Mona Lisa Gioconda, often known as the Monna Lisa, is a half-length portrait painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It has been described as “the most known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world.” The mysterious expression of the topic, the monumentality of the composition, the careful modelling of shapes, and the atmospheric illusionism are all novel aspects of the painting.
History of The Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa is the only portrait of Leonardo da Vinci whose authenticity has never been substantially questioned, and one of only four works whose attribution has not been questioned (the others being Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, Adoration of the Magi, and The Last Supper). By October 1503, he had started painting a picture of Lisa del Giocondo, the Mona Lisa’s model. Some say the Mona Lisa was started in Florence about 1503 or 1504. Although the Louvre claims it was “undoubtedly painted between 1503 and 1506,” art expert Martin Kemp argues it’s difficult to know for sure. The painting, according to Alessandro Vezzosi, is typical of Leonardo’s style in his later years, after 1513. According to some academics, Leonardo would have painted the work in 1513 if the historical evidence was available.
Identity Of The Mona Lisa
The painting, which is in oil on a white Lombardy poplar panel, is most likely of the Italian noblewoman Lisa Gherardini, Francesco del Giocondo’s wife. Leonardo never delivered the artwork to the Giocondo family, and it is thought that he left it to his favourite apprentice Sala in his will. It was previously thought to have been painted between 1503 and 1506; however, Leonardo may have worked on it until 1517. Since 1797, it has been on permanent exhibit at the Louvre in Paris, where it was purchased by King Francis I of France and is currently the property of the French Republic.
One of the most valuable paintings in the world is the Mona Lisa. At US$100 million in 1962 (equivalent to $870 million in 2021), it holds the Guinness World Record for the highest recorded art insurance valuation in history.
