The Mona Lisa (also known as La Gioconda or La Joconde) is a portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503-1506, with some scholars suggesting it was completed in 1517. This masterpiece is currently housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, where it draws millions of visitors each year.
History:
- Mona Lisa was painted in Florence, Italy, at a time when Leonardo was at the height of his career. The identity of the sitter has been a subject of debate, but the most accepted theory is that she was Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo.
- After Leonardo's death in 1519, the painting passed into the hands of his assistant, Salai, and later to the French king, Francis I, who acquired many of Leonardo's works.
- The painting has been in French royal collections ever since, surviving the French Revolution, and was eventually installed in the Louvre in 1797.
Artistic Significance:
- It is renowned for its use of sfumato, a technique that gives the painting its soft, almost smoky transitions between colors and tones.
- The Mona Lisa is celebrated for the enigmatic expression of the sitter, often described as a mysterious smile, which has fascinated viewers for centuries.
- The painting's composition, with the figure set against a hazy landscape, was revolutionary for its time, employing perspective and depth in a way that was ahead of its era.
- Leonardo's use of light and shadow, along with his detailed rendering of Lisa's features, has made the painting an icon of the Renaissance art movement.
Notable Incidents:
- In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by an Italian employee named Vincenzo Peruggia, who believed it should be returned to Italy. It was recovered two years later.
- During World War II, the Mona Lisa was moved several times to protect it from bombing and invasion. It was housed in various locations, including a chateau in the Loire Valley.
- In 1956, the painting was damaged when someone threw acid at it, and later that year, a visitor threw a rock at it, damaging the left elbow.
Exhibitions and Cultural Impact:
- The Mona Lisa has been loaned out for special exhibitions, notably to the United States in 1963, where it was displayed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
- It has been the subject of numerous parodies, references, and studies in art, literature, and popular culture, making it arguably the most famous painting in the world.
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