The art world’s most renowned woman: the story behind Mona Lisa

In 1503, Leonardo da Vinci began work on one of the (if not the) most famous paintings in the world: Mona Lisa. Da Vinci’s painting was acquired by the French King, Francis I, after he died in 1519, having spent the last years of his life in the French court. The work remained in royal hands until the French Revolution, when the royal collection was claimed as property of the people. After a brief period spent hanging on Napoleon Bonaparte’s bedroom wall, the painting was installed in the Louvre Museum at the dawn of the 19th century. A portrait of a woman sitting down may not seem like the most exciting image, but Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile has captured the imagination of millions over the centuries. Around 80% of the Louvre’s visitors visit the museum to see the Mona Lisa, despite the museum being home to 35,000 paintings and thousands of antiquities from various periods. 

The painting’s fame exploded after the theft, with people even queuing to see the blank space where it used to be

The painting has been featured in many movies and TV shows over the decades. Douglas Adams’ most famous Doctor Who story, The City of Death in 1974, centres around a sinister plot to steal the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. Although this heist is fictional, in 1911, a man named Vincenzo Peruggio achieved it. He did this by pretending to be employed by the Louvre, hiding in a closet overnight, and stealing it early the next morning. The theft was so well-executed that it was not noticed until the next day. The poet Guillaume Apollinaire and the artist Pablo Picasso were arrested during the investigation, and Peruggio was never a primary suspect. At one point, an inspector, who visited his apartment to question him, even leaned unknowingly over a chest of drawers that contained the stolen art. The painting’s fame exploded after the theft, with people even queuing to see the blank space where it used to be during its absence. This was due to the widespread notoriety it gained from the frequent newspaper headlines and the expansive police investigation, thus keeping it in the public consciousness. The aftereffects of the ordeal can still be seen today. Peruggio possessed the painting for two years before being caught trying to donate the portrait to an art gallery in Florence under the pseudonym ‘Leonardo V’.  Upon its authentication, Mona Lisa toured around Italy before returning to the Louvre in 1913. 

It is also emblematic of the Italian Renaissance, one of the most influential periods in Western history

More recently, the Mona Lisa was a key motif in Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022). In the movie, tech-billionaire, Miles Bron, claims that his life’s ambition is to “be talked about in the same sentence as the Mona Lisa”. By the end of the movie (no spoilers ahead) he will have his wish granted, just not in the way he wanted. This phrase reflects how deeply embedded the Mona Lisa is in the popular imagination. 

It is also emblematic of the Italian Renaissance, one of the most influential periods in Western history. The Renaissance (named after the French word meaning ‘rebirth’) was a time of artistic innovation, philosophical exploration, and scientific debate – a legacy that can still be felt centuries later. 

The painting’s fame also stems from its greatest mystery: who is Mona Lisa?

The painting’s fame also stems from its greatest mystery: who is Mona Lisa? Many theories have been put forward regarding the identity of Mona Lisa.  There are three prominent identities commonly speculated.  One of which, is Lisa del Giocondo (nee Gherardini) – the wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco di Bartolomeo del Gioconda, hence the painting’s alternative title La Gioconda. In the 21st century, facial reconstruction using Lisa’s DNA was attempted but the results were inconclusive.  Another popular candidate is Leonardo’s mother, Caterina de Mio Lippi, with proponents of this theory (including the psychologist Sigmund Freud) believing that Mona Lisa’s smile is a (possibly unconscious) memory of Caterina’s smile. 

The third theory is Leonardo himself. This suspect may seem unusual but the similarities in the Mona Lisa’s and Leonardo’s facial features lend credence to the idea that Leonardo’s most famous work is a self-portrait. Leonardo enjoyed riddles, writing ‘Prophecies’ that were designed to entertain friends; perhaps disguising his self-portrait was just one of his many riddles. 

Regardless of the sitter’s identity, whether she’s a wealthy woman, a figure from his past, or Leonardo himself, the painting has captured the world’s attention for centuries. If nothing else, the painting’s innovative use of contour and contrast should be applauded as a testament to Leonardo’s skill, a true master of the arts.