The Louvre, in Paris, is the most visited museum in the world with over 8 million visitors each year. Even though nearly 35,000 works of art are displayed at the Louvre, over 80% of the visitors specifically queue up to get a glimpse of the most famous resident – The Mona Lisa.
Let’s look at some facts to try and understand why this iconic portrait painted by Leonardo Da Vinci between 1503 and 1519, has captivated and fascinated people over 5 centuries.
About the Painting
Though thought by most scholars to be a portrait of Italian noble Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a Florentine merchant, some speculate it may be a self-portrait of Da Vinci.
Unlike most 16th-century portraits of nobility, which showed off their social status and wealth with flamboyant clothing, Mona Lisa is dressed in elegant simplicity, drawing our attention to her face.
The painting is relatively small, measuring 30 inches in height and 20 inches in width.
Deviating from traditional female portraiture, Mona Lisa meets our eyes directly, as a man typically would, turning slightly towards the viewer, smiling at some secret amusement. This enigmatic smile has been the subject of much speculation and analysis over the centuries.
Da Vinci's use of sfumato, a blurring technique, is evident, creating a soft, almost ethereal quality.
One of the most expensive paintings in the world, Mona Lisa became a Guinness World Records holder in 1962 for the highest known painting insurance valuation, $100 million. Today the Mona Lisa is considered priceless and is not insured.
Notoriety
Napolean was said to be obsessed by the painting and it briefly adorned his bedroom before being installed in the Louvre.
In 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen by a Louvre employee, Vincenzo Peruggia, along with two accomplices.
One of the accomplices claimed to have made six indistinguishable forgeries, leading to a rumour that the Mona Lisa currently in the Louvre is a fake.
Picasso, French poet Apollinaire, and American tycoon JP Morgan were all suspects during the investigation into the theft.
Mona Lisa at the Louvre
In the 1950s an obsessive fan tried to cut the Mona Lisa painting out with a razor blade and take it home.
It was slightly damaged in 1956, when a thrown rock shattered the glass case, dislodging a speck of pigment near her left elbow.
In 2009, a woman threw a teacup at it because she'd been denied French citizenship.
The Mona Lisa is now exhibited in a purpose-built, climate-controlled enclosure topped with bulletproof glass.
Due to new queuing practices, visitors have only 30 seconds to admire the painting’s legendary mystique.
Mona Lisa has her own mail box where she receives fan mail.
Musings
Why is the Mona Lisa this famous? Is it her smile, the technique and style of the painting, or because of the stories associated with her?
Some questions have no simple answers. Only Mona Lisa probably knows. So, the next time you pay her a visit, look into her eyes. Maybe the answer lies somewhere behind that mysterious smile.
