Who is Mona Lisa?

(c) Wikipedia

The Mona Lisa is generally considered to be the greatest portrait in the history of art. It appeared in loads of advertisements, had been an inspiration for sculptors, poets and even thieves. But why? The subject isn’t really historically significant or popular. So, why? Who is Mona Lisa? What lies behind this enigmatic portrait that made it so popular throughout the world?  There were a lot of questions that had left people hanging and trying to solve the mystery behind the portrait. 

The painting thought to be a portrait of l.isa Gherardini, the wife of Fransesco del Giocondo as oil on poplar or panel type and is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506 by Leonardo da Vinci during the Italian Renaissance.It was once obtained by King Francis I of France and is now a property of the French Republic, on permanent display at the Lourve Museum in Paris since 1797.

Based on the videos I’ve watched and the articles that I’ve read so far, the relaxed and informal three-quarter pose of the subject was cutting edge and quite radical in the early 16th century. Past portraits are stiff and somewhat exaggerated and mainly consisted of profiles and most are side view. This informal pose established a new style of portrait of painting that is still the standard today. This is also one of the first portraits to use imaginary landscape. Another trait found is the atmospheric perspective which was revolutionary and added realism to the painting. Portraits back then usually created equal levels of detail in the foreground and background. A lot of experts come to agree that the over keen cleaning removed the eyebrows which was said to have been added after the paint dried. 

Leonardo da Vinci most probably never finish the portrait as parts of the painting are likely painted as late as 1510. As the case may be, da Vinci then began to inspire his own views of ideal beauty to the subject. It is said that Leonardo was the kind of artist who, in a sense, never thought pictures were finished; that he could always see additional possibilities that might seem better, so he never settled in that way. 

Mona Lisa’s quirky smile was also interpreted differently by different people. It’s also been interpreted that it signifies Leonardo’s erotic attraction to his mother. The mystery of the smile makes the painting more bewitching and interesting. 

In 1911, Mona Lisa was stolen Vicenzo Peruggia, described as the greatest art theft of the 20th century and was a former Lourve worker. It has hidden away for more that two years and during its absence, a second “Mona Lisa” appeared but looked fresher and youthful. It looked surprisingly the same subject but it just looked younger that the original "Mona Lisa."

Left: the original "Mona Lisa"
Right: the second "Mona Lisa"

For more info, watch this video!