Why it matters
Often described as the best known, most visited and most parodied work of art in the world, the Mona Lisa is an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. What makes it new is the sitter's enigmatic expression, the monumental composition, the subtle modelling of forms and the atmospheric illusionism. Leonardo never handed it over to the family who commissioned it and may have kept working on it until 1517.
Did you know?
- The sitter is traditionally identified as Lisa del Giocondo; 'Mona' comes from 'ma donna', a polite form of address.
- Its fame grew enormously after it was stolen in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia, who wanted it returned to Italy; it was recovered in 1914.
- In 1962 it was insured for US$100 million, a Guinness World Record for a painting's insurance valuation.
- It has hung in the Louvre, with interruptions, since 1797.
Based on the Wikipedia article Mona Lisa (CC BY-SA 4.0).
