatest pleasure is the realization Leonardo da Vinci

Website of the exhibiting museum: Louvre-Museum , Paris

Frank Zöllner, Leonardo, Taschen (2019)

Martin Kemp, Leonardo, C.H. Beck (2008)

Charles Niccholl, Leonardo da Vinci: Die Biographie, Fischer (2019)

Johannes Itten, Bildanalysen, Ravensburger (1988)

Robert Descharnes und Gilles Néret, Dali – Das malerische Werk, Taschen (2001)

Die Bibel, Einheitsübersetzung, Altes und Neues Testament, Pattloch Verlag (1992)

Platon, Timaios, Holzinger (2016)

Highly recommended

Marianne Schneider, Das große Leonardo Buch – Sein Leben und Werk in Zeugnissen, Selbstzeugnissen und Dokumenten, Schirmer/ Mosel (2019)

Leonardo da Vinci, Schriften zur Malerei und sämtliche Gemälde, Schirmer/ Mosel (2011)

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66 Mona Lisa Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best mona lisa topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 simple & easy mona lisa essay titles, 👍 good essay topics on mona lisa.

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• Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa as a Source of Inspiration In both Mona Lisa and Instafamous, Lisa del Gioconda is at the center of the composition. However, in Mona Lisa, it is Da Vinci’s gaze that determines how she is depicted and perceived, while in […]
• Analysis of a Postcard Reproduction of Leonard Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa by Duchamp Taking into account Greenberg’s model and aesthetic criteria for evaluating the works of art, Marcel Duchamp’s reproduction of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa can be defined as a clear representation of kitsch.
• “The Mona Lisa” and “Lavender Mist” Paintings Comparison The Mona Lisa painting stands out from other paintings of the 1500 era because of the technique, and the medium used to create the masterpiece.
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• Artistic Critique and Historical Perspectives of the Mona Lisa Painting by Leonardo Da Vinci
• Comparing the Girl With a Pearl Earring and Mona Lisa
• An Overview of the History and Popularity of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Painting Mona Lisa
• Compare & Contrast: Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Pablo Picasso’s Seated Woman
• Comparison of Mona Lisa by Andy Warhol and Leonardo Da Vinci
• A Philosophical and Metaphysical Perspective of the Enigma of Mona Lisa
• History and Significance of the Mona Lisa Arts
• Mona Lisa Smile According to Functionalist Approach
• The Technical Aspects of Mona Lisa: Pigments, Composition, and Conservation
• The Secret of Mona Lisa: Hidden Messages and Meanings
• Aesthetic and Cultural Perspectives on the Influence of Mona Lisa on Art History
• The History of the Louvre Museum and the Mona Lisa Gallery
• Vitruvian Man and Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci
• The Mona Lisa: La Gioconda or la Joconde
• The Impact of Mona Lisa on Fashion and Beauty
• Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci: Analysis and Interpretation
• The Mystical and Spiritual Connotations of Mona Lisa
• The Symbolism of Mona Lisa: Cultural Codes and Iconography
• The Controversies Surrounding Mona Lisa: Authentication and Provenance
• The Mona Lisa: The Sophistication of a World Icon
• The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper: Popular Works of Art by the Leonardo Da Vinci
• The Virtual Characteristics of the Mona Lisa Painting by Leonardo Da Vinci
• The Emotional Response to Mona Lisa: Affective and Cognitive Reactions
• Historical Changes and Controversies About the Restorations and Alterations of Mona Lisa
• The Role of Mona Lisa in the Renaissance Art: Innovations and Continuities
• A Visual Analysis of the Colors and Textures of Mona Lisa
• The Poetic Interpretations of Mona Lisa: Imagery and Metaphor
• Leonardo Da Vinci’s the Last Supper and Mona Lisa
• Frida Kahlo Research Topics
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Bibliography

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A Comprehensive Introduction to the Mona Lisa

Checked : Michael T. , Priscilla M.

Latest Update 19 Jan, 2024

Table of content

The Mona Lisa in Text

What made the mona lisa famous.

Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa five centuries ago (1503 – 1519). And today, it hangs behind a highly protective bulletproof glass inside the Louvre Museum. It is regarded as the most famous painting in the world, drawing thousands of admirers from all corners of the world every day. It has its room and receives mails from fans all over the globe. It is a simple portrait of an ordinary woman dressed in a modest veil, dark robes, and without jewelry.

One of the most amazing features of the painting is its simplicity and the details that went into creating it. Ordinarily, painters use lines to create a form, but in this particular one,   Leonardo   uses light and shadow, a technique that one could have mastered better the Leonardo. He stands a legend in the world of art for his enthusiasm and ability to expound on ideas. There are many paintings by Leonardo that were unfinished or finished by his apprentices showing Leonardo was a man of research. He had skills in different other subjects, including mathematics, physics, and architecture, which explains his need to try different ideas.

The Mona Lisa is aimed at presenting the simplicity of humanity. A closer look mesmerizes viewers, not only because of the style but the sitter's posture too. No one knows for sure who the sitter is, and this mystery makes it even more exciting. Her enigmatic look has brought out different theories, attempting to explain why the piece is overly famous, but there is just no explanation. Many agree that it is merely a result of chance circumstances and the inherent appeal of the painting that makes it popular. There is no doubt that it is a good painting, and even though it has faced many threats over the years, including violence, the art has retained a high reputation and respect. It was clear from the beginning, as Leonardo worked on it that it could be the most inspiring piece of work in the   history of art.

The Mona Lisa is also called Portrait of Lisa Gherardhi, wife of Francesco del Giondo. Other names include Italian La Gioconda or French La Joconde. It was painted somewhere between 1503 and 1519. This is was the time when Leonardo had moved and lived in Florence. It is possible that he worked on the piece for several years. He started in 1503, but it was never discovered until his death in 1519 when it was found in his studio. He probably added multiple layers of think oil glazes during different times. There are small cracks called craquelure all over the piece, but they feel fine on the hands.

After the death of the artist, French King Francis I, claimed the work and it stayed in the palace as a royal collection. For the next many years, it remained a royal collection until it was declared as people's property during the French revolution. It hung in Napoleon’s bedroom for several years before finding its way into the Louvre Museum from the onset of the 19th century.

The figure of a woman dressed in the Florentine fashion of the period and seated in a mountainous landscape shows reveals the skillful use of the sfumato technique by the painter. This is the period that heavily changed modeling. The sitter’s enigmatic expression seems both alluring and aloof. This appearance has given the portrait its universal recognition. The smile of the sitter likens to the representation of Ginevra Benci by juniper branches in the photo of Washington. It is the same way ermine represents Cecilia Gallerani in the images of Krakow too. In it is a representation of happiness as suggested by the Italian translation “Gioconda.” Satisfaction is the central theme in the portrait, making the work ideal for all times. The middle, around the chest of the sitter, is warm colors, space where men tend to live. The winding road and a bridge are the space that creates a transition between the sitter and the background. It echoes the far distance space where a wild and empty space of rocks can be seen clearly in the distant. Leonardo used a lot of skills to draw his area at the level of the eyes in the painting.

Leonardo was the first painter to use an aerial perspective, as depicted the imaginary landscape behind the sitter. There seems to be an open loggia with dark pillars on each side of the object with vast icy mountains appearing far behind her. You can also see winding paths and a bridge that shows possible human existence. Leonardo used sfumato to create the luscious curves in the lady’s hair and cloth. The general photo showcases the calm characteristic of da Vinci’s way of working. There are clear blurred outlines, a graceful figure, several dramatic contrasts of light and dark; evidence of Leonardo’s composure. The faint smile on the face of the sitter reflects a bond between people and nature.

The renaissance period brought together all human activities. At this time, art, science, and the truth of life became interconnected. Leonardo used this as a pillar of his works in creating conquering universal values. He had the deep sensitivity of an artist, the wisdom of a scientist, and the skills of a poet, which made him a master.

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Even though the painting is made of excellent quality, many scholars argue that it is not enough to make it a celebrity. Many other good paintings could easily be better. Perhaps it is the way it was perceived from the beginning. It started its journey with King Francis I, who placed it in his palace as part of the royal collection. After the French revolution, it became a public property in the Louvre. As the museum grew, it moved along with the recognition of the painting.

But what made it an even more subject of study was the mystery behind the sitter’s portrait. Some scholars concluded it was Lisa Gherardhi, the wife of Giaconda, but there is no conclusive evidence of this. Then the whole appearance of the sitter, with her smile and bold appearance, draws mysterious conclusions.

In the summer of 1911, the painting was stolen, sending the whole world into a sad mood. It was during this time that it captures the attention of the general public. The newspapers wrote this crime story and carried it worldwide. And when it was returned two years later, everyone was cheering. And today, the Mona Lisa receives fan mails, and she has her mailbox. For many years, the Mona Lisa has carried the real value of humanity and nature, and it shall be so for many more years to come.

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Art Meets Science

Has the Mystery of the ‘Mona Lisa’ Background Been Solved?

Ann Pizzorusso, a geologist and art historian, says she’s identified the location in the background of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting

Daily Correspondent

Leonardo da Vinci ’s Mona Lisa is full of mysteries. Who was she? What is the meaning of the enigmatic expression on her face? What  methods did Leonardo use while creating the painting? Does the landscape in the background represent a real place?

Now, an independent geologist and art historian says she knows the answer to at least one outstanding question about the enigmatic portrait: the setting.

Ann Pizzorusso argues the painting’s background represents Lecco, a small town in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, reports  Reuters ’ Matteo Negri. She reached that conclusion after studying the rock formations and other features of the painting, which is on display  at the Louvre in Paris.

Pizzorusso says the body of water depicted in the piece is Lake Garlate, formed by the Adda River just south of Lecco. The bridge depicted just above the sitter’s left shoulder is the 14th-century Azzone Visconti, according to Pizzorusso. Finally, the rock formations over the woman’s left shoulder match the limestone formations in Lecco.

She presented her hypothesis at a geology conference in Lecco earlier this month.

Geologist and Renaissance specialist Ann Pizzorusso thinks she has decrypted the background of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous painting — the Mona Lisa https://t.co/xNHJ0MnnYZ pic.twitter.com/VJQ2YOlSt5 — Reuters (@Reuters) May 15, 2024

Pizzorusso began her career as a geologist, working on oil drilling and environmental cleanup projects, according to her  website . But then she developed a fascination with the Italian Renaissance—and even earned her master’s degree in Italian Renaissance studies.

Since then, she’s combined her two passions to bring a unique geological lens to the artwork of the period. Pizzorusso has written five books, including three about Leonardo.

Past theories about the background have focused primarily on the bridge and the road in the painting. Some scholars have argued Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa in Bobbio, a town in northern Italy, or somewhere in the province of Arezzo. Last summer, Italian art historian Silvano Vinceti argued that the painting depicted the  Ponte Romito bridge in the Tuscan village of Laterina .

However, Pizzorusso says these theories ignore the rock formations in Leonardo’s artwork.

“The arched bridge was ubiquitous throughout Italy and Europe, and many looked very similar,” she tells the Observer ’s Dalya Alberge. “It is impossible to identify an exact location from a bridge alone. They all talk about the bridge, and nobody talks about the geology.”

Leonardo died in 1519, but he left behind many notebooks containing his observations, drawings and diagrams. His writings don’t reveal the Mona Lisa ’s location, so there’s currently no way to prove or disprove Pizzorusso’s theory.

Some scholars support her idea, in part because her expertise combines science and art—just like Leonardo’s.

“Because she has bona fide scientific knowledge, when she notices things in Leonardo—the most scientific artist ever—they’re momentous,” says Michael Daley, director of ArtWatch U.K., a nonprofit focused on art conservation, to the Observer .

Still, not everyone is convinced.  Martin Kemp , a renowned art historian at the University of Oxford, argues that the painting’s backdrop is an imagined place, not a real one.

"[Leonardo is] looking at real things with incredible intensity, but he then remakes them in painting,” Kemp tells  CBC Radio ’s Sheena Goodyear, adding that trying to use geology to determine the setting is “just fanciful.”

Francesca Fiorani , an art historian at the University of Virginia, agrees, telling the Art Newspaper ’s Gareth Harris that the locales in Leonardo’s paintings are “his personal imaginary rendition of nature, not copies of actual landscapes.”

“To claim otherwise,” she adds, “means not understanding how Leonardo’s mind worked and how he painted.”

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Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.

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Mona Lisa, Smile: You’re in Lecco, After All

A mash-up of geology and art history has identified a likely setting for one of the world’s most famous paintings.

By Ali Watkins

She’s been smeared with cake and doused with acid. Vigilantes have stolen her , and protesters have defaced her . She’s been lasered and prodded, displayed for the masses, and relegated to her own basement gallery . More recently, thousands urged billionaire Jeff Bezos to buy her, and then eat her .

There is no bottom, it seems, to the mysteries of the Mona Lisa, the Leonardo da Vinci painting that has captivated art lovers, culture vultures and the rest of us for centuries. Who is she? (Most likely Lisa Gherardini, the wife of an Italian nobleman.) Is she smiling? (The short answer — kind of .) Did da Vinci originally intend to paint her differently, with her hair clipped or in a nursing gown ?

While much about the art world’s most enigmatic subject has been relegated to the realm of the unknowable, now, in a strange crossover of art and geology, there may be one less mystery: where she was sitting when da Vinci painted her.

According to Ann Pizzorusso, a geologist and Renaissance art scholar, da Vinci’s subject is sitting in Lecco, Italy, an idyllic town near the banks of Lake Como. The conclusion, Pizzorusso said, is obvious — she figured it out years ago, but never realized its significance.

“I saw the topography near Lecco and realized this was the location,” she said.

The nondescript background has some important features: among them, a medieval bridge that most scholars have held as the key to da Vinci’s setting. But Pizzorusso said it is rather the shape of the lake and the gray-white limestone that betrays Lecco as the painting’s spiritual home.

“A bridge is fungible,” Pizzorusso said. “You have to combine a bridge with a place that Leonardo was at, and the geology.”

Such features were so clear to Pizzorusso that she had concluded years ago on a trip to Lecco that the quaint, lakeside village was the setting for da Vinci’s masterpiece. She assumed, she said, that such facts were self-evident. It was not until a colleague approached her, seeking information on the Mona Lisa’s possible settings, that Pizzorusso realized her conclusions had scholarly merit.

“I would tell people, but I just never did anything,” she said. Now, though, mapping technology has made her thesis more palatable.

“Everything has conspired to really make my idea much more provable and presentable,” she said, speaking from Lecco, where she will formally present her conclusions at a geology event.

Still, such secrets have become inherent to the intrigue surrounding the Mona Lisa, which has confounded, delighted, disappointed and befuddled artists and art lovers for centuries. As her famously soft edges grow existentially sharper, perhaps we must ask: Is it the painting we love, or its mysteries?

“In Lecco they have been mentioning this for years,” Donald Sassoon, a professor of comparative European history, said. He pointed to a 2016 article in a local Italian news site by a scholar from Lecco who identified similar geographical features to those noted by Pizzorusso.

“I would not bother,” Professor Sassoon said when asked about reporting Pizzorusso’s find. “Identifying the location would have no impact.”

For Pizzorusso, though, the conclusion is less about the art than the man. In the discrete clues of the Mona Lisa, da Vinci reveals himself not only as a skilled painter, she said, but also as a tediously careful student of science and geology.

“Any time he paints a rock,” Pizzorusso said, “it’s accurate.”

An earlier version of this article misstated the surface that Leonardo da Vinci used for the Mona Lisa. It was painted on a poplar wood panel, not on canvas.

How we handle corrections

Ali Watkins is a reporter on the Metro desk, covering crime and law enforcement in New York. Previously, she covered national security in Washington for The Times, BuzzFeed and McClatchy Newspapers. More about Ali Watkins

Mona Lisa's mysterious background decrypted by art-loving geologist

Over 500 years after Leonardo da Vinci painted the “ Mona Lisa ,” an academic believes she has unraveled the mystery about the backdrop to one of the world’s most famous works of art.

Art historians have long debated its landscape, speculating on the locations that could have inspired Leonardo but the geologist and Italian Renaissance specialist Ann Pizzorusso thinks she has pinpointed it to Lecco in northern Italy .

“When I came to Lecco, I realized he had painted the ‘Mona Lisa’ here,” Pizzorusso said, speaking of the small town on the shores of Lake Como, hitherto best known as the setting of Alessandro Manzoni’s masterpiece novel “The Betrothed.”

According to the scholar, the arched bridge depicted in the painting would correspond to the 14th-century Ponte Azzone Visconti, even though previous theories had related it to similar structures in other Italian cities, such as Arezzo and Bobbio.

Pizzorusso is not the first person to have claimed to have solved the mystery but she cites her knowledge of geology to back her claims.

“The bridge to me was not the important aspect of painting,” Pizzorusso said. “In the other hypotheses the geology was just incorrect.”

The geologist found that rock formations in Lecco were limestone, which matched what is depicted behind the noblewoman.

“When you look at the Mona Lisa, you see this part of the Adda River, and you see another lake behind it, which are perfectly shown underneath these sawtooth mountains,” she said from the spot where the scene could have been painted.

Pizzorusso’s research on Leonardo “shows perfectly the extent to which the artist and the scientist came together,” said Michael Daley, executive director of ArtWatch UK, a nonprofit organization monitoring the conservation of artworks.

“No art historian is qualified to take Ann on in terms of her scientific understanding. The other studies are dead ducks now,” he said.

What's behind the mystery of the three Mona Lisas?

Posted: April 6, 2024 | Last updated: April 6, 2024

More than one Mona Lisa

Described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world," we are all familiar with the Mona Lisa . However, it's less well known that two more Mona Lisa  have surfaced in recent years, and the people who own them claim they are authentic. Read on as we look at the tangled story behind three versions of the world's most famous painting.

An Italian masterpiece

Most of us know that the Mona Lisa is a portrait by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. The work is considered a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. The half-length oil painting depicts a plain-looking lady, in plain dress, but the most famous elements of da Vinci’s painting are the subject’s enigmatic smile and the age-old mystery surrounding her identity.

Who is the Mona Lisa?

Estimated to have been painted sometime between 1503 and 1506, the subject of the Mona Lisa is a hotly debated topic. Most scholars agree, however, that the portrait depicts an Italian noblewoman named Lisa del Gioconda, also known as Lisa Gherardini, wife of successful silk merchant Francesco del Gioconda. It's believed del Giocondo commissioned da Vinci to paint the portrait of his wife to celebrate the birth of their second son. 

The identity confirmed?

A note dated October 1503 and written by da Vinci’s assistant Agostino Vespucci was discovered by a scholar at Heidelberg University in 2005. The note confirms that around that time da Vinci was indeed working on a painting of Lisa del Giocondo. In response to the discovery, Vincent Delieuvin (pictured), a Louvre representative, said "Leonardo da Vinci was painting, in 1503, the portrait of a Florentine lady by the name of Lisa del Giocondo. About this, we are now certain. Unfortunately, we cannot be absolutely certain that this portrait of Lisa del Giocondo is the painting of the Louvre."

An unsolved mystery

Yet many other theories as to the identity of the Mona Lisa also exist. One suggests that da Vinci’s mother, Caterina, may be the subject of the painting. Another theory is that the Mona Lisa is a female self-portrait of the artist. Scholars have suggested that disguising himself as a female may have been a riddle by da Vinci. 

Owned by royals

One thing we do know for a fact is that the painting was in da Vinci’s studio when he died in 1519. French King Francis I (pictured) then acquired ownership of the painting. Da Vinci had taken residence in the royal court in the years before his death. The Mona Lisa subsequently became a part of the royal collection.

Vive la revolution

The Mona Lisa remained in French palaces for hundreds of years until insurgents claimed the royal collection as the property of the French people during the French Revolution between 1787 and 1799. The painting went on permanent display in the Louvre in 1797, though it did spend a brief period hanging in Napoleon's bedroom.

A daring theft

On 21 August 1911, painter Louis Beroud came to the Louvre (pictured) intending to draw a sketch of the Mona Lisa. He was surprised to discover the painting was missing. After confusion as to whether the work may have been getting photographed elsewhere, it was determined it had been stolen. The Louvre closed its doors pending an investigation.

Famous suspects

French poet Guillaume Apollinaire was arrested and imprisoned for the crime. He implicated artist Pablo Picasso (pictured) in the theft, who was brought in for questioning. Both were later exonerated. Two years later the true culprit was found…

The culprit

The thief was a Louvre employee named Vincenzo Peruggia (pictured). He pulled off the bold theft by hiding in a broom closet and then walking out with the painting hidden underneath his jacket after the Louvre had closed. Peruggia had helped to construct the glass case surrounding the portrait, and that insider knowledge helped him pull off his daring heist.

Peruggia was an Italian patriot and he believed that the Mona Lisa belonged in an Italian museum. He kept the portrait hidden in his apartment for two years before attempting to sell it to the director of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The Mona Lisa was exhibited in the Uffizi for two weeks and then returned to the Louvre on 4 January 1914 (as shown in the photograph). Peruggia was sentenced to six months in prison, although he was praised in his home country for his patriotism to Italy.

Mona Lisa today

Today the painting is in the Louvres Salle des Etats, displayed behind bulletproof glass. The painting is illuminated by a specially-designed lamp that reduces infrared and ultraviolet radiation that could otherwise damage the paintwork. Around 10.2 million people view the painting each year. Putting a price on an item such as the Mona Lisa is almost impossible, however in 1962 the painting was insured for $100 million; taking inflation into account that would be $860 million (£620m) in 2021.

The Hekking Mona Lisa

In the 1950s, antique dealer Raymond Hekking (pictured) claimed a version of the Mona Lisa  that he had purchased in France from an art dealer for £3 (around $110/£86 in today's money) was the true work of Leonardo da Vinci. Hekking believed that, following the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911, a fake had been returned to the Louvre and the genuine painting was now in his possession. 

The media campaign

To prove his claim to be true, Hekking showed the work to famous art historian Max Jacob Friedlander. Despite the fact that Friedlander specialised in Flemish painting and was nearing the end of his career, he suggested the painting could indeed be the Mona Lisa . Encouraged by Friedlander’s words, Hekking launched a media campaign in a bid to prove the authenticity of his Mona Lisa . His efforts included a film that showed him examining the painting and bringing in experts to study the work.

A convincing replica

The claims were taken seriously by some in the art community, however they later were disproved. The ‘Hekking Mona Lisa ’, as it has come to be known, has been dated by experts as early 17th century. It’s believed the convincing replica was created by a fan of da Vinci.

A record-breaking auction

The 'Hekking Mona Lisa ' went on sale at the Christie Auction house in Paris in June 2021. Despite the fact the painting is not the real deal, it was still expected to sell for an impressive €300,000 ($365,645/£257,800). However, following a frantic bidding war it sold for €2.9 million ($3.4m/£2.45m), nearly 10 times its estimate and a world record for a fake Mona Lisa . But there's another Mona Lisa that many have claimed to be a true da Vinci...

The earlier Mona Lisa

The story of the ‘Earlier Mona Lisa ' or the ‘Isleworth Mona Lisa ' (pictured) begins sometime before World War I. English connoisseur Hugh Blaker spotted the painting in a manor house in Somerset. It had hung there for over a century, having been bought in Italy as an original da Vinci work. The painting bore a striking resemblance to the famed Mona Lisa hanging in the Louvre. The key difference was this painting depicted a much younger version of the enigmatic subject.

A younger Mona Lisa?

Blaker purchased the painting and took it home with him to Isleworth, hence the moniker ‘Isleworth Mona Lisa ’. Blaker’s stepfather John R Eyre published a monograph suggesting that da Vinci had worked on two versions of the Mona Lisa and the Isleworth painting was an earlier version of the painting, hence the subject’s younger appearance.

Pulitzer's prize

An American art collector named Henry F Pulitzer (pictured) then purchased the painting. It was stored in a Swedish bank vault and sold by his partner after his death. But it was set to make headlines again.

The Mona Lisa Foundation

In 2012, an organisation named the Mona Lisa Foundation revealed the painting to the world, claiming it was an earlier version of the Mona Lisa painted by da Vinci himself. Over the years the foundation has presented independent evidence of the painting’s legitimacy, however scholars and experts can't agree on whether not the painting is a true da Vinci. When questioned, the foundation claimed that it did not own the painting and that the painting was owned by an unnamed international consortium. 

Debate over the ownership

However, the ownership of the Isleworth Mona Lisa was called into question when Andrew and Karen Gilbert, a married couple from London, claimed that they own a 25% share in the painting. Andrew Gilbert claims that his family knew Henry F Pulitzer and bought art from him, as well as selling pictures to him. The couple showed the BBC documents allegedly proving that they owned part of the painting. The Mona Lisa Foundation said the claims were "ill-founded and had no merit". 

A legal battle

The Gilberts entered a legal battle against the Mona Lisa Foundation and have recruited the so-called 'Sherlock Holmes of art' to help them in their bid. Christopher Marinello (pictured) is the CEO and founder of Art Recovery International. He earned his nickname as his company has helped to recover $510 million (£400 million)-worth of art. Art Recovery International is involved in some of the biggest cases in the art world. As to whether he thinks the painting is a real da Vinci, Marinello said: "I honestly don't care about any of it. As far as I'm concerned, this is a simple matter of clients who have a contract of purchase for this painting, whatever it may be." 

The battle continues

Karen Gilbert revealed that, during a court hearing, the Mona Lisa Foundation admitted that Mona Lisa Inc, a company based in Anguilla, a British overseas territory with a reputation for discreet business practices, owned the painting. The Mona Lisa Foundation's lawyer Marco Parducci said: "The Mona Lisa Foundation can neither confirm nor deny the claim, by virtue of the legal obligations it has towards the owners, unless it is explicitly requested by the judicial authority." The legal battle continues. Meanwhile, the world's most famous painting continues to compel and confound people all over the world.

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Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Mona Lisa — Mona Lisa Smile

Mona Lisa Smile

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About this sample

Words: 1153 |

Published: Jun 6, 2019

Words: 1153 | Pages: 3 | 6 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, depiction and elaboration of mona lisa grin, investigation of mona lisa grin regarding social establishments of instruction, works cited.

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• Mills, C. W. (2000). The Sociological Imagination. Oxford University Press.
• Parsons, T. (1959). The School Class as a Social System: Some of Its Functions in American Society. Harvard Educational Review, 29(4), 297-318.
• Ritzer, G. (2018). Sociological Theory. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Sadovnik, A. R., & Semel, S. F. (Eds.). (2019). Sociology of Education: A Critical Reader. Routledge.
• Tischler, H. L. (2016). Introduction to Sociology. Cengage Learning.
• Turner, J. H., & Beeghley, L. (2012). Theoretical Sociology: A Concise Introduction to Twelve Sociological Theories. SAGE Publications.

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Where was the background of the Mona Lisa? This geologist says she knows 「モナ・リザ」の背景 地質学者がその謎を解明か

500年以上前に、レオナルド・ダ・ヴィンチは「モナ・リザ」を描いた。その後ずっと、芸術歴史学者たちは背景の風景について疑問に思っていた。

それは実在する場所だったのだろうか？　もしそうであれば、どこか？　ある学者は自分がその謎を解明したと確信している。

アン・ピッツォルッソさんは、それは、イタリア北部のコモ湖の湖畔にある小さな町レッコであると考えている。

「私はレッコに来たとき、（レオナルドが）モナ・リザをここで描いたと気付いた」と、この地質学者でイタリアのルネッサンスの専門家（ピッツォルッソさんのこと）は述べた。

モナ・リザの中のアーチ型の橋は、14世紀のポンテ・アッツォーネ・ヴィスコンティだと、ピッツォルッソさんは述べた。

他の説は、イタリアの別の場所を挙げているが、そうした説の地質学は「ただ誤っている」とピッツォルッソさんは述べた。

レッコの石灰岩の岩層は、この絵画の中のものと一致すると、ピッツォルッソさんは話した。

アートウォッチUKのマイケル・デイリーさんは、他の説は「今となっては見込みのないものだ」と考えている。

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