At the very beginning of the 16th century, the famous Italian painter and sculptor Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) painted one of the greatest masterpieces of modern civilization - a portrait of the Mona Lisa or Gioconda. Since then this work of art haunts people. It's safe to say that there is a mystery to the Mona Lisa. Scientists, artists and simply art connoisseurs ask themselves a number of questions. Who is shown in the picture? Why couldn't the artist finish this work? How does it affect people?

But before we begin to unravel the historical charades, let's first understand the title of the work. Why is it called either “La Gioconda” or “Mona Lisa”? It is officially believed that Leonardo took up the task of painting a portrait of Lisa Gherardini. This historical figure, who lived in Florence. Lisa belonged to noble women. She was born in 1479 and died in 1542. Some experts call the year 1551. At the time of painting the portrait she was 22-24 years old.

At first the painting was called “Portrait of Mrs. Lisa Gioconda.” Gioconda is the surname of the husband of the posing girl. My mistress in Italian means “ma donna”, and is abbreviated as “mona”. That is, “Mona Lisa” is “Mrs. Lisa”. And the portrait was first called “Gioconda” in 1525 by Da Vinci’s student, the artist Salai. Both names took root and have survived to this day in this form.

The greatest interest in the unique portrait is the smile of the Mona Lisa. It has been debated for hundreds of years. But no less a mystery is the image itself captured on the canvas. Officially, this is Lisa, née Gherardini. But there are experts who claim that this is not her at all. There are several assumptions about who the artist really depicted.

The most exotic version claims that La Gioconda is a self-portrait of da Vinci himself. This is by no means idle speculation. The portrait was subjected to computer research, and it showed that the artist’s facial features coincided with the girl’s facial features. Such an amazing similarity made it possible to claim that Leonardo created his self-portrait, reflecting the hidden feminine traits own nature.

Images of Leonardo da Vinci and Mona Lisa

This version indirectly explains why da Vinci painted the picture for almost 4 years. Moreover, he did not give it to the customer. The work remained with him, then passed on to a student, and later ended up in the collection of the French king Francis I. One should also take into account the Italian’s predisposition to various puzzles, jokes and riddles. He was very fond of such things and could well “make fun” of future researchers of his work.

But the mystery of the Mona Lisa is not limited to Leonardo's self-portrait. There is another exotic version. She claims that the portrait shows a young man in a woman's dress. What kind of young man? This is a student of a great artist named Salai. Leonardo and Szalai were together for 25 years. It is assumed that they were connected not only friendly relations, but also unconventional orientation. This gave rise to the assumption that Salai dressed in a woman’s dress and posed for the picture. This version also explains why the portrait remained with the great artist.

In the first quarter of the 20th century, it was suggested that the portrait depicts Duchess Constanza d'Avalos (1460-1541). She was given the nickname “The Cheerful”, and in Italian this means “la gioconda”, that is, “Gioconda”. At the time of painting the portrait, the Duchess became a widow. Eneo Irpino sang it in his poem. Interestingly, this poem mentions a portrait of the Duchess, allegedly painted by Leonardo da Vinci.

Portrait of Salai - student of Leonardo da Vinci

It is known that the duchess's lover (widows also have lovers) was Giuliano Medici. It is assumed that it was he who ordered the portrait of his mistress. But a couple of years passed and Giuliano married Filiberte of Savoy. It is quite clear that love affair on the side could compromise her newly-made husband. Therefore, he disowned the portrait, and Leonardo kept it for himself.

There is also an assumption that the portrait depicts not the Duchess of Constanza, but another mistress of Giuliano, Pacifica, the widow of Giovanni Antonio Brandano. This woman gave birth to Giuliano's son named Ippolito.

There are many other versions and assumptions. However, in 2005, notes from a certain Florentine official were discovered. In particular, he wrote that Leonardo was working on three paintings at the same time. One of them is a portrait of Lisa Gherardini.

Thus, there is indirect evidence that the portrait of the Mona Lisa is a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo. The painting was commissioned by him on the occasion of the birth of his second son Andrea. However, the mystery of the Mona Lisa remains so, since this evidence also raises many questions and assumptions.

Photo: AP/Scanpix

The personality, facial features, smile and even the landscape behind the woman drawn more than 500 years ago continue to excite the minds of researchers. While some study her lips with a magnifying glass, others find coded messages from Leonardo da Vinci in the painting, and still others even believe that the real Mona Lisa is a completely different picture.

"It will soon be four centuries since the Mona Lisa deprives everyone of their sanity who, having seen enough of it, begins to talk about it"

(Gruye, late XIX century).

The DELFI portal introduces the most popular mysteries and theories that surround famous work Leonardo da Vinci.

It is traditionally believed that da Vinci's painting depicts Lisa Gioconda, née Gherardini. The painting was commissioned by her husband Francesco Gioconda in 1503. Da Vinci, who was then unemployed, agreed to perform private order, but didn't finish it. Later artist went to France and settled at the court of King François I. According to legend, he presented the Mona Lisa to the king, presenting the painting as one of his favorites. According to other sources, the king simply bought it.

In any case, after the death of da Vinci in 1519, the painting remained the property of the king, and after French Revolution became state property and was exhibited in the Louvre. For centuries it was considered a valuable but rather ordinary masterpiece of the Renaissance. She became a world-famous icon only at the beginning of the 20th century, after she was kidnapped in August 1911 former employee Louvre, painter and decorator Vincenzo Perugia, who dreamed of returning the painting to its historical homeland (the painting was found and returned two years after the theft).

Since then, the Mona Lisa has survived several attempts at vandalism and theft and has become a major magnet for the millions of tourists who visit the Louvre every year. Since 2005, the painting has been kept in a special impenetrable glass “sarcophagus” with a controlled microclimate (the painting has darkened greatly under the influence of time due to da Vinci’s experiments with the composition of paints). About six million people examine it every year, each of whom spends an average of 15 seconds on examination.

Photo: Arhīva foto

It is traditionally believed that the painting depicts Lisa Gioconda, the third wife of the wealthy fabric and silk merchant Francesco Giocondo. Until the 20th century, this version was not particularly disputed, since family friend and historian (as well as artist) Giorgio Vasari in his works mentions as a fact that Francesco’s wife was painted by a certain famous artist. This fact was also reflected on the pages of the book by Agostino Vespucci, a clerk and assistant to the historian Niccolo Machiavelli.

However, this was not enough for many researchers, since at the time when the painting was painted, Gioconda should have been about 24 years old, but the woman depicted in the painting looks much older. Also doubtful was the fact that the painted painting never belonged to the merchant’s family, but remained with the artist. Even if we accept the assumption that da Vinci simply did not have time to complete the painting before moving to France, it is doubtful that the family of an average dealer by any standards was rich enough to commission a painting of this size. Only truly noble and extremely wealthy families could afford such paintings at that time.

Therefore, there are alternative theories that suggest that the Mona Lisa is a self-portrait of da Vinci himself, or that the painting depicts his mother Katrina. The latter explains the artist’s attachment to this work.

A team of scientists is now hoping to solve this mystery by excavating beneath the walls of the Monastery of Saint Ursula in Florence. It is believed that Lisa Gioconda, who retired to a monastery after the death of her husband, could have been buried there. However, experts doubt that among the hundreds of people buried there, the remains of the Mona Lisa can be found. Even more utopian is the hope, using computer reconstruction based on the found skulls, to restore the facial features of all the people buried there in order to find the very woman who posed for the Mona Lisa.

Photo: Arhīva foto

At the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries, fully plucked eyebrows were in fashion. One might assume that the woman depicted in the painting definitely followed fashion and lived up to this standard of beauty, but the French engineer Pascal Côté discovered that she actually had eyebrows.

Using a scanner with high resolution he created a copy of the painting very high quality, on which traces of eyebrows were found. According to Côté, the Mona Lisa originally had eyebrows, but they disappeared over time.

One of the reasons for their disappearance could be overzealous attempts to preserve the painting. In the Louvre Museum and at the royal court, the masterpiece was regularly cleaned for 500 years, as a result of which some especially delicate elements of the painting could have disappeared.

Another reason for the disappearance of the eyebrows could be unsuccessful attempts to restore the painting. However, it is still unclear how the eyebrows could disappear completely. In any case, traces of a brush stroke can now be seen above the left eye, which indicate that the Mona Lisa did have eyebrows.

Photo: AFP/Scanpix

In Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, Leonardo da Vinci's ability to encode information is greatly exaggerated, but famous master During his lifetime, he still liked to hide various information in the form of codes and ciphers. Italian History Committee national culture discovered that Mona Lisa's eyes contain tiny letters and numbers.

They are not visible to the naked eye, but with high magnification it is noticeable that the symbols are actually written in the eyes. Hidden in the right eye are the letters LV, which could be the initials of Leonardo da Vinci himself, and in the left eye the letters are blurred and can be either S, B or even CE. Symbols can also be seen on the arch of the bridge, which is located behind the model’s back - combination L2 or 72.

The numbers 149 were also found on the back of the painting. It can be assumed that the last digit is missing and this is actually the year - 149x. If this is so, then the picture was painted not at the beginning of the 16th century, as was previously believed, but earlier - at the end of the 15th century.

Photo: Arhīva foto

If you look at the lips, you can see that they are tightly compressed, without any hint of a smile. But at the same time, if you look at the picture in general, you get the feeling that the woman is smiling. This optical illusion has given rise to more than one theory about the disappearing smile of the Mona Lisa.

Experts believe that the explanation for this phenomenon is quite simple - the woman depicted in the picture is not smiling, but if the viewer’s eye is “blurred” or he is looking at her using peripheral vision, then the shadow of the face creates the effect of an imaginary upward movement of the corners of the lips.

The fact that the woman was absolutely serious is also proven by x-rays, which made it possible to look at the sketch of the painting, now hidden under a layer of paint. In it, the wife of a Florentine merchant does not look joyful from any angle.

Photo: Arhīva foto

Early copies of da Vinci's work show a much wider panorama than the painting exhibited in the Louvre. They all have columns visible on the sides, whereas in the "real" painting, only part of the column is visible on the right.

For a long time, experts argued about how this happened, and whether the painting was reduced after Da Vinci's death in order to fit a special frame or to be consistent in size with other paintings at the king's court. However, these theories were not confirmed - the edges of the painting under the frame are white, which indicates that the image did not go beyond the frames that we see today.

And in general, the theory that the painting was reduced looks doubtful, since it was painted not on fabric, but on a pine board. If pieces were sawed off from it, the paint layer could be damaged or completely separated, and this would be clearly visible.

Photo: Publicitātes foto

Judging by the columns and the landscape behind the woman in the painting, we can conclude that she was sitting on a balcony or terrace. Today, scientists adhere to the point of view that the depicted mountains, bridge, river and road are fictitious, but characteristic of the Montefeltro region in Italy.

This fact does not so much shed light on what exactly is depicted on the background, but rather once again raises questions about the identity of the woman depicted in the painting. According to one of the Vatican archivists, the painting depicts Pacifica Brandani, a married lady and mistress of Julian de' Medici. At the time when the picture was supposedly painted, the Medici were in exile and lived in this very region.

But regardless of what region the landscape in the painting reflects and what the personality of the woman depicted in it was, it is known that Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa in his studio in Milan.

Photo: Arhīva foto

American artist Ron Piccirillo believes that he has discovered a rebus hidden for 500 years in da Vinci's painting. In his opinion, the artist hid the image of the heads of three animals - a lion, a monkey and a buffalo. They are clearly visible if you turn the picture on its side.

He also claims that under the woman's left arm there is something visible that resembles the tail of a crocodile or snake. He came to these discoveries by carefully studying da Vinci's diaries for two whole months.

Photo: Arhīva foto

The Isleworth Mona Lisa, found before World War I in England, is believed to be another, early version of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Its name comes from the name of the London suburb in which it was found.

This version of the painting is considered more consistent with the theory that Leonardo da Vinci painted his masterpiece when Francesco Gioconda was 24 years old. This work is also more consistent with the legend that da Vinci moved to France without finishing the painting and took it with him as it was.

But at the same time, the history of this painting, unlike the Louvre original, is unknown. It is also unclear how the work came to England and who owned it. Experts cannot believe the version that the famous artist gave or sold the unfinished work to someone.

Photo: Arhīva foto

“Donna Nuda,” a portrait of a partially nude woman with a smile characteristic of da Vinci’s masterpiece, clearly resembles the original, but the author of this painting is unknown. It is interesting that this work is not only similar, but was definitely created at the beginning of the 16th century - at the same time as the Mona Lisa.

Unlike the work exhibited in the Louvre, which rarely leaves its place behind bulletproof glass, "Donna Nuda" changed its owners many times and was regularly exhibited at exhibitions dedicated to creativity da Vinci.

Historians believe that although this work most likely did not belong to the brush of da Vinci himself, it is most definitely a copy of his painting, made by one of the master’s students. The original, for some reason, was lost.

Photo: Arhīva foto

On the morning of August 21, 1911, museum workers in the Louvre found four empty nails at the site of the painting. And although until that moment the painting had not caused much excitement in society, its abduction became a real sensation, which was written about by the press in many countries around the world.

This created problems for the museum administration, since it turned out that security was not properly organized in the museum - the huge rooms with world masterpieces were guarded by only a few people. And almost all the paintings were mounted on the walls so that they could be easily removed and carried away.

This is what a former employee of the Louvre, painter and decorator Vincenzo Perugia, did, who dreamed of returning the painting to its historical homeland. The paintings were found and returned a year after the theft - Perugia himself foolishly responded to an advertisement for the purchase of a masterpiece. Although in Italy his act was received with understanding, the court still sentenced him to prison for two years.

This story became the catalyst for the sharply increased public interest in Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece. The press that covered the kidnapping story immediately dug up a case from a year ago when a man committed suicide in the museum, right in front of the painting. Immediately there was talk about a mysterious smile, secret messages and da Vinci codes, the special mystical meaning of the Mona Lisa, etc.

The popularity of the Louvre museum has grown so much since the return of the Mona Lisa that, according to one conspiracy theory, the theft was organized by the museum's management themselves in order to attract international interest to it. This beautiful conspiracy idea is overshadowed only by the fact that the museum management itself did not gain anything from this theft - as a result of the scandal that broke out, it was fired in its entirety.

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Portrait of a lady Lisa del Giocondo(Ritratto di Monna Lisa del Giocondo) was written by Leonardo da Vinci around 1503-1519. It is believed that this is a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a silk merchant from Florence. del Giocondo translated from Italian sounds like cheerful or playful. According to the writings of biographer Giorgio Vasari, Leonardo da Vinci painted this portrait for 4 years, but left it unfinished (however, modern researchers claim that the work is completely finished and even carefully completed). The portrait is made on a poplar board measuring 76.8x53 cm. Currently hanging in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Mona Lisa or Mona Lisa - the painting of the great artist is the most mysterious work of painting today. There are so many mysteries and secrets associated with it that even the most experienced art critics sometimes do not know what is actually drawn in this picture. Who is Gioconda, what goals did da Vinci pursue when he created this painting? If you believe the same biographers, Leonardo, at the time he painted this picture kept around him various musicians and jesters who entertained the model and created a special atmosphere, which is why the canvas turned out to be so exquisite and unlike all other creations of this author.

One of the mysteries is that under ultraviolet and infrared radiation this picture looks completely different. The original Mona Lisa, which was dug up under a layer of paint using a special camera, was different from the one that visitors now see in the museum. She had a wider face, a more emphatic smile and different eyes.

Another secret is that Mona Lisa has no eyebrows and eyelashes. There is an assumption that during the Renaissance, most women looked like this and this was a tribute to the fashion of that time. Women of the 15th and 16th centuries got rid of any facial hair. Others claim that the eyebrows and eyelashes were actually there, but faded over time. A certain researcher Cott, who is studying and thoroughly researching this work of the great master, has debunked many myths about Mona Lisa. For example, the question once arose about the hand of Mona Lisa. From the outside, even an inexperienced person can see that the hand is bent in a very bizarre way. However, Cott discovered the smoothed features of a cape on his hand, the colors of which faded over time and it began to seem that the hand itself had a strange unnatural shape. Thus, we can safely say that Gioconda at the time of her writing was very different from what we see now. Time has mercilessly distorted the picture to such an extent that many are still looking for secrets of the Mona Lisa that simply do not exist.

It is also interesting that after painting the portrait of Mona Lisa, da Vinci kept it with him, and then it went into the collection of the French king Francis I. Why, after completing the work, the artist did not give it to the customer remains unknown. In addition, in different times Various assumptions have been put forward as to whether Lisa del Giocondo is correctly considered the Mona Lisa. The following women are still vying for her role: Caterina Sforza, the daughter of the Duke of Milan; Isabella of Aragon, Duchess of Milan; Cecilia Gallerani aka Lady with an Ermine; Constanza d'Avalos, also called the Merry or La Gioconda; Pacifica Brandano is the mistress of Giuliano de' Medici; Isabela Galanda; A young man in women's clothing; Self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci himself. In the end, many are inclined to believe that the artist simply depicted the image ideal woman what she is in his opinion. As you can see, there are a lot of assumptions and they all have the right to life. And yet, researchers are almost one hundred percent sure that the Mona Lisa is Lisa del Giocondo, as they found a recording of one Florentine official who wrote: “Now da Vinci is working on three paintings, one of which is a portrait of Lisa Gherardini.”

The greatness of the painting, which is conveyed to the viewer, is also the result of the fact that the artist first painted the landscape and then the model itself on top of it. As a result (whether it was planned or happened by chance, it is unknown) the figure of Gioconda was very close to the viewer, which emphasizes its significance. The perception is also influenced by the existing contrast between the gentle curves and colors of the woman and the bizarre landscape behind, as if fabulous, spiritual, with the sfumato inherent to the master. Thus, he combined reality and fairy tale, reality and dream into one whole, which creates an incredible feeling for everyone who looks at the canvas. By the time of painting this painting, Leonardo da Vinci had achieved such skill that he created a masterpiece. The painting acts as hypnosis, the secrets of painting elusive to the eye, mysterious transitions from light to shadow, attracting demonic smile, act on a person like a boa constrictor looking at a rabbit.

The secret of Gioconda is linked in the most precise mathematical calculation Leonardo, who by that time had developed the secret of the painting formula. With the help of this formula and precise mathematical calculations, a work of terrifying power came out of the master’s brush. The power of her charm is comparable to something alive and animate, and not drawn on a board. There is a feeling that the artist painted Gioconda in an instant, as if clicking a camera, and did not draw her for 4 years. In an instant, he caught her sly glance, a fleeting smile, one single movement that was embodied in the picture. How the great master of painting managed to figure it out is not destined to be revealed to anyone and will remain a secret forever.

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After 12 years of careful study, theory building and argumentation, a Texas scientist is proud to announce that he has uncovered the secret. mysterious smile Mona Lisa, which no one has ever achieved in the five hundred years since it was painted worldwide famous masterpiece painting by the legendary Italian artist (Leonardo da Vinci).

In his recently published book "The Lady Speaks: Uncovering the Secrets of the Mona Lisa" American historian William Varvel argues that La Gioconda was a representative of the 16th century feminist movement who advocated for women to have a special role in the Catholic Church.

“La Gioconda was trying to show people that a New Jerusalem would be possible as soon as they recognized the theological rights of women,” explains Varvel, 53. former professor mathematical sciences. — "La Gioconda may be a special statement by women about their rights". The theory of the Texas historian became one more among the many assumptions expressed regarding the mysterious smile of the beauty depicted in the painting.

For more than five centuries, scientists have been trying to understand what is hidden behind the unusual smile, which continues to captivate the hearts of visitors to the Louvre, where the painting is located.

History mentions a certain lady Mona Lisa, also known as Lisa del Giocondo(Lisa del Giocondo) married woman, who married a wealthy Florentine merchant and bore him five children. According to researchers, it was Lisa’s husband who commissioned her portrait from Leonardo da Vinci, who painted the picture for several years, presumably from 1503 to 1506.

In his difficult-to-read book, American historian Varvel explains that throughout his career, Da Vinci painted “every line” on canvas. last chapter Old Testament, speaking about the New Jerusalem.

The artist did this in order to prove to everyone that “women’s rights in the church must be recognized.”

Moreover, the Texas researcher is confident that “on background In his masterpiece, Leonardo depicted 40 individual symbols from chapter 14 of the Bible." For example, Golgotha ​​is depicted behind the right shoulder of Mona Lisa, and opposite you can see the Mount of Olives. Varvel argues that for Da Vinci, the idea of ​​the New Jerusalem “was the universal recognition not only of men, but also of women.”

And the smile of Mona Lisa, according to him, is nothing more than a reflection of the artist’s ideas about a new future.

It is worth noting that Varvel himself, for all the years of his painstaking work, was never able to visit France and look at the object of his research with his own eyes. "I'm not going to fight the crowds of tourists to see Gioconda," he said. - “If I’m going to Paris, I hope they will provide me with a personal inspection of the painting, otherwise I’ll just leave.”

Meanwhile, one of the most famous paintings Italian artist continues to conquer the world. Some art connoisseurs, having visited the Louvre, claim that while looking at the Mona Lisa they felt the special magic of her eyes, Japanese developers found out what her voice could sound like, and a certain doctor diagnosed the depicted lady with high cholesterol levels in her blood.

« Someone even claimed that the Mona Lisa is a man, a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci himself“recalls historian Laure Fagnart.

“I believe there is nothing hidden in the painting,” the art expert added, noting that she had not read his Texan colleague’s book. “This is a portrait of a woman belonging to the bourgeoisie, one of many and differs from the rest only in that it is more difficult to understand. Da Vinci was an artist who put a special idea into each of his creations.”

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Leonardo da Vinci. Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco Giocondo (Mona Lisa or Gioconda). 1503-1519 Louvre, Paris

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is the most mysterious picture. Because she is very popular. When there is so much attention, an unimaginable number of secrets and speculations appear.

So I couldn’t resist trying to solve one of these mysteries. No, I won't look for encrypted codes. I will not unravel the mystery of her smile.

I'm worried about something else. Why does the description of the portrait of Mona Lisa by Leonardo's contemporaries not coincide with what we see in the portrait from the Louvre? Is there really a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, hanging in the Louvre? And if this is not the Mona Lisa, then where is the real Gioconda kept?

The authorship of Leonardo is indisputable

Almost no one doubts that he painted the Louvre Mona Lisa himself. It is in this portrait that the master’s sfumato method (very subtle transitions from light to shadow) is revealed to the maximum. A barely perceptible haze, shading the lines, makes the Mona Lisa almost alive. It seems that her lips are about to part. She will sigh. The chest will rise.

Few could compete with Leonardo in creating such realism. Unless... But in applying the method, sfumato was still inferior to him.

Even compared to earlier portraits of Leonardo himself, the Louvre Mona Lisa is an obvious advance.

Leonardo da Vinci. Left: Portrait of Ginerva Benci. 1476 National Gallery Washington. Middle: Lady with an ermine. 1490 Czartoryski Museum, Krakow. Right: Mona Lisa. 1503-1519 Louvre, Paris

Leonardo's contemporaries described a completely different Mona Lisa

There is no doubt about Leonardo's authorship. But is it correct to call the lady in the Louvre the Mona Lisa? Anyone may have doubts about this. Just read the description of the portrait, a younger contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci. Here's what he wrote in 1550, 30 years after the master's death:

“Leonardo undertook to make a portrait of Mona Lisa, his wife, for Francesco del Giocondo, and, having worked on it for four years, left it unfinished... the eyes have that shine and that moisture that is usually visible in a living person... The eyebrows could not be more natural: the hair grow densely in one place and less often in another in accordance with the pores of the skin... The mouth is slightly open with the edges connected by the redness of the lips... Mona Lisa was very beautiful... her smile is so pleasant that it seems as if you are contemplating a divine rather than a human being... ”

Notice how many details from Vasari's description do not match the Mona Lisa from the Louvre.

At the time of painting the portrait, Lisa was no more than 25 years old. The Mona Lisa from the Louvre is clearly older. This is a lady who is over 30-35 years old.

Vasari also talks about eyebrows. Which the Mona Lisa doesn't have. However, this can be attributed to poor restoration. There is a version that they were erased due to unsuccessful cleaning of the painting.
Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa (fragment). 1503-1519

Scarlet lips with a slightly open mouth are completely absent in the Louvre portrait.

One can also argue about the charming smile of the divine being. It doesn't seem that way to everyone. It is sometimes even compared to the smile of a confident predator. But this is a matter of taste. One can also argue about the beauty of the Mona Lisa mentioned by Vasari.

The main thing is that the Louvre Mona Lisa is completely finished. Vasari claims that the portrait was abandoned unfinished. Now this is a serious inconsistency.

Where is the real Mona Lisa?

So if it’s not the Mona Lisa hanging in the Louvre, where is it?

I know from at least three portraits that fit Vasari's description much more closely. In addition, they were all created in the same years as the Louvre portrait.

1. Mona Lisa from Prado

Unknown artist(student of Leonardo da Vinci). Mona Lisa. 1503-1519

This Mona Lisa received little attention until 2012. Until one day restaurateurs cleared the black background. And lo and behold! Under dark paint It turned out to be a landscape - an exact copy of the Louvre background.

Pradovskaya Mona Lisa younger than years by 10 of its competitor from the Louvre. Which corresponds to the real age of the real Lisa. She looks nicer. She has eyebrows after all.

However, experts did not claim the title main picture peace. They admitted that the work was done by one of Leonardo's students.

Thanks to this work, we can imagine what the Louvre Mona Lisa looked like 500 years ago. After all, the portrait from the Prado is much better preserved. Due to Leonardo's constant experiments with paints and varnish, the Mona Lisa became very dark. Most likely, she also once wore a red dress, not a golden brown one.

2. Flora from the Hermitage

Francesco Melzi. Flora (Columbine). 1510-1515 , Saint Petersburg

Flora fits Vasari's description very well. Young, very beautiful, with an unusually pleasant smile of scarlet lips.

In addition, this is exactly how Melzi himself described his teacher Leonardo’s favorite work. In his correspondence he calls her Gioconda. The painting, he said, depicted a girl of incredible beauty with a Columbine flower in her hand.

However, we do not see her “wet” eyes. In addition, it is unlikely that Signor Giocondo would allow his wife to pose with her breasts exposed.

So why does Melzi call her La Gioconda? After all, it is this name that leads some experts to believe that the real Mona Lisa is not in the Louvre, but in.

Perhaps there has been some confusion over the 500 years. From Italian “Gioconda” is translated as “Merry”. Maybe that’s what the students and Leonardo himself called his Flora. But it so happened that this word coincided with the name of the portrait’s customer, Giocondo.

Unknown artist (Leonardo da Vinci?). Isleworth Mona Lisa. 1503-1507 Private collection

This portrait was revealed to the general public about 100 years ago. An English collector bought it from Italian owners in 1914. They allegedly had no idea what treasure they had.

A version was put forward that this is the same Mona Lisa that Leonardo painted to order for Signor Giocondo. But he didn’t finish it.

It is also assumed that the Mona Lisa that hangs in the Louvre was already painted by Leonardo 10 years later. Already for himself. Taking as a basis the already familiar image of Signora Giocondo. For the sake of my own artistic experiments. So that no one would bother him or demand a painting.

The version looks plausible. In addition, Isleworth's Mona Lisa is unfinished. I wrote about this. Notice how undeveloped the woman's neck and the landscape behind her are. She also looks younger than her Louvre rival. It’s as if they really portrayed the same woman 10-15 years apart.

The version is very interesting. If not for one big BUT. Isleworth's Mona Lisa was painted on canvas. Whereas Leonardo da Vinci wrote only on the board. Including the Louvre Mona Lisa.

Crime of the century. The abduction of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre

Maybe the real Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre. But Vasari described it too inaccurately. And Leonardo has nothing to do with the three paintings above.

However, in the 20th century, one incident occurred that still casts doubt on whether the real Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre.

In August 1911, the Mona Lisa disappeared from the museum. They searched for her for 3 years. Until the criminal revealed himself in the most stupid way. Placed an advertisement in the newspaper for the sale of the painting. A collector came to see the painting and realized that the person who submitted the ad was not crazy. Under his mattress was actually the Mona Lisa collecting dust.
Louvre. Crime scene photo (Mona Lisa disappeared). 1911

The culprit turned out to be Italian Vincenzo Perugia. He was a glazier and artist. Worked for several weeks at the Louvre on glass protective boxes for paintings.

According to his version, patriotic feelings awoke in him. He decided to return to Italy the painting stolen by Napoleon. For some reason he was sure that all the paintings Italian masters The Louvre has been stolen by this dictator.

The story is very suspicious. Why did he not let anyone know about himself for 3 years? It is possible that he or his customer needed time to make a copy of the Mona Lisa. As soon as the copy was ready, the thief made an announcement that would obviously lead to his arrest. By the way, he was sentenced to a ridiculous term. Less than a year later, Perugia was already free.

So it may well be that the Louvre received back a very high-quality fake. By that time, they had already learned how to artificially age paintings and pass them off as originals.