7 facts about the 'Mona Lisa' painting very few people know

For time immemorial, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece ‘Mona Lisa’ has captivated the audience and it has received all sorts of attention, love, and criticism from people across the world and art enthusiasts alike. It is a truly enigmatic work that everyone must see at least once in their life, especially if they are art lovers and appreciators.
Hung up on one of the walls of Louvre, ‘Mona Lisa’ has been subject to vandalism, theft, robbery, criticism, and much more, but it continues to amaze its lovers even today, about 500 years later.

It is widely believed that Mona Lisa was not just a figment of da Vinci’s imagination, but a real woman named Lisa Gherardini. It is said that she was the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a merchant who commissioned the painting. Some evidence was found of Lisa’s identity when a note written by Agostino Vespucci, a clerk in Florence and contemporary of Leonardo, was discovered, and the fact that he specifically identified Lisa as the sitter.

Yes, you heard that right! Before the ‘Mona Lisa’ found its permanent spot in the walls of Louvre, it was in Napoleon Bonaparte’s bedroom. As the painting was part of the French royal collection, Napoleon was captivated by the artwork and had it moved to his private chambers in the Tuileries Palace.

Some people and unusual theories also claim that ‘Mona Lisa’ is not actually a woman, but just a self-portrait of da Vinci which he later turned into a portrait of a woman. It is believed by some experts that Leonardo painted his own features into the artwork, blending them with Lisa’s image.

Some people also come to this conclusion because of the similarity between the shape of the nose and the arch of the eyebrows.

Another fact not many know about the ‘Mona Lisa’ is that the painting was not done on a canvas. Instead, Leonardo created his masterpiece on a single slab of poplar wood. During the Renaissance era although canvas was available for art and crafts, poplar was a much more common material for painting. It was also smooth and durable, which shows pretty well today as 'Mona Lisa' has been preserved well.

Many people believe that ‘Mona Lisa’ got its fame from the theft it endured in 1911. An Italian handyman named Vincenzo Peruggia stole the painting from the Louvre, believing that it belonged to Italy, not Paris, and then hid the artwork in his apartment for two years before trying to sell it to an art dealer in Florence. Another fact that not many know is that Pablo Picasso, an acclaimed artist, was also accused of stealing the ‘Mona Lisa’.

Although it is kept in a museum, the ‘Mona Lisa’ is the private property of the French National Collection and is owned by the French government. It is called the ‘Jewel of France and Louvre’, and as it is national property, it can never be bought or sold. The protection around ‘Mona Lisa’ is so strong and strict that it is in a room of its own, has a bulletproof glass protecting it, and is kept under climate-controlled conditions.

Another fact that many people do not know is that the painting also has its own mailbox and regularly gets fan mail and flowers from its admirers. People send their admiration-filled letters, and even love letters to a painting!