Mona Lisa – 25 Facts of Most Famous Painting of the World
Five hundred years ago, an artist of Italy, Leonardo da Vince made a wonderful painting of “Mona Lisa” that is still a mystery for people. Some secrets are hidden in this painting that is enough to make it the most valuable painting worldwide. Here are some of the unanticipated facts that will make you a fan of this painting:
1- Luc Maspero
He was a French artist who was in love with the smile and beauty of the Mona Lisa. On 23rd June 1952, he jumped from the fourth floor of a hotel in Paris and gave his life to the most beautiful lady. He left a suicide note in which he described his emotions for Mona Lisa.
2-The Mesmerizing Smile of the Mona Lisa
The mesmerizing smile of the Mona Lisa compels artists to think more about it. The smile looks different from various angles. At first sight, the painting shows an amazing smile. Later on, the smile loses its intensity then fades away. Through research, it is disclosed that the woman Vince painted had many secrets that made her smile so appealing.
3- Two Teeth of the Mona Lisa Were Absent
A few years ago, a scientist surprised people through his statement. According to him, the front two teeth of the Mona Lisa were absent; therefore, the upper lip is a bit pressed in the painting.
4- Mona Lisa Smile is a Perception
In 2000, a neuroscientist of Harvard University, Dr. Margaret explained that the smile of the Mona Lisa did not change at all. It is the mindset of human beings that transforms. In other words, it is the mind’s play. Whatsoever you want to see, Mona Lisa’s face will look according to your perception. It depends on the thing you are focusing on.
5- 12 Years to Pain Mona Lisa Painting
Leonardo da Vince started this painting in 1503 and kept on working till 1517. It took 12 years to paint the lips of the Mona Lisa.
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6- Mona Lisa is Famous from 16th Centry
It is true that Mona Lisa is the most beautiful painting and was popular even in the 16th century; however, its popularity amplified when stolen from the Paris museum.
7- Missing of the Most Famous Painting
Missing of the most famous painting of the world from the biggest museum was an unexpected incident. It is more shocking that the famous artist of 20th century Pablo Picasso was blamed for stealing this painting; however, the blame was proved baseless after a detailed investigation.
8- Stolen on 21st August 1911
The painting was stolen on 21st August 1911, and the burglary was not noticed on that day. The next day, the vacant wall was noticed and the museum was closed for one week for investigation. At first, it was believed that the painting would be hidden somewhere in the museum. Later on, it was revealed the worker of the Louvre museum “Vincenzo Peruggia” had stolen the painting. He hid himself in a small room of the museum. He took the painting, covered in his coat, and ran away when the museum was closed.
9- Vincenzo
Vincenzo was one of the patriots of Italy. In his opinion, the painting must be brought back and exhibited in the museum of Italy. Vincenzo was arrested after two years when he was going to sell the painting to the director of an art museum in Florence city. The painting had been kept in the Florence museum for two weeks. On 4th January 1911, the painting was delivered back to Paris museum. Vincenzo was sent to jail for six months, but the people of Italy welcomed him for his patriotic action.
10- Twin Painting
There is a twin painting of the Mona Lisa. A student of Vince “Francesco Melzi” painted it in the life of Vince. The twin painting is displayed in the museum of Madrid Spain.
11- Unknown who was Mona Lisa
It is still unknown who was Mona Lisa. Most of the scholars admit woman in this painting is Lisa Gherardini. She was an Italian lady. Another theory states that Mona Lisa is a self-portrait of Leonardo. In other words, he painted himself as a lady in this painting.
12- Bullet-Proof Glass for the Painting
Many people attempted to damage this painting. In 1956, a Bolivian tourist threw a stone on the painting. As a result, the left elbow was damaged and restored later. Still, the mark is slightly visible. Before this incident, another tourist threw acid on this painting. After these mishaps, bullet-proof glass was ordered to cover the painting.
After glass protection, a lady tried to spray the painting with red paint. In 2009, a Russian lady threw a ceramic cup towards this painting, but the painting was protected in both cases.
13- Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci was also a writer, but he did not write anything about this painting.
14- Location Changed 6 Times During WW 2nd
During the 2nd world war, the location of the Mona Lisa was changed 6 times just to protect the painting from the hands of Nazis.
15- Nude Version of the Mona Lisa
From 1514 to 1516, another student of Vince made a nude version of the painting, named as Mona Vanna. The hand and body position is similar to Mona Lisa.
Some people say Leonardo painted Mona Vanna as well. This painting is present in the Paris museum Conde.
16- 30 layers of Paint
More than 30 layers are used to paint Mona Lisa. Some layers are as sleek as human hair.
17- Costliest Painting
Mona Lisa is the most precious painting in the world. According to Guinness World Record, It is a costly painting. In 1962, the price was estimated as 100 million dollars. In 2019, the price was almost 700 million dollars. According to French-Dutch Law, this painting is neither allowed to sell nor buy. It is public property.
18- Louvre Museum of France
In 1519, after the death of Da Vince, Mona Lisa became part of the private collection of France royals. After the French revolution, the painting was presented in the Louvre museum of France. Napoleon admired the painting with heart. Even he kept the Mona Lisa painting for some time in his bedroom.
19- The Real Size of Mona Lisa Painting
The actual size of this painting is really small. It is 30 by 20 inches whereas the weight is eight kilograms. It was not painted on paper and canvas. In fact, Vince painted it on the wood panels of a poplar tree with oil paint. It is painted so competently; therefore, it is really difficult to find the brush traces on the painting.
20- Painting on Wood Panels
Paper and canvas were available at the time of Vince, but the artists preferred wood panels for small size paintings.
21- Without Eyelashes and Eyebrows
When you see the painting, it is clear that the eyelashes and eyebrows of the Mona Lisa are absent. Does the question arise why Leonardo did not paint the lashes and eyebrows? It may happen due to over-cleaning. In 2017, French inventor Pascal Coste found through a high-resolution scan that Vince made the eyebrows and eyelashes, but these lost color with the passage of time.
22- An Alien is Hidden in the Painting of Mona Lisa
Paranormal Crucible website claimed that an alien is hidden in the painting of the Mona Lisa. If the painting is joined from the left side, it creates an alien-like image. According to another theory, the left side of this painting has a secret message. According to theory, a coded message is written in the Italian language “La Risposta Si Trova Qui” meaning “The answer is here”. There is no proof of whether the theory is true or not.
23- Poems and Songs on Mona Lisa
The fans of the Mona Lisa are everywhere in the world. Since the painting had been placed in the Louvre museum, it has been receiving love letters and flowers from people. A lot of poems and songs are written on this painting.
24- Correct Spelling is Monna Lisa
In English, the name is Mona Lisa; however, the correct spelling is Monna Lisa. Some pronounce as Mona Lisa and some call it Monna Lisa but the Italian pronunciation is Monna Lisa meaning “My Lady”.
25- The Wedding Feast at Cana
If you plan to visit the Louvre museum of Paris, you must visit the Mona Lisa painting and another large size painting in the opposite direction. It is known as “The Wedding Feast at Cana”. This painting is so beautiful that its beauty cannot be expressed in words. The painting is not very famous. Thus people do not bother to see it at all. The majority of people favor observing and appreciate Mona Lisa but a few come to admire the beauty of this painting. If we are real art lovers, we must have eyes that can expose great art. Give value to a painting just because it is highly admired or painted by a great artist and ignore another splendid painting just because an unknown artist paints it is unfair.
Louvre Museum of Paris is the biggest museum, containing 35000 historical objects, but most of the people come to have a glimpse of the Mona Lisa and go back after taking a selfie with it. No doubt, Mona Lisa is a great painting, and many other great paintings are present that need our appreciation. The work of other artists may also be priceless. Other artists may have worked hard to complete their work.
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