Mona+Lisa

The Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is a very famous piece of art painted by Leonardo da Vinci. He was an Italian artist, draftsman, sculptor, engineer, and inventor. He worked on and finished the painting sometime during 1503 and 1506 while he was in Florence, Italy. The Mona Lisa was painted on a poplar wood panel using oil. Later the painting was stabilized using a wooden frame and some braces due to signs of warping. During its time at the Louvre the painting has undergone a few restorations to preserve its beauty. The story behind the painting is still shrouded in mystery which makes it even more famous. It has not been proven the true identity of who really in the painting but the sitter is believed to be Lisa Gherardini. She was the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a florentine cloth merchant. Exactly why the portrait was commissioned is unknown, but it might have been to mark when Francesco del Giocondo and his wife bought their first house or after the birth of their second son Andrea in 1502. To this day these topics are still debated which makes the painting an ongoing source of investigation and amusement. During the Mona Lisa’s lifetime it has had a rather interesting journey. The painting has been in many different hands and in many different locations. After Leonardo’s death his assistant and student Salai inherited the painting. It was then sold to Francis I for 4000 french écus. He moved the painting to the Palace of Fontainebleau. It remained there until Louis XIV moved it to the Palace of Versailles. When the French Revolution ended the painting was transferred to the Louvre, where it is today. Even after being brought to the Louvre it was stolen by an Italian patriot who believed that it should be brought back to Italy. This caused the painting to gain fame worldwide. The Mona Lisa has also been vandalised a few times so it is now kept behind bulletproof glass and guarded to prevent any more mishaps with the painting. The Mona Lisa has had a great influence on art over the years, especially during the Renaissance. The way the sitter was positioned was completely new and had not been done before. She was portrayed in a half-length portrait but he was able to capture her arms and hands without them touching the frame.Having perfected this new technique it spread like crazy and gave Leonardo an even better reputation as an artist. Many new artists emerged using his style to create more and more realistic pieces of art.