The history of Mona Lisa has been shrouded in mystery for five centuries. Among the aspects that remain unclear are the identity of the client, some elements of the image, artistic techniques and the period of the painting, the fact that the artist did not give the portrait to the client, and how it ended up in the French royal collection.
The most famous and at the same time the most mysterious work of Leonardo da Vinci is in room six on the first floor of the Louvre Museum in Paris. The exhibition inscription reads “Portrait of Lisa Gerardini, wife of Francesco di Giocondo, known as Mona Lisa, wood (poplar), oil, c. 1503-06, acquired by Francis I in 1518"
Mona Lisa is an early representative of the classic Italian half-length portrait. The painting is quite generous in size, including arms and hands. The portrait was created in real scale and has the full volume of a round sculpture. Nothing in the clothes indicates the aristocratic position of the customer and his wife. A dark veil on your hair can be a sign of mourning in the family or a sign of virtue. The model's left arm rests on the arm of the chair.
Fragments of columns frame the figure and form a "window" overlooking the landscape. The perfection of this new artistic formula explains its significant influence on Florentine and Lombard art in the early 16th century. Although aspects such as a three-quarter figure in a landscape, architectural framing and hands in the foreground already appeared in Flemish portraiture of the second half of the 15th century in the work of Hans Memling. But something else was unique for the era - the spatial solution, the image of perspective, the illusion of the atmosphere, the delicate balance of all elements of the portrait. In fact, these aspects were new not only for the era as a whole, but also for the work of Leonardo da Vinci himself. The Mona Lisa, like no other of his early portraits, embodies the restrained grandeur and superiority of artistic genius.
The Sixth Hall of the Denon Wing of the Louvre, also known as the "Mona Lisa Room", is open to the public every day except Tuesday, and on Wednesdays and Fridays, the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa can be seen on themed evening tours of the museum.
