Elena Rossi
The Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 1500s, is one of the most famous paintings in the world. The painting, which currently hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris, has been admired for over 500 years, with people fascinated by the subject's enigmatic expression and gaze. However, one intriguing aspect of the painting is the apparent absence of clearly visible eyebrows and eyelashes on the subject, which has sparked various speculations and investigations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Painter | Leonardo da Vinci |
| Medium | Oil on a poplar panel |
| Year | Early 1500s |
| Current location | Louvre Museum, Paris |
| Eyebrows | Not clearly visible to the naked eye; however, in 2007, French engineer Pascal Cotte discovered with a high-resolution scan that the painting originally included eyebrows and eyelashes. |
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What You'll Learn
The mystery of the missing eyebrows
The Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 1500s, is one of the most famous paintings in the world. The painting has been admired for over 500 years, but one mystery continues to puzzle people: the absence of clearly visible eyebrows and eyelashes on the subject.
Renaissance art historian Giorgio Vasari described the painting as having "thick eyebrows", but this may not have been based on first-hand knowledge of the work. In 2007, French engineer Pascal Cotte used ultra-high-resolution scans to study the painting and found evidence that eyebrows and eyelashes were indeed present in the original painting but had disappeared over time, possibly due to overcleaning. Cotte's work also revealed that the painting had been reworked, with changes made to the size of the face and the direction of the gaze.
The discovery of the original presence of eyebrows and eyelashes has added a new dimension to the interpretation of the painting. Eyebrows play a significant role in shaping our looks and expressions, and their absence in the Mona Lisa has likely contributed to the enigmatic nature of the subject's expression.
The existence of multiple versions and copies of the Mona Lisa adds further intrigue to the mystery. The Prado Mona Lisa, believed to be painted by a key student of da Vinci, features eyebrows and eyelashes. This version, along with other copies, provides valuable insights into the original appearance of the painting and how it may have changed over time.
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Historical beauty standards
The mysterious Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century, has intrigued people for centuries. One of the mysteries surrounding the painting is the fact that the subject, traditionally identified as Lisa del Giocondo, has faint eyebrows and no eyelashes. In 2007, French engineer Pascal Cotte claimed to have found evidence using a high-resolution camera that da Vinci did originally paint eyebrows and eyelashes, but these had faded or been accidentally erased over time.
The absence of visible eyebrows on the Mona Lisa may be explained by the beauty standards of the time. During the Renaissance, large foreheads were considered a sign of beauty, so women would often pluck their hairlines and thin their eyebrows to make their foreheads appear larger. This trend continued into the Middle Ages, from 1066 to 1485, when women aimed for "barely-there" brows to draw attention to their domed foreheads.
In ancient times, bold eyebrows were also considered a desirable trait. In Ancient Egypt, both men and women wore makeup to enhance their supernatural powers. They would darken, arch, and elongate their eyebrows using carbon and black oxide substances to pay homage to the god Horus. The ancient Greeks and Romans also favoured bold brows, with the uni-brow being recognised as a beautiful trait.
However, in the 1920s and 1930s, thin eyebrows became fashionable again. Women would either shave off their eyebrows completely or heavily pluck them and then draw on thin, highly arched eyebrows. This trend was influenced by Hollywood stars and fashion magazines, and was often accompanied by bold red lips and smoky eyes, symbolising women's newfound liberation and empowerment after World War I.
Today, beauty standards have evolved once more, and thick, bold eyebrows are often considered a desirable feature, with many women embracing the "power brow" look.
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The Naked-Face Beauty Hypothesis
The Mona Lisa, painted in the 16th century by Leonardo da Vinci, has been the subject of much speculation. One such mystery is the absence of clearly visible eyebrows and eyelashes on the subject's face. In 2007, French engineer Pascal Cotte claimed to have found evidence of a single eyebrow hair above the left eye using an ultra-high-resolution camera. Cotte's discovery sparked further interest in the "Naked-Face Beauty Hypothesis," a term coined by Daniel Voshart.
Voshart's hypothesis resonates with a broader movement towards embracing natural beauty and rejecting societal stereotypes of perfection. Many individuals are choosing to forgo heavy makeup and instead embrace their natural skin, scars, and imperfections. This movement encourages self-acceptance, confidence, and a shift in defining beauty beyond physical appearance.
Additionally, the Naked-Face Beauty Hypothesis aligns with scientific findings on the perception of nude bodies and faces. Studies have shown that the N170 brain response, known for its sensitivity to faces, is also sensitive to the perception of nude human bodies. Interestingly, the N170 amplitude was found to increase as the amount of clothing decreased, and the response to nude bodies was even greater than that to faces.
The hypothesis also finds support in the existence of multiple versions of the Mona Lisa. The Prado Mona Lisa, believed to be painted by a key student of Leonardo da Vinci, features eyebrows and eyelashes. This suggests that the absence of these features in the original may have been a deliberate choice by the master himself, reflecting the beauty ideals of his time.
In conclusion, the Naked-Face Beauty Hypothesis, inspired by the enigmatic Mona Lisa, challenges modern beauty standards and encourages a celebration of natural, unadorned beauty. It invites individuals to embrace their authentic selves, flaws and all, and to define beauty beyond societal norms.
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Restoration and cleaning
The Louvre, where the Mona Lisa is housed, has never undergone varnish removal on the painting, unlike other Renaissance works. This is because solvents pose a high risk to da Vinci's fragile glazes. The museum prioritises preservation over restoration, accepting the ageing of the painting rather than risking irreversible damage.
Instead of direct cleaning, Louvre conservators use hyperspectral imaging, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), infrared reflectography (IRR), and Raman spectroscopy to assess the painting's condition. UV fluorescence analysis helps detect organic deposits, while optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides microscopic surface details. These techniques allow experts to monitor the painting's stability without physical intervention.
The painting has, however, undergone some restoration work in the past. In 1809, some restoration work was performed on the original Mona Lisa, which is why it looks somewhat "washed out". Some people have speculated that the painting was cut down after Leonardo's death, with part of the panel on both sides removed. This is contradicted by some art historians, who argue that the painting has not been altered and that the columns depicted in the copies were added by the copyists.
The Prado Mona Lisa, believed to be painted by one of da Vinci's students simultaneously with the original, has been cleaned and restored. This version was useful in showing what the original portrait looked like when new, as the varnish on the original has become cracked and yellowed with age. In 2006, a multi-spectrum scan revealed the existence of one hair of the eyebrow and hints of the vivid colours hidden behind years of varnish. In 2012, it was discovered that the black over-paint was added sometime after 1750.
Using the Prado version as a reference, one person digitally restored da Vinci's original, reducing the appearance of cracks without removing them. They morphed the Prado copy to match the original and used the colour replacement tool in Photoshop.
The question of restoration is a controversial topic. Some people are used to seeing the "yellow dirty" modern-day look of the painting, and there could be backlash if it were restored to its original look.
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The identity of the woman
Several other people have been proposed as the possible subjects of the painting, including Isabella of Aragon, Cecilia Gallerani, Costanza d'Avalos, Duchess of Francavilla, Pacifica Brandano/Brandino, Isabella Gualanda, Caterina Sforza, Bianca Giovanna Sforza, Salaì, and even Leonardo himself. Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud theorized that Leonardo imparted an approving smile from his mother, Caterina, onto the Mona Lisa and other works. The painting also bears a strong resemblance to many Renaissance depictions of the Virgin Mary, the ideal for womanhood at the time.
The mystery surrounding the identity of the Mona Lisa, combined with the woman's enigmatic expression and gaze, have only added to the painting's fame and popularity. The Mona Lisa has become a cultural icon, considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance and renowned for its artistic and scientific qualities. The painting's global fame also stems from its theft in 1911, which generated unprecedented publicity and led to numerous cultural depictions in opera, film, and music. Today, the Mona Lisa attracts millions of visitors to the Louvre Museum in Paris each year, making it one of the most valuable and well-known paintings in the world.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the Mona Lisa does not have clearly visible eyebrows.
In 2007, French engineer Pascal Cotte used high-resolution scans to show that the painting was originally created with clearly visible eyebrows and eyelashes.
Over time, the eyebrows and eyelashes disappeared, possibly due to overcleaning.
