The Mona Lisa was painted about 1505 by Leonardo da Vinci. Considered da Vinci's most perfect work, the painting took four years to complete and measures 30 1/4" by 20 3/4" (small when compared to other masterpieces). Medium: Oil on pine.

A Sign of Elegance

The figure in the painting is of a woman dressed in the Florentine fashion of her day and seated in a visionary, mountainous landscape. It is a remarkable instance of Leonardo's sfumato technique of soft, heavily shaded modeling. The Mona Lisa's enigmatic expression, which seems both alluring and aloof, has given the portrait universal fame. In the essay "On the perfect beauty of a woman", by the 16th-century writer Firenzuola, we learn that the slight opening of the lips at the corners of the mouth was considered in that period a sign of elegance.

Who is thought to be the woman in the Mona Lisa?

In part it's still uncertain. Vasari claims the subject is a young Florentine woman, Monna (or Mona) Lisa, who in 1495 married the well-known figure, Francesco del Giocondo, and thus the painting also came to be known as "La Gioconda". The work should probably be dated during Leonardo's second Florentine period, that is between 1503 and 1505. Leonardo himself loved the portrait, so much that he always carried it with him until eventually in France it was sold to François I, either by Leonardo or by Melzi.

What techniques were used to produce the Mona Lisa?

It is difficult to discuss such a work briefly because of the complex stylistic motifs which are part of it. Also note, the paint of the original portrait has oxidized and is seen through a greenish haze, which alters the original colors. It is believed that da Vinci used a secret mixture of turpentine, white lead, linseed oil, and varnish. We'll go into a bit more detail on the techniques used in the next page.

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