Have you ever been to the Louvre? Over 80% of the visitors only come there to see the Mona Lisa. Either way, you are probably familiar with this famous painting. The portrayed person is presented in a ¾ view with a distant landscape. The artist, Leonardo da Vinci, created an oil painting on a wooden panel. If you are interested in finding out more about the Mona Lisa and whom it should represent, then keep reading!
History
Leonardo da Vinci started painting the Mona Lisa in 1503 and it was found in his studio after his death, 16 years later, in 1519. During the last years of his life, he served King Francis I of France which meant that the painting was a part of the royal collection for many years after its appearance. In the time of the French Revolution from 1787 until 1799, the Royal Collection became the property of the people, including the Mona Lisa. The painting was later installed in the Louvre Museum at the beginning of the 19th century until it was stolen in 1911. It even went so far, that Guillaume Appollinaire and Pablo Picasso were arrested as suspects. Two years later, in 1913, the thief tried to sell the Mona Lisa to an art dealer who reported it to the police. The Painting was then found in the possession of Vincenzo Peruggia who worked in the Louvre one time. He stole the artwork with two accomplices on the 21st of August in 1911 and Peruggia was arrested and imprisoned for his crime. The theft made the Mona Lisa famous worldwide in the first place since it got a lot of media attention from 1911 to 1913 and after the arrest. One of Peruggia’s accomplices claimed to have made six indistinguishable forgeries which led to the rumour that the Mona Lisa currently back in the Louvre is a fake. 39 years after the first incident in 1950, someone tried to cut out the painting and take it with them. Since then, it is protected by a glass case. In 1956 another person threw a rock at the case which shattered the glass and damaged the Mona Lisa slightly. Then, in 1974, it was displayed at the exhibition at the Tokyo Museum when it was sprayed with red paint by an activist. The person wanted to draw attention to disability access at the facilities. The last known damage attempt happened in the year 2009 when a woman threw a teacup at the artwork because she didn’t get French citizenship and was frustrated about it.
Who is Mona Lisa?
The identity of the Mona Lisa has not been confirmed to this day. However, there were some speculations about it possibly being an Italian noblewoman. For example Isabella d’Este – the Marquise of Mantua or Constanz a d’Avalos – the Duchess of Francavilla. But one name came up more often than others: Lisa Gherardini del Giocando the spouse of Francesco del Giocondo. A Theory started by Sigmund Freud states that the painting is based on the memories he had of his mother and might represent her. Italy’s National Committee for Cultural Heritage proposed that it might function as a self-portrait of Da Vinci himself and acts as a feminine disguise. In the same way, it was also questioned if it might show Gian Giacomo Caprotti, who was Da Vinci’s assistant of 20 years and was speculated to be his lover.
If you ever find yourself in Paris or nearby, you should definitely pay the Louvre a visit and join the hundreds of other people in admiring the Mona Lisa!
Sources:
https://www.artandobject.com/news/brief-history-mona-lisa-worlds-most-famous-painting
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mona-Lisa-painting
https://myfrenchcountryhomemagazine.com/the-fascinating-history-of-the-mona-lisa/