Elena Rossi
The Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, is probably the world's most famous painting. It is certainly the most visited, viewed, written about, sung about, and parodied work of art in the world. But how long did it take to paint? Da Vinci began the painting in 1503, and it remained in his studio when he died in 1519. It is believed that he worked on it intermittently over several years, adding multiple layers of thin oil glazes at different times. Some sources state that it took 16 years to complete, with Da Vinci tweaking it until his death.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time taken to paint | 16 years (1503-1519) |
| Artist | Leonardo da Vinci |
| Owner | French Republic |
| Current location | Louvre Museum, Paris |
| Medium | Oil on a white poplar panel |
| Subject | Lisa del Giocondo |
| Previous locations | Château d'Amboise, Loc-Dieu Abbey, Château de Chambord, Musée Ingres in Montauban |
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What You'll Learn
The painting took 16 years to complete
The world's most famous painting, the Mona Lisa, took 16 years to complete. Leonardo da Vinci began painting it in 1503, and it remained in his studio when he died in 1519. It is likely that da Vinci worked on the painting intermittently over several years, adding multiple layers of thin oil glazes at different times.
The painting is a half-length portrait of an Italian noblewoman, Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a wealthy Florentine silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo. The painting was believed to have been commissioned to celebrate the birth of their second son, Andrea. The Italian name for the painting, "La Gioconda", means "happy" or "jovial", a pun on the feminine form of Lisa's married name, "Giocondo".
The Mona Lisa is renowned for its revolutionary three-quarter length pose, which broke from the standard profile pose used in Italian art at the time. The subject's softly sculptural face showcases da Vinci's masterful handling of sfumato (fine shading) and reveals his understanding of the musculature and skull beneath the skin. The painting also features delicately painted veil and hair, and carefully rendered folded fabric, demonstrating da Vinci's studied observations and patience.
The painting was in da Vinci's possession until his death, after which it was acquired by King Francis I of France. It has been in France ever since, becoming the property of the French people during the Revolution (1787-1799). The painting now hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it has been since 1804.
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It was never relinquished by da Vinci
The Mona Lisa, an oil painting on a poplar wood panel, is considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. It is likely that Leonardo da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa in 1503, and it remained in his studio until his death in 1519.
The painting was never relinquished by da Vinci until his death, and he carried it with him on his travels from Florence to Milan, Rome, and finally, France. It is believed that da Vinci worked on the painting intermittently over several years, adding multiple layers of thin oil glazes at different times. Small cracks in the paint, called craquelure, can be observed throughout the piece, with finer cracks on the hands, suggesting that the thinner glazes correspond to da Vinci's late period.
The Mona Lisa is the only portrait by da Vinci whose authenticity has never been seriously questioned. It is believed to depict Lisa del Giocondo, with Isabella d'Este being the only other plausible alternative. The identity of the sitter has been a subject of much speculation and debate, with numerous other possibilities proposed by scholars and historians.
The painting's novel qualities include the enigmatic expression of the subject, the monumentality of the composition, the subtle modelling of forms, and the atmospheric illusionism. The three-quarter view of the subject, turning towards the viewer, broke from the standard profile pose used in Italian art at the time.
The Mona Lisa has become one of the most famous paintings in the world, attracting millions of visitors to the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it currently hangs. Its fame was further heightened when it was stolen in 1911, with the subsequent appeals for its return helping to publicise and popularise the painting even further.
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It was stolen in 1911
The "Mona Lisa" is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci, which was created and tweaked between 1503 and 1519, the year of his death. Da Vinci never relinquished ownership of the painting during his lifetime, carrying it with him on his travels.
Now, this is where it gets interesting. It was stolen in 1911. On a quiet morning in Paris, three men dressed as museum workers walked out of the Louvre with the painting. The "Mona Lisa" was, at the time, a little-known Renaissance portrait, and it would take 28 hours for anyone to notice the four bare hooks where it once hung. The man who eventually noticed was a still-life artist who wanted to paint that gallery in the Louvre.
The theft of the "Mona Lisa" caused an uproar in France, with 60 detectives seeking the stolen masterpiece. The New York Times reported on the investigation, with headlines such as "60 Detectives Seek Stolen 'Mona Lisa,' French Public Indignant". The heist became a national scandal, with suspicion even falling on American tycoon J.P. Morgan. Pablo Picasso was also questioned, and as tensions escalated between France and Germany, some thought the Kaiser was behind it.
The "Mona Lisa" was eventually found in 1913, two years after its theft. It had been hidden in a one-room apartment on the outskirts of Paris, by an Italian immigrant and former Louvre employee, Vincenzo Peruggia. Peruggia had helped construct the protective frame for the "Mona Lisa", and so would have known how to open it in minutes. He had stashed the painting in a wooden trunk with a false bottom, and later tried to sell it. Peruggia pleaded guilty to stealing the "Mona Lisa" and was sentenced to eight months in prison.
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The subject's identity is uncertain
The identity of the subject of the Mona Lisa is uncertain. However, the painting is also known as "La Gioconda", "La Joconde", and "Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo". One theory is that the painting depicts a woman sitting in front of a mountainous landscape, possibly Val di Chiana, a valley in Tuscany. The woman in the painting is thought to be wearing a guarnello, a veil traditionally worn by pregnant women or those who have just given birth.
Over the centuries, the subject of the Mona Lisa has taken on a new life in popular culture, becoming an embodiment of the ideal woman—beautiful, enigmatic, receptive, and just out of reach. The painting's inherent appeal, combined with various chance circumstances, has undoubtedly contributed to its massive, centuries-long popularity. The Mona Lisa's home at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, one of the world's most-visited museums, has also added to its fame.
The Mona Lisa's enigmatic quality and the mysteries surrounding the sitter's identity have sparked numerous theories and interpretations. The painting's influence on the Renaissance and later artistic movements has been significant, with Leonardo da Vinci's innovative use of the three-quarter pose and sfumato technique, which uses subtle gradations of light and shadow to model the form, revolutionizing contemporary portrait painting.
While the identity of the subject of the Mona Lisa remains uncertain, the painting's fame and influence are undeniable. The proliferation of copies and interpretations of the Mona Lisa reflects the enduring fascination with the subject, who has become one of the most recognizable figures in art history, known for her enigmatic smile and mysterious persona.
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It's painted on poplar wood
The Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci, is an oil painting on a poplar wood panel. The painting was created and tweaked over a period of sixteen years, from 1503 to 1519, and it is likely that da Vinci worked on it intermittently during this time. The painting was in da Vinci's studio when he died in 1519, and he never relinquished ownership of it during his lifetime. The artist carried the painting with him on his travels from Florence to Milan, Rome, and finally, France, where it was placed on the backs of mules.
Poplar wood was an ideal medium for da Vinci's sfumato style, which required the smoothest possible substrate. The uniformity of the grain in poplar wood allowed for the subtle brushstrokes that characterise the Mona Lisa. The painting is in good condition for its age, but the poplar panel has shown some signs of warping due to resistance to its original frame and braces added by early restorers. To prevent a small crack in the centre of the upper edge of the painting from widening, restorers added dovetails to the back of the painting and pasted a heavy canvas over the crack.
The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait of a woman with an enigmatic expression. The subject meets the viewer's gaze and is depicted against a mountainous landscape. The woman in the painting is often believed to be Lisa del Giocondo (née Gherardini), the wife of Florentine merchant Francesco di Bartolomeo del Giocondo, which is how the painting got its alternative title, "La Gioconda". This identity was first suggested in 1550 by artist biographer Giorgio Vasari.
The painting is known for its mysterious subject and her ambiguous identity, which has made it a source of ongoing investigation and fascination. The three-quarter view of the sitter, in which she mostly turns towards the viewer, broke from the standard profile pose used in Italian art and quickly became the convention for portraits. The small cracks in the paint, called craquelure, appear throughout the whole piece but are finer on the hands, where the thinner glazes correspond to da Vinci's late period.
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Frequently asked questions
It took Leonardo da Vinci 16 years to paint the Mona Lisa, from 1503 to 1519.
The original Mona Lisa painting is currently in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
The subject of the Mona Lisa is believed to be Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a wealthy Florentine silk merchant. The Italian name for the painting, "La Gioconda", is a pun on her married name.
The Mona Lisa's global fame is partly due to its theft in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia, who attributed his actions to Italian patriotism. The subsequent recovery in 1914 generated unprecedented publicity, leading to various cultural depictions in opera, film, and music.
No, Leonardo da Vinci never sold the Mona Lisa during his lifetime. After his death in 1519, King Francis I of France acquired the painting, and it is now the property of the French Republic.
