The Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda, is widely considered the most famous painting in the world. Painted by the Italian Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci between approximately 1503 and 1506—though he may have continued refining it until 1517—it is a half-length portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy Florentine silk merchant. The Subject and Her Identity
- Music: Nat King Cole sang Mona Lisa (1950), winning an Oscar for the song. "Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you."
- Art: Marcel Duchamp drew a mustache and goatee on a postcard reproduction (L.H.O.O.Q., 1919), turning the highbrow into lowbrow.
- Film: The Da Vinci Code (2006) fictionalized her as the keeper of the Holy Grail.
- Memes: The Monalisa smoking a cigarette, wearing sunglasses, or standing beside "distracted boyfriend" memes—she is the ultimate Photoshop template.
Short artistic interpretation
The Mona Lisa stands at the intersection of technical mastery and psychological subtlety. Leonardo’s meticulous observation of anatomy and light, combined with an affinity for ambiguity, produces a portrait that resists final interpretation—inviting viewers into an intimate, shifting encounter rather than delivering a single story.
- The Mona Lisa is relatively small, measuring only 77 x 53 cm (30 x 21 inches).
- The painting is painted on a single piece of poplar wood.
- The Mona Lisa's eyes are said to be looking directly at the viewer, creating a sense of connection and intimacy.
- The painting has been on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris since 1797, where it is seen by millions of visitors each year.
An Italian handyman named Vincenzo Peruggia, who had helped build the painting's protective glass case, simply hid in a broom closet overnight. When the museum closed on Monday, he emerged, took the painting off the wall, hid it under his smock, and walked out the door.
