The Mona Lisa, also known as “Mona Lisa”, is a famous work by Leonardo da Vinci, dating back to between 1503 and 1507. It is in all likelihood the most famous painting by the Italian artist, but also one of the best-known portraits in the world. The enigmatic smile, the subject that was long unknown and then attributed, according to the most accredited theory, to Lisa Gherardini and the continuous reworks have inspired admirers and detractors, sealing her fame. The background and curiosities hidden behind this work of art are countless, including the theft in 1911 by the Italian Vincenzo Peruggia: let’s find out more about its location, the materials with which it was made and the painting technique.
- 1The enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa
- 2The placement of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum in France
- 3The look of Mona Lisa
- 4Leonardo’s experiments with lead oxide
- 5Moving the canvas
The enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa
For years art historians have puzzled over the expression of the Mona Lisa, often calling it “enigmatic”. Well, the very long mystery of Mona Lisa’s smile was solved a few years ago, when an experiment conducted by the Italian researcher Emanuela Liaci at the German university of Freiburg, and published in Scientific Reports, found that the woman portrayed is indeed “happy”. The researchers showed volunteers the painting, along with eight other versions modified to have the corners of the mouth curved slightly upwards or downwards: the original version and the four with the most positive expression were perceived as “happy” in almost 100% of cases.
The placement of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in France
Although the theft of the Mona Lisa is attributed to France, including it in the Napoleonic loot, the truth could not be more different: it was Leonardo himself who brought the painting to France in 1516 where, according to some historians, it was then purchased by King Francis I. There are scholars who believe that the painting was even given away by the artist, who had been invited to the king’s court. For many years the work, which according to the most accredited theory seems to portray Lisa Gherardini (wife of the merchant Francesco del Giocondo), was preserved and exhibited at the Castle of Fontainebleau, until Louis XIV had it transferred to Versailles. Finally, after the French Revolution of 1789, the painting was moved to the Musée du Louvre in Paris, where it has remained ever since. With some notable exceptions: when Napoleon Bonaparte had it placed in his bedroom; during the Franco-Prussian War and the Second World War; and finally when it was stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia in 1911.
The look of Mona Lisa
One of the many factors that contributed to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa becoming the most famous painting in the world is his gaze, which seems to follow the observer as he moves. It is precisely from this sensation that the name of a scientific phenomenon is born, the Mona Lisa effect, that is, the perception that the subject of an image is always looking at you directly, regardless of where you are. According to research conducted by scientists from the German University of Bielefeld published in the magazine i-PerceptionHowever, there are many paintings that can be said to generate this effect, but not the Mona Lisa. It seems, in fact, that the famous subject is looking fixedly about 15 degrees to the right of the observer.
Leonardo’s experiments with lead oxide
According to a study published in 2023, the Mona Lisa has a particular chemical “signature” that derives from a lead compound. By observing a grain of the upper layer with An element which according to scholars testifies to Leonardo’s spirit of experimentation as a painter.
Moving the canvas
Well yes, the Mona Lisa will truly be moved to a new exhibition space, although still inside the Louvre. The move will take place in the next few years (by 2031) as part of a renovation plan for the most visited museum in the world. The new hall, which will have a separate entrance and ticket, will be an underground space under the Cour Carré, connected to the area under the pyramid, and the work is expected to be more visible than it is today.
