| Artist | Leonardo da Vinci |
|---|---|
| Title | La Gioconda, known as Mona Lisa |
| Year | c.1507 |
| Technique | Oil on wood |
| Current location | Louvre, Paris, France |
Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was a brilliant scientist and artist: He was painter, sculptor, and musician, but also architect, anatomist, engineer, inventor, and mathematician.
The world’s best known painting is certainly La Gioconda, usually referred to as Mona Lisa. Leonardo probably started painting it in 1503, and finished it in 1507. It is a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. She was born in 1479, so her portrait was created when she was in her mid-twenties. The portrait is especially famous for Lisa’s “enigmatic smile”.
Mona Lisa is on permanent display in the Louvre in Paris (where it is called La Joconde). Arrive bright and early, and go straight to the Mona Lisa, if you want to avoid the crowds and have a good look. But even then you will not be the only visitor.
Mona Lisa in the Louvre, shortly after 9am