Comprehensive information and links about Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa , is an oil painting on poplar wood by Leonardo da Vinci and is perhaps the most famous painting in Western art history; few other works of art are as romanticized, celebrated, or reproduced. It is owned by the French government and hangs in the Musée du Louvre in Paris.

The painting shows a woman looking out at the viewer with what is described as an "enigmatic smile".

table stems from the Giorgio Vasari biography of Leonardo da Vinci, published 31 years after Leonardo's death. In it, he identified the sitter as Lisa, the wife of wealthy Florentine businessman Francesco del Giocondo. "Mona" is a common Italian contraction of "madonna," meaning "my lady," the equivalent of the English "Madam", so the title means "Madam Lisa." In modern Italian the short form of "madonna" is usually spelled "Monna," so the title is sometimes, though rarely, given as Monna Lisa.

The alternative title also means 'light-hearted' ('jocund' in English), so "gioconda" means "light hearted woman". Because of her smile, this version of the title plays on this double-meaning, as in the French "La Joconde."

Both became established as titles for the painting in the 19th century. Before these names became established, the painting had been referred to by various de in 1503 and completed it three or four years later.

Leonardo took the painting from Italy to France in 1516 when King François I invited the painter to work at the Clos Lucé near the king's chateau in Amboise. The King bought the painting for 4,000 .

After Leonardo's death the painting was cut down by having part of the panel at both sides removed. Originally there were columns on both sides of the figure, as we know from early copies. The edges of the bases can still be seen.

The painting first resided in Fontainebleau, later in the called the Palace of Versailles. After the French Revolution, it was moved to the Louvre. Napoleon I had it moved to his bedroom in the Tuileries Palace; later it was returned to the Louvre. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, it was moved from the Louvre to a hiding place elsewhere in France.

The painting was not well-known until the mid-19th century, when artists of the emerging Symbolist movement began to appreciate it, and associated it with their ideas about feminine mystique. Critic Walter Pater in his 1867 essay on Leonardo, expressed this view of the painting by describing the figure in the painting as a kind of mythic embodiment of eternal femininity, who is "older than the rocks among which she sits" and who "has been dead many times and learned the secrets of the grave".

The painting's increasing fame was further emphasised when it was stolen on August 21, 1911. On September 7, avant-garde French poet Guillaume Apollinaire, who had once called for the Louvre to be "burnt down", was arrested and put in jail on suspicion of the theft. His friend Pablo Picasso was brought in for questioning, but both were later released. At the time, the painting was believed lost forever. It turned out that Louvre employee Vincenzo Peruggia stole it by simply walking out the door with it hidden under his coat. Con-man Eduardo de Valfierno master-minded the theft, and had commissioned the French art forger Yves Chaudron to make copies of the painting so he could sell them as the missing original. Because he didn't need the original for his con, he never contacted Peruggia again after the crime. After keeping the painting in his apartment for two years, Peruggia grew impatient and was caught when he attempted to sell it to a Florence art dealer; it was exhibited all over Italy and returned to the Louvre in 1913.

During World War II the painting was again removed from the Louvre and taken to safety, first in Chateau Amboise, then in the abbey of Loc-Dieu and finally in the Ingres Museum in Montauban.

In 1956, the lower part of the painting was severely damaged when someone doused it with acid. Several months later someone threw a stone at it. It is now covered by security glass.

From December 14, 1962 to March of 1963, the French government loaned it to the United States to be displayed in New York City and Washington D.C. In 1974, the painting exhibited in Tokyo and Moscow before being returned to the Louvre.

Prior to the 1962-63 tour, the painting was assessed for insurance purposes at $100 million. According to the the most valuable painting ever insured [1]. As an expensive painting, it has only recently been surpassed by Pablo Picasso's , which was sold for $104.1 million on May 4, 2004. However, this does not account for the change in prices due to inflation -- $100 million in 1962 is approximately $608 million in 2004 when adjusted for inflation using the US consumer price index. [2].

On April 6, 2005 — following a period of curatorial maintenance, recording, and analysis — the painting was moved, within the Louvre, to a new home in the museum's Salle des Etats. It is displayed in a purpose-built, climate-controlled enclosure behind unbreakable, bullet proof, non-reflective glass.

Identity of the model

There has been much speculation about the identity of the sitter. Vasari identified the subject to be the wife of socially prominent Francesco del Giocondo. It is known that del Giocondo, a wealthy silk merchant of Florence and a prominent government figure, lived. Little is known about his wife, Lisa Gherardini, except that she was born in 1479 and raised at the family's Villa Vignamaggio in Tuscany, and that she married del Giocondo in 1495.

During the last years of his life, da Vinci spoke of a portrait "of a certain Florentine lady done from life at the request of the magnificent Giuliano de' Medici." No evidence has been found that indicates a link between Lisa Gherardini and Giuliano de' Medici, but then the comment could instead refer to one of the two other portraits of women executed by da Vinci. A later anonymous statement created confusion when it linked the to a portrait of Francesco del Giocondo himself – perhaps the origin of the controversial idea that it is the portrait of a man.

Dr. Lillian Schwartz of Bell Labs suggests that the is actually a self-portrait. She supports this theory with the results of a digital analysis of the facial features of Leonardo's face and that of the famous painting. When flipping a self-portrait drawing by Leonardo and then merging that with an image of the using a computer, the features of the faces align perfectly. Critics of this theory suggest that the similarities are due to both portraits being painted by the same person using the same . Additionally, the drawing on which she based the comparison may not be a self-portrait.

Maike Vogt-Lüerssen argues that the woman behind the famous smile is Isabella of Aragon, the Duchess of Milan. Leonardo was the court painter for the Duke Of Milan for 11 years. The pattern on dark green dress, Vogt-Lüerssen believes, indicates that she was a member of the house of Visconti-Sforza. Her theory is that the was the first official portrait of the new Duchess of Milan, which requires that it was painted in spring or summer 1489 (and not 1503).

The Louvre book, says that "The discovery a few years ago of an archival document, confirming clearly that the sitter is indeed Lisa Gherardini ... has resolutely ended the debate".

Aesthetics

The portrait presents the subject from just above the bust, with a distant landscape visible as a backdrop. Leonardo used a pyramid design to place the woman simply and calmly in the space of the painting. Her folded hands form the front corner of the pyramid. Her breast, neck, and face glow in the same light that softly models her hands. The light gives the variety of living surfaces an underlying geometry of spheres and circles, which includes the arc of her famous smile. Sigmund Freud interpreted the 'smile' as signifying Leonardo's erotic attraction to his dear mother; others have described it as both innocent and inviting. It is said by some that the painting is centered on the heart, as is illustrated in this version.

"Detail of the face, showing the subtle shading effect of sfumato, particularly in the shadows around the eyes." Detail of the face, showing the subtle shading effect of sfumato, particularly in the shadows around the eyes.

Many researchers have tried to explain why the smile is seen so differently by people. The explanations range from scientific theories about human vision to curious supposition about identity and feelings. Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University has argued that the smile is mostly drawn in low spatial frequencies, and so can best be seen with one's peripheral vision [3]. Christopher Tyler and Leonid Kontsevich of the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute in San Francisco believe that the changing nature of the smile is caused by variable levels of random noise in human visual system [4]. Dina Goldin, Adjunct Professor at Brown University, has argued that the secret is in the non-static position of facial muscles, where our mind's eye unconsciously extends her smile; the result is an unusual dynamicity to the face that invokes subtle yet strong emotions in the viewer of the painting [5].

In late 2005, Dutch researchers from the University of Amsterdam ran the painting's image through an "emotion recognition" computer software developed in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [6]. The software found the smile to be 83 % happy, 9 % disgusted, 6 % fearful, 2 % angry, less than 1 % neutral, and not surprised at all. Rather than being a thorough analysis, the experiment was more of a demonstration of the new technology. The faces of ten women of Mediterranean ancestry were used to create a composite image of a neutral expression. Researchers then compared the composite image to the face in the painting. They used a grid to break the smile into small divisions, then checked it for each of six emotions: happiness, surprise, anger, disgust, fear, and sadness.

Although utilizing a seemingly simple formula for portraiture, the expressive synthesis that Leonardo achieved between sitter and landscape has placed this work in the canon of the most popular and most analyzed paintings of all time. The sensuous curves of the woman's hair and clothing, created through sfumato, are echoed in the undulating valleys and rivers behind her. The sense of overall harmony achieved in the painting—especially apparent in the sitter's faint smile—reflects Leonardo's idea of the cosmic link connecting humanity and nature, making this painting an enduring record of Leonardo's vision and genius.

The enigmatic woman is portrayed seated in what appears to be an open loggia with dark pillar bases on either side. Behind her a vast landscape recedes to icy mountains. Winding paths and a distant bridge give only the slightest indications of human presence. The blurred outlines, graceful figure, dramatic contrasts of light and dark, and overall feeling of calm are characteristic of Leonardo's .

The painting was one of the first portraits to depict the sitter before an imaginary landscape. One interesting feature of the landscape is that it is uneven. The landscape to the left of the figure is noticeably lower than that to the right of her. This has led some critics to suggest that it was added later.

The painting has been restored numerous times; X-ray examinations have shown that there are three versions of the hidden under the present one. The thin poplar backing is beginning to show signs of deterioration at a higher rate than previously thought, causing concern from museum curators about the future of the painting.

has acquired an almost iconic status in popular culture. In 1963, pop artist Andy Warhol started making colorful serigraph prints of the . Warhol thus consecrated her as a modern icon, similar to Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley. At the same time, his use of a stencil process and crude colors implies a criticism of the debasement of aesthetic values in a society of mass production and mass consumption. Today the is frequently reproduced, finding its way on to everything from carpets to mouse pads.

As a cult painting, the has enjoyed countless references in both popular culture and avant-garde art. It has been a subject of many songs, including:

"Mona Lisa" (1950), a ballad sung by Nat King Cole comparing his love to the painting, was the#1 Billboard Pop single for 8 weeks and went on to sell 3 million copies. The song was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans for the film and was awarded an Oscar. It was later used in the 1986 film "Mona Lisa". "Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you, you're so like the lady with the mystic smile."Bob Dylan's song "Visions of Johanna" (1966), which includes the lines "But Mona Lisa must have had the highway blues."A Mona Lisa", an unreleased song by the popular rock band Counting Crows. It was written by lead singer Adam Duritz [8] and recorded in 1992. [9]"Mona Lisa", a song by the German electro-rock band Unheilig suggests her smile is the result of the singer's hand underneath her skirt."Mona Lisa", a rare song by Britney Spears. The song tells of a legendary female icon named "Mona Lisa" who has fallen from grace and is simply remembered for being mysterious and enigmatic, much like the painting. Interpretations of the lyrics have led to the comparisons between the as titles. Some of these are about the painting itself, while others, such as the 1986 comedy drama popularity. Because of the painting's overwhelming stature, Dadaists and Surrealists often produce modifications and caricatures. In 1919, Marcel Duchamp, one of the most influential Dadaists, made a parody by adorning a cheap reproduction with a moustache and a goatee, as well as adding the rude inion L.H.O.O.Q., when read out loud in French sounds like "Elle a chaud au cul" (translating to "she has a hot arse" as a manner of implying the woman in the painting is in a state of sexual excitement and availability). This was intended as a Freudian joke, referring to Leonardo's alleged homosexuality. According to Rhonda R. Shearer, the apparent reproduction is in fact a copy partly modelled on Duchamp's own face. [10] Salvador Dalí, famous for his pioneering surrealist work, painted history. Fantastic theories and conspiracies are often entertained by authors of fiction.

In 1952, science fictionfantasy author Ray Bradbury published a short story titled "The Smile", which dealt with the reaction of people in a dystopic future to the . The story places the painting on canvas, while the real painting is on poplar wood.

Bob Shaw's 1976 humorous short story "The Giaconda Caper", published in his collection "Cosmic Kaleidoscope", suggests that the painting is part of a sequence which together forms a brief animation, and that da Vinci even created a machine to view them.

The 1979 serial . The story suggests that the painting now in the Louvre is painted on top of the message "This is a fake" written in modern felt tip pen.

A 1979 episode of the classic anime . After many attempts gone wrong, he finally succeeds at the end of the episode, only to discover a curator at the Louvre, to protect the original, began painting perfect replicas for tours and display. However, the curator has painted so many that even he does not know which is the original , a 1990 novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman features a character called Anthony Crowley who owns the original cartoon of the and displays it as the only piece of art in his London flat. Crowley is a demon who has been on Earth since the Fall of Man. He met da Vinci in 16th Century Italy and obtained the cartoon whilst drinking with the polymath. Leonardo and Crowley agree that the cartoon is superior to the finished version ("I got the bloody smile all right in the roughs").

In the 1990 . He also acquires the android Data, who tries to imitate the painting's smile.

Eduard Gufeld, the late Ukrainian-American chess grandmaster, published a book in 1994 entitled was released. In the book, Gufeld discussed his quest to play the perfect chess masterpiece. He felt that he had realized this dream in his famous 1973 game against Bagirov.

An episode of the Disney cartoon revolves around the making of a musical play about the painting coming to life and Leonardo having to find her.

The 1962 Looney Tunes cartoon "Louvre Come Back To Me!", starring Pepe Le Pew, features the in the finale; as Le Pew's visible odor reaches the painting, it comes to life and says, "I can tell you chaps one thing: it's not always easy to hold this smile." This cartoon was also edited into the compilation feature is found by the tetragrammaton, a group who seek out people who have "feelings". Since emotion is outlawed in the future in this film, those who refuse to take pills that inhibit the ability to feel are hunted down. Most who refuse to take the pills are holed up in the outer rim of the city and collect and protect art with their lives seeing it as something precious. The is found and burned by flamethrowers as cleric John Preston finds the painting along with other artifacts securely found in a basement.

, a popular novel written by Dan Brown in 2003 and a film due to be released on May 19, 2006 (directed by Ron Howard, starring Tom Hanks, Ian McKellen and Alfred Molina). Brown's hero, Harvard professor Robert Langdon, claims that the painting expresses Leonardo's belief in the "sacred feminine" and that the title is a coded reference to the Egyptian gods Amon and Isis, "Mona" being an anagram of the former and "Lisa" being a contraction of l'Isa, meaning Isis. This hidden reference is supposed to signify Leonardo's secret opposition to orthodox Christianity and belief in the ideal union of masculine and feminine principles, as does the sitter's androgynous features. In this context he also refers to the self-portrait theory.

In the 2003 comedy , stuntman DJ Drake (Brendan Fraser) looks through an embedded "X-ray" lens in a playing card — a queen of diamonds with The Mona Lisa Exposed, an ad-supported Tufts University student website dedicated to the Mona Lisa painting