If you’re looking to expand your art knowledge, it’s hard to find a better painting to study than Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
The world’s most famous piece of art has fascinated scholars and laymen alike since it was first unveiled at the end of the 16 th century, and over time its secrets have been revealed to everyone who cares to know them.
Here are seven facts about this cultural icon that might surprise you.
1) The painting is over five hundred (500) years old
The painting is over five hundred (500) years old and is held in a small church in France. The painting is so famous that it has been reproduced many times, including on a postage stamp issued by France for its 2000th anniversary of independence. It was completed when Leonardo was only thirty (30) years old. Some historians believe that he made sketches before this time but never finished them.
The work took four years to complete, which means that Leonardo would have worked on it steadily during those four years.
In 2011 the French Postal Service released a series of stamps commemorating the world's most iconic paintings - one of which is an image of The Mona Lisa. That same year, art specialists determined that there are actually two versions of The Mona Lisa in existence!
Experts theorize that Leonardo created one copy as a commission and another copy at his own request (but no one knows why). A reproduction will cost you less than $1.00 while the original costs more than $150 million!
2) It was painted by Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci painted the world's most famous painting, Mona Lisa. It was painted in oil paint on a poplar panel and is believed to have been commissioned by King Francis I. The painting is housed at the Louvre in Paris. In 2017 it broke the record for being the second highest valued work of art sold at auction, fetching $179.4 million USD.
It's unclear what kind of woman da Vinci envisioned as his subject but he is known for using models other than his wife when painting portraits.
Some say it's possible that she is a self-portrait of Leonardo himself! Da Vinci used geometric perspective in this painting which helped create the illusion of depth. If you look closely, you can see Da Vinci's fingerprints all over the brushstrokes!
Da Vinci never signed his paintings so it was only speculated until recent years that this is actually one of his paintings. The speculation has now been confirmed after more modern technology techniques were applied to research this masterpiece.
3) The painting is of the Mona Lisa
The painting is of the Mona Lisa. The painting is called the Mona Lisa but her real name was Lisa Gherardini. Leonardo Da Vinci made the painting in 1503-1506. It took him four years to finish it.
He used oil paint, and a mixture of other paints to get the effect that he wanted. People believe that she might be sitting there smiling at the viewer. There are many versions of the painting but we don't know which one is original because Leonardo da Vinci didn't sign his paintings!
4) The painting is in the Louvre Museum in Paris
The painting is in the Louvre Museum in Paris and is called The Mona Lisa. It was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. When it was first unveiled to the public on August 22, 1911, it became one of the most famous paintings in the world. It had been stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris on Monday, Aug 21st, 1911.
The Mona Lisa has been noted for its enigmatic smile and she remains a true mystery after all these years . To this day, no one knows what her story is or who she really is. Experts think that the lady may have been modeled after Da Vinci’s mother or his sister.
However, there are many who believe that this woman was actually Da Vinci himself! He liked to paint people he knew very well so perhaps he just wanted to show off his own good looks in this painting.
5) The painting is 30 inches by 21 inches
In 1508, Leonardo da Vinci began work on what would become one of the most famous and celebrated paintings in history. It was a commission by Francis I, King of France, who wanted a painting to decorate his palace at Fontainebleau. Da Vinci finished this project in just over three years and named it Mona Lisa, which is Italian for Lady Lisa.
The painting is 30 inches by 21 inches but has an incredible amount of detail. Its paint surface, considered rough for its time period, contains numerous layers that were applied using subtle differences in color shading.
Its various objects all have their own shadowing and light sources, creating stunning 3D effects that make it appear as if they are projecting off of the canvas. Some people have even speculated that there are secret messages hidden within the painting's background architecture and symbols.
6) The painting is valued at over $100 million
The painting is valued at over $100 million, making it one of the most expensive paintings in the world. Rembrandt originally sold The Night Watch to a nobleman for four thousand, five hundred (4,500) guilders, but today it would sell for over 100 million dollars. The only time it was ever offered up for sale was when his son sold it in 1774. It remains on display in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.
A majority of people who see the painting from afar assume that it is a depiction of Jesus Christ and the Apostles, even though that idea has never been confirmed by experts. Several legends surround the painting and how it came to be created.
One legend tells that six of the figures represent the six burghers who actually commissioned Rembrandt to paint their portraits as a company portrait. Some say he painted himself into one of the figures on horseback as an act of humility because he considered himself unworthy as an artist.
7) Over six million (6,000,000) people have seen the painting in person
Over six million (6,000,000) people have seen the painting in person and it has been reproduced in every medium. It is the most-reproduced painting in history. It took da Vinci a total of four years to complete, with an additional two years for the initial sketches.
The Mona Lisa's figure is painted using sfumato technique, which uses a series of light tones to create a soft focus around her hair, face, and body. Though originally titled La Gioconda (translating to The Happy Woman), Leonardo himself later named his work La Gioconda in honor of his then-current mistress Lisa Gherardini.
