The Mona Lisa: The World’s Most Famous Artwork
The Mona Lisa is an oil painting on a poplar wood panel, created by renowned Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1519 during his time in Florence, Italy. This masterpiece is considered the most famous and valuable painting in the world, owned by the French government and displayed at the Louvre Museum in Paris, attracting over 9 million visitors annually.
History and Characteristics
Historical sources confirm that da Vinci was commissioned to paint the Mona Lisa in Florence, beginning in 1503 and completing it in France in 1519. The painting was initially owned by King Francis I of France, later passing to King Louis XIV and eventually becoming the property of the French Republic after the revolution.
Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa on a poplar wood panel measuring 77 cm in height and 53 cm in width, using oil-based paints. The portrait depicts a seemingly ordinary yet beautifully captivating woman dressed in dark apparel without any jewelry, with an enigmatic smile and mysterious gaze that continues to inspire fascination.
The Mona Lisa’s value is immeasurable, and it cannot be bought or sold according to French heritage laws.
France preserves the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum (Shutterstock)
Identity of the Subject
Considerable speculation and debate persist regarding the identity of the woman depicted in the Mona Lisa. Scholars and historians have proposed various theories, including:
- The artist Giorgio Vasari’s hypothesis in 1550 suggesting that the portrait is of Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo, hence the alternative title “La Gioconda.”
- Renowned neurologist Sigmund Freud’s belief that the model may have been Caterina, Leonardo da Vinci’s mother, theorizing that the Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile was a recollection of Caterina’s smile.
- Another group of experts suggests that the painting may, in fact, be a self-portrait of Leonardo, as they observe striking resemblances between the woman and the artist, theorizing that embodying the persona of a woman was a deliberate artistic puzzle for da Vinci.
The Painting’s Fame
The Mona Lisa’s fame is not attributed to a singular reason but rather results from various factors. Its residence in the Louvre Museum, one of the most visited museums globally, undoubtedly contributes to its renown. The painting’s incorporation of rectangles, circles, and triangles achieving the golden ratio is not only aesthetically pleasing but also reflects a profound mathematical and artistic accomplishment.
The golden ratio, a mathematical concept, is realized when the sum of two quantities divided by the larger quantity is equal to the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller one, represented by approximately 1.618. This ratio is evident in the Mona Lisa’s geometry. By drawing a rectangle around her face, the golden ratio is maintained, and division of the rectangle through her eyes results in two smaller rectangles subsequently harmonizing with the golden ratio.
Theft of the Painting
The Mona Lisa was stolen on August 22, 1911, generating global media attention. The empty space where the painting once hung at the Louvre attracted numerous visitors. The museum’s paintings director resigned, and accusations of fraud surfaced in the press, leading to the arrest of the painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso under suspicion.
The painting was eventually located in Italy in possession of an Italian immigrant to France named Vincenzo Peruggia, who had worked at the Louvre. Peruggia conspired with associates to steal the painting and successfully fled the museum with it. His attempt to sell the Mona Lisa failed due to media attention, leading to his arrest and the painting’s return to the Louvre.
The Mona Lisa’s Travels
French authorities seldom permit the Mona Lisa to leave the country, with rare exceptions. Notably, the painting travelled to the United States in 1963, following a request from the First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, approved by French President Charles de Gaulle. It stayed in the US for six weeks, drawing large crowds at exhibitions in New York and Washington, DC, before also being displayed in Japan about ten years later.
Preservation of the Mona Lisa
During World War II, the Mona Lisa was relocated to various locations in rural France and preserved as one of the Louvre’s most important works of art. It was returned to the museum in 1945 following the peace declaration.
The painting exhibits signs of bending due to frame resistance and early interventions by restorers, including the addition of pins to prevent the expansion of a small crack near the painting’s upper center. In 1956, the protective glass was replaced with bullet-resistant glass after several attacks, including acid splashing and a thrown cup of coffee in 2009.
After a four-year renovation costing $6.3 million in 2003, the Mona Lisa now resides in a temperature-controlled room at the Louvre, maintained at 43 degrees Fahrenheit, featuring a glass ceiling to allow natural light entry.
The Mona Lisa’s Artistic Influence
The impact of the Mona Lisa on the Renaissance period and subsequent eras has been profound, revolutionizing contemporary portraiture and inspiring other artists. Notably, da Vinci’s preliminary drawings for the painting encouraged artistic freedom among fellow artists.
Even in the realm of fashion, the Mona Lisa’s influence is evident, as depicted in da Vinci’s posthumously published “Treatise on Painting”. In it, he advocated avoiding trends, a sentiment embodied perfectly by the loose, colorful attire worn by the Mona Lisa in contrast to the prevalent tight-fitting clothing of the time.
Other Copies of the Mona Lisa
At least twelve reproductions of the Mona Lisa exist, many attributed to Leonardo’s students. One such copy in the Prado Museum in Madrid was painted years after the original. However, a 21st-century restoration using infrared technology detected changes similar to those in the original, suggesting it was painted by an artist in da Vinci’s studio during the creation of the Mona Lisa.
David Feldman (R), vice president of the Mona Lisa Foundation, presents similarities on a painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and depicting Mona Lisa to his brother Stanley, an art historian, during a preview presentation in a vault in Geneva in this September 26, 2012 file photo (Reuters)
The Mona Lisa’s perpetual allure and enigmatic nature continue to captivate, solidifying its status as a cultural icon, with its legacy echoing across centuries and artistic domains.
