The Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci, Italy (1503 – 1517) has achieved a high degree of fame for the many mysteries since its creation. There are many theories surrounding it and many unanswered questions. Mona Lisa’s smile is one of the most mysterious qualities that make this painting so famous. The Mona Lisa is believed to have more than $800 to $900 million in insurance value as estimated in 2021. In 1962, its insurance value was estimated at $100 million.
About five hundred and twenty (520) years ago, the Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci created such a painting that remains a mystery to this day – Mona Lisa! What secrets are hidden in this painting that makes it the most mysterious and famous painting in the world? In this article, you will learn 26 things about the Mona Lisa that will really surprise you!
MONA LISA PAINTING. AMAZING FACT 1
Friends, if you go to the Louvre museum in Paris, then after going to the painting room of Mona Lisa, where Mona Lisa’s painting is kept, you will find one huge painting in the opposite direction. This painting is many times bigger than Mona Lisa! Its name is – The Wedding Feast At Cana! It is made in 1563 by an Italian painter, Paolo Veronese! Friends, this painting is so beautiful that words will fall short to praise it! But because this painting is not so famous, people are not very interested in seeing it.
This is the reason why you will see a lot of crowds in front of the Mona Lisa painting, but very few people will be standing to see – The Wedding Feast at Cana. The Louvre Museum in Paris is one of the largest art museums in the world. More than thirty-five thousand historical objects are kept in it! But most of the people come only to see Mona Lisa and take selfies in front of her.
MONA LISA PAINTING. AMAZING FACT 2
Monalisa is written as Mona Lisa in English but its correct spelling is – Monna Lisa! Some call it Monalisa, some call it Mona Lisa. But in Italian, it has the correct pronunciation as Mona Lisa! It means my lady!
MONA LISA PAINTING. AMAZING FACT 3
People all over the world are fans of Mona Lisa. Numerous poems have been written about this painting, and many songs have been dedicated to it. Ever since the Louvre Museum in Paris started displaying it, the painting has been receiving love letters there. Additionally, people commonly present flowers to express their admiration for this famous artwork.
MONA LISA PAINTING ALIEN CLAIM. AMAZING FACT 4
The website “The Paranormal Crucible” claimed that there is a hidden alien in the painting of the Mona Lisa. According to their assertion, if you view the painting from the left side and connect it with a mirror, it forms an alien-like shape. This revelation raises questions about another theory suggesting that Da Vinci concealed a message discreetly on the left side of the painting.
Theory tells that the painting is written in Italian language – La Risposta Si Trova Qui ! It means – The Answer Is Here. However, there is no confirmation of how much truth is there in this.
You can click on this link to read more about this claim.
MONA LISA PAINTING. AMAZING FACT 5
When you look at this painting, you will find that Mona Lisa’s eyebrows and eyelashes are not visible! Now the question arises why did not Leonardo da Vinci paint Mona Lisa’s eyebrows and eyelashes. However, in October 2007, Pascal Cotte, a French engineer & inventor, says he discovered with a high-definition camera that Leonardo Da Vinci originally painted eyebrows and eyelashes which gradually disappeared over time, probably due to over-cleaning!
MONA LISA PAINTING SIZE. AMAZING FACT 6
This painting is much smaller in size than you think! Its size is 30” * 21” inches! And it weighs 8 kg! Leonardo Da Vinci didn’t make it on paper and canvas! Rather, it was made with oil paint on a panel of white poplar, the favorite wood of Italian painters, with fine grain. And it was made so beautifully that it is very difficult to see brush marks on it! Canvas and paper existed in Da Vinci’s time. But the painters of that time used to think that it would be right to use wood for small paintings.
AMAZING FACT 7
After the death of Leonardo da Vinci in 1519, Mona Lisa painting became part of the private collection of the kings of France. After Da Vinci’s death, the Mona Lisa was sold to King Francis I in 1518 for 4,000 gold ducats by the painter’s favorite student and assistant, Francesco Melzi. Some speculate that Da Vinci himself may have sold it to the king. Subsequently, The king displayed the Painting at the Palace of Fontainebleau. Later, King Louis 14 (XIV) moved the Mona Lisa to the Grand Palace of Versailles and then in 1800, the Mona Lisa came into the possession of Napoleon Bonaparte. Post-French Revolution, Monalisa was kept in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
MONA LISA PAINTING VALUE. AMAZING FACT 8
Mona Lisa is the most valuable painting in the world! According to the Guinness World Record, Mona Lisa is the highest-rated painting in history. In 1962, its price was estimated at 100 million dollars & in 2019 it was around 700 million dollars (Seven Hundred Million Dollars)! But according to the French Heritage law, it cannot be sold and bought. Because this painting is for the public! Additionally, it is $1 billion as of 2023
AMAZING FACT 9
Leonardo used more than thirty layers to paint the Mona Lisa, and some of those layers were thinner than human hair!
MONA LISA PAINTING NUDE CREATION. AMAZING FACT 10
Between 1514 and 1516, a student of Leonardo da Vinci created a nude version of Mona Lisa, known as “Mona Vena,” “Mona Vanna,” or “Nude Mona Lisa.” The positioning of its hands and body exactly mimics Leonardo’s Mona Lisa. Some speculations suggest that it might have been crafted by Leonardo da Vinci himself. This charcoal drawing is currently housed in the Condé Museum Chantilly, located in Paris, France.
AMAZING FACT 11
Monalisa was moved six times during World War II so that this very precious painting does not go into the hands of the German Nazis! For example, the Mona Lisa was moved from Chambord to several palaces and monasteries and was hidden. Then, the masterpiece was finally returned to its rightful place at the Louvre on June 16, 1945.
AMAZING FACT 12
Leonardo da Vinci was also a writer, but it is surprising that he has not written anything about his most famous painting Mona Lisa. Haven’t found anything on this yet!
MONA LISA PAINTING ATTACK. AMAZING FACT 13
The first and most violent attack on the Mona Lisa took place in 1956. The artwork was being displayed at an exhibition in Montauban in the south of France when a miscreant threw acid on it. It hit the bottom of the canvas. In addition to this, there have been many more attempts to damage this beautiful painting! It was in 1956 that Ugo Ungaza Villegas, a homeless Bolivian man, threw a stone at the picture. He said that he had a stone in his pocket and suddenly he thought of throwing it at Monalisa. Due to this, Monalisa has developed a small mark near her left elbow.
The painting was later restored. But the scar still looks lighter! After this, keeping in view the security purpose of Monalisa, it was kept inside Bullet Proof Glass. But even after this, a woman tried to spray Monalisa with red paint. And in 2009 a Russian lady threw a ceramic mug at it! But the painting is safe from both incidents.
The latest attack against the Mona Lisa occurred in May 2022, when a man disguised as an old woman in a wheelchair applied cream cake to the painting’s display case. The criminal also tried to break the glass box asking people to worry more about the decline of the planet Earth. Luckily, the attack didn’t do much harm to the painting!
AMAZING FACT 14
Till date, it is a mystery who was Monalisa.? Whose portrait did Leonardo da Vinci paint? Who was this woman? Most scholars believe that the picture in this painting is of Lisa Gherardini. She was born on 15 June 1479 in Via Maggio, Republic of Florence, Italy, and died on 15 July 1542. Gherardini was the wife of a Florentine merchant named Francesco del Giocondo. But a theory also says that Monalisa is Leonardo da Vinci’s own picture! Meaning he had made himself up as a woman in this picture!
MONA LISA PAINTING. AMAZING FACT 15
There is also a twin painting of the Mona Lisa, which looks exactly like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa! It is said that the second painting was made by one of his students Francesco Melzi (Francesco Melzi) during Da Vinci’s time only! This second painting is kept in the Prado Museum of Madrid, the capital of Spain.
AMAZING FACT 16
It is true that Monalisa is a very beautiful painting, and it is very famous from the beginning! But it was never as famous as it was when it was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris.
AMAZING FACT 17
The theft of the world’s most famous painting from the world’s largest museum was a shocking incident. But even more surprising is the fact that the man who was suspected of stealing it! He was our other great painter, Pablo Picasso! Yes, in the beginning, Pablo Picasso was accused of plagiarism! But later after a lot of inquiry and investigation, this charge was removed from him.
AMAZING FACT 18
Who was the man who stole the Mona Lisa? It was stolen on August 21, 1911! But that day no one noticed this theft and the next day it was understood! The Louvre Museum was closed for a week for investigation. Because of the confusion that the painting might have been kept somewhere else in the museum itself! It was later revealed that Monalisa was stolen by a museum worker, Vincenzo Peruggia. He hid in a small room in the museum! After the closure of the museum, he escaped by hiding the painting in his coat.
AMAZING FACT 19
Vincenzo Peruggia was a patriotic citizen of Italy. He believed that this painting of Leonardo should be returned to his country. And it should be shown in the Museum of Italy. Two years later Vincenzo Peruggia was then caught, when he was going to sell the Mona Lisa painting to Mario Fratelli, the owner of the Art Museum in Florence, Italy. After keeping the Mona Lisa in the same museum in Italy for two weeks, it was brought back to the Paris Museum on January 4, 1914. Vincenzo Peruggia was jailed for six months for his crime. But Italy welcomed him for his patriotism!
AMAZING FACT 19.1
The robbery made Monalisa so popular that her passing was mourned by the public. After the painting was stolen, thousands immediately flocked to the Louvre Museum to see the empty wall where it once hung. People also left countless notes, flowers, and other mementos in honor of the missing painting. Later, The New York Times compared this public display of grief to the mourning seen after Princess Diana’s death in 1997.
MONA LISA PAINTING. AMAZING FACT 20
Leonardo da Vinci started making Mona Lisa in 1503 and he continued to work on it till 1517. It took him the most time to make Mona Lisa’s lips! Leonardo da Vinci took twelve years to make Monalisa’s lips. However, there is still debate/discussion/research going on about the total time taken for painting.
AMAZING FACT 21
A few years ago, a doctor surprised everyone by saying that the secret of Monalisa’s mysterious smile is because her upper two teeth are broken! In 2000, a visual neurophysiologist from Harvard – Dr. Margaret Livingstone – reported that Mona Lisa’s smile does not change, but the person’s mindset does! This means it is a game of your mind, if you want to see Mona Lisa’s face, you will see it! It depends on what you are focusing on!
IF you want to read more about this research report, you may click on this link.
AMAZING FACT 22
The thing that makes artists and historians think about Mona Lisa the most, is the mysterious smile of Mona Lisa. Which looks different when viewed from different angles! Meaning keeps changing! First, this picture appears smiling. Then this smile is thrown and then disappears! Research has revealed that the woman whom Davinci has made in this painting is hiding some secrets inside her. That’s why Mona Lisa’s smile is so mysterious!
AMAZING FACT 23
On June 23, 1852, a young French artist named Luc Maspero committed suicide by jumping from the fourth floor of a hotel in Paris. He was crazy about Monalisa’s mysterious smile! Was mesmerized by her beauty. He also left a suicide note in which he talked about his love and years of waiting for Monalisa.
Reference link of this instance.
AMAZING FACT 24
Considering its status as a masterpiece, you might be surprised to learn that the Mona Lisa may be an unfinished painting. It is said that Da Vinci’s right arm was partially paralyzed in 1517 before he could complete the Mona Lisa. The lack of eyebrows is evidence enough for this theory, at least for some scholars.
MONA LISA PAINTING. AMAZING FACT 25
The Mona Lisa painting has been displayed in only three countries outside France. First, the painting was displayed in the United States in 1963 to satisfy First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s request. She requested the then-French culture minister if she could take the Mona Lisa to the United States of America so that her people could also see this beauty. Hesitatingly, but his request was approved! And Mona Lisa was seen by millions of Americans in DC and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Washington National Gallery! Mona Lisa Painting also visited Japan and Soviet Union in 1974.
AMAZING FACT 26
Today, the Mona Lisa is one of the most copied paintings of all time. There appears to have been a tendency among da Vinci’s past students and artists to imitate the woman in order to hone their techniques. Some exceptionally fine reproductions are also displayed in museums around the world, such as the Prado Museum in Madrid, which is considered the most prominent of the copies.
Latest Fact: Research suggests that Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting is probably the world’s first 3D painting! Every year, more than 10 million people visit the museum! And probably 80% of them are mainly interested in seeing Da Vinci’s masterpiece. In the season, viewers have to wait for hours to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa. In fact, most viewers are only allowed to see the painting for 30 seconds to give space to others.
Final Thoughts on Interesting Facts About Monalisa
Even centuries after it was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, the Mona Lisa has still managed to capture the hearts of everyone across the globe. It has been the subject of many discussions and various forms of media, including books, TV series, films, songs, and poems. But despite this, the complete information about Mona Lisa remains a mystery. And perhaps this is what makes this painting so unique and interesting. And there you have it, 26 amazing, fun facts about the Mona Lisa. Did any of them surprise you? Which is your favorite? Do let me know in the comments below. (Pl comment)!
Information Credits-PhiloSpohic
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