The Mona Lisa, a half-length portrait of a woman by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, has been acclaimed as “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, and the most parodied work of art in the world.” It is an oil painting, with a cottonwood panel as the surface.

The Mona Lisa was painted between 1504 and 1519. A man named Francesco Del Giocondo requested that Da Vinci paint his beloved wife, Lisa Gherardini.  The reason for her smile has been a great debate and remains enigmatic to this day.

“The Mona Lisa is a fantastic piece loved by many,” said Freedom’s Creative Photo teacher, DJ Fintel. “It’s a fascinating work, and one of my favorites from Da Vinci.”

Originally the painting hung in Italy but now hangs in the Louvre, a museum in Paris, France. The painting was stolen for a short amount of time, by Vincenzo Perugia. Perugia and his two accomplices took the Mona Lisa on the morning of August 21, 1911. It took all three men to do it because the frame and the protective glass case, which Perugia himself helped install. After the thieves got the painting put of the frame, they simply wrapped it up in a blanket and walked away. The theft was only noticed when a visitor said something the following day.  It was eventually found, reclaimed, and returned to its home.

In the year, 1503 Leonardo da Vinci returned to Florence and began a portrait that would become one of the most famous works of art of all time. Leonardo da Vinci is perhaps the most recognized artist in the world. Not only was Da Vinci an artist, but he was also a scientist, inventor, and a doctor.

FSA Connection Questions

1)            In what time period did Leonardo paint the Mona Lisa?

2)            Who is the woman in the painting assumed to be?

3)            Why did Leonardo paint the Mona Lisa?

4)            Other than being a painter, what else was Leonardo known for?

5)            What is the name of the museum where the Mona Lisa lives now?