Lena Rivera
The Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci sometime between 1503 and 1519, is considered the world's most famous painting. However, it was not always so well-known. The painting's global fame and popularity are partly due to its theft from the Louvre in 1911, which generated unprecedented publicity for an art theft. The painting's novel qualities, including the subject's enigmatic expression, the subtle modelling of forms, and the atmospheric illusionism, have also contributed to its fame.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of creation | Between 1503 and 1519 |
| Artist | Leonardo da Vinci |
| Medium | Oil on wood |
| Dimensions | 77 cm x 53 cm |
| Location | Louvre Museum, Paris, France |
| Theft | Stolen in 1911 and recovered in 1914 |
| Guinness World Record | Highest known painting insurance valuation in history at US$100 million in 1962, equivalent to $1 billion as of 2023 |
| Subject | Italian noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo |
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What You'll Learn
The painting's theft in 1911
The Mona Lisa is a 16th-century painting by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is considered a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance and is likely the world's most famous painting. The painting's global fame is partly due to its theft in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia, who attributed his actions to Italian patriotism.
On the morning of August 21, 1911, Peruggia, a former Louvre employee, stole the Mona Lisa, hoping to return it to Italy, which he believed to be its rightful home. Peruggia and two other workers took the painting from the wall, hid with it in a closet overnight, and left with it the next morning. He then wrapped the painting and smuggled it out of the Louvre, getting stuck in a locked service door but managing to leave with the help of a plumber who thought he was an employee. Peruggia hid the painting in his Paris apartment.
The theft was not discovered until the following day, when a painter who was going to copy the Mona Lisa found it missing. Peruggia's thumbprint was found on the glass securing the painting, and his fingerprints and photo were already in the police files due to a previous arrest. The police also knew that he had previously helped make the protective glass for the painting and that he was not a current employee. However, his name was initially forgotten when checking fingerprints against police records.
The theft of the Mona Lisa sparked media attention and speculation, with newspapers offering financial rewards for information. This led to hundreds of false leads being sent to the police and press over two years. Peruggia eventually grew impatient and contacted an art gallery owner in Florence, Alfredo Geri, using the name Leonardo V. Geri informed the police, who arrested Peruggia at his hotel, with the painting hidden under his bed.
After its recovery, the painting toured Italy before being returned to the Louvre in 1913. The theft and subsequent recovery generated unprecedented publicity for an art theft, leading to cultural depictions in opera, film, and music. The notoriety from the newspaper headlines and the large-scale police investigation helped the Mona Lisa become one of the best-known artworks in the world, gaining considerable public interest.
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The subject's mysterious smile
The Mona Lisa, a 16th-century painting by Leonardo da Vinci, has captivated audiences for centuries with its enigmatic smile. This intriguing feature has sparked fascination and speculation, with people striving to uncover the secrets behind the subject's elusive expression.
The smile of the Mona Lisa holds deep symbolism, representing mystery, beauty, and the complexity of human emotions. It is a testament to the power of visual perception and the ways in which our eyes interpret and process information. The interplay between shadows, motion, and contrasts creates a dynamic visual experience that influences how we perceive the smile. When viewers direct their gaze towards the mouth, the shadows that contribute to the smile seem to disappear, and it appears less pronounced. However, when shifting focus to other parts of the painting, such as the eyes or background, the shadows reappear, and the smile seems to flicker back into view. This phenomenon, explained by Harvard neuroscientist Margaret Livingstone, creates a sense of ambiguity and intrigue, as the smile appears to change depending on the viewer's perspective.
Da Vinci's innovative use of the sfumato technique is believed to have contributed to the enigmatic nature of the smile. Sfumato involves subtly blurring the edges of the lips and eyes, creating a smoky, ethereal effect. This softening of lines and transitions allows for a seamless blending of colours, resulting in a mysterious quality. The application of sfumato to the Mona Lisa gives her smile a sense of ambiguity, as the transitions between joy and melancholy become fluid and less defined.
The enduring allure of the smile lies in its ability to evoke curiosity and invite interpretation. It has had a lasting impact on art and popular culture, inspiring countless artists, writers, and filmmakers to explore its depths and create their own interpretations. The enigmatic smile has become an iconic symbol of intrigue and fascination, transcending time and cultural boundaries to achieve universal interest.
The mysterious smile, along with the subject's unproven identity, has undoubtedly contributed to the massive, centuries-long popularity of the Mona Lisa. While the painting's artistic merit is undeniable, there is no single reason for its celebrity status. Instead, it is a combination of fortuitous circumstances, 19th-century myth-making, and endless reproductions that have worked together with the painting's inherent appeal to make it the world's most famous artwork.
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The artist, Leonardo da Vinci
The artist behind the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci, was an Italian Renaissance man born in 1452. He was an artist and a scientist, and his work on the Mona Lisa is considered the culmination of his artistic and scientific careers, combining his obsession with nature, psychological insight, and careful observation. Leonardo's understanding of human anatomy is evident in his expert portrayal of a subtle smile and the enigmatic gaze of the subject. He employed various painterly techniques, such as sfumato and aerial perspective, to create imperceptible transitions between light and dark, with the background fading into the distance.
Leonardo began painting the Mona Lisa around 1503, and it remained in his studio when he passed away in 1519. He likely worked on it for several years, adding multiple layers of thin oil glazes at different times, a technique that gives the painting a sense of movement, emotion, and intricate detail. The painting is believed to depict Italian noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo, though her likeness is uncertain. It is painted in oil on a white poplar panel, and its novel qualities include the subject's enigmatic expression, the monumentality of the composition, the subtle modelling of forms, and the atmospheric illusionism.
Leonardo's followers and students started making copies of the Mona Lisa during his lifetime, and it eventually became part of the collection of King Francis I of France, in whose court Leonardo spent his final years. The painting was acquired by the King after Leonardo's death. For centuries, the portrait was secluded in French palaces until it was liberated by Revolutionary forces during the French Revolution (1787-1799). It then adorned Napoleon's bedroom before being installed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it has remained an object of pilgrimage.
The Mona Lisa's global fame and popularity are attributed to various factors, including its theft from the Louvre in 1911, its subsequent recovery in 1914, and its tour to the US in 1963. The high-profile theft and appeals for its return helped publicise and popularise the painting, generating unprecedented publicity and cultural depictions such as operas, films, and songs. The painting has also been reproduced and parodied by influential artists, further contributing to its fame. Today, the Mona Lisa is considered priceless, and its insurance valuation of $100 million in 1962 would be worth over a billion dollars today.
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The painting's arrival at the Louvre
The Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci, is considered the world's most famous painting. It is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506, but da Vinci may have continued working on it until as late as 1517, the year before his death in 1519.
French King Francis I acquired the painting after da Vinci's death, and it became part of the royal collection. For centuries, the portrait was secluded in French palaces. It is said that the King invited da Vinci to France and bought the painting from him in 1518.
Following the French Revolution (1787-99), the painting was claimed by insurgents as the property of the people. It was then installed in the Louvre Museum at the turn of the 19th century, after a brief detour to Napoleon's bedroom in the Tuileries Palace for four years. The Mona Lisa was finally exhibited at the Louvre in 1804.
The painting has remained at the Louvre ever since, barring a few brief periods. It was exhibited in the United States in 1963, and also travelled to Tokyo and Moscow in 1974. The Louvre declined a request to return the painting to its 'home city' of Florence, Italy, in 2012.
The painting's global fame is partly due to its theft from the Louvre in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia, who attributed his actions to Italian patriotism. The theft and subsequent recovery in 1914 generated unprecedented publicity, leading to many cultural depictions.
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The subject's unproven identity
The identity of the woman in the Mona Lisa has never been proven. The painting is traditionally believed to be a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo, a member of the Gherardini family of Florence and Tuscany. She was the wife of Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, and the painting was thought to have been commissioned to celebrate the birth of their second son, Andrea. The Italian name for the painting, "La Gioconda", is a pun on the feminine form of Lisa's married name, "Giocondo".
However, there is uncertainty around this attribution. The identity of the sitter was first suggested in 1550 by Renaissance art historian Giorgio Vasari, who wrote that "Leonardo undertook to paint, for Francesco del Giocondo, the portrait of Mona Lisa, his wife." But scholars have since developed alternative views, arguing that Lisa del Giocondo was the subject of a different portrait, and identifying at least four other paintings referred to by Vasari as the Mona Lisa.
Other women who have been proposed as the subject of the painting include Isabella of Aragon, Cecilia Gallerani, Costanza d'Avalos, Duchess of Francavilla, Pacifica Brandano/Brandino, Isabella Gualanda, Caterina Sforza, Bianca Giovanna Sforza, and Salaì. Some have even suggested that the subject is male, and that the painting depicts a self-portrait of Leonardo himself.
The mysterious smile and unproven identity of the sitter have made the Mona Lisa a source of ongoing investigation and fascination. The painting has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, [and] the most parodied work of art in the world."
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Frequently asked questions
No, the Mona Lisa was not famous when it was painted. In fact, at the beginning of the 20th century, the painting was relatively unknown outside of artistic circles until it was stolen from the Louvre in 1911.
The Mona Lisa's fame is attributed to a combination of factors, including its theft in 1911, the subsequent appeals for its return, and its tour to the U.S. in 1963. The painting's inherent appeal, revolutionary 3/4 length pose, and the subject's mysterious smile and unproven identity have also contributed to its celebrity.
The Mona Lisa was stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian immigrant to France who had previously worked at the Louvre. He worked with two accomplices, and they hid the painting in a closet overnight before running off with it. Peruggia was motivated by Italian patriotism and believed the painting should belong to Italy.
The Mona Lisa is currently on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, where it has been since 1804. It is exhibited behind bulletproof glass in a climate-controlled case to protect it from vandalism and attempted theft.
