Knowra Mona Lisa Mona Lisa An oil portrait by Leonardo da Vinci, probably painted between 1503 and 1519, depicting a seated woman before an atmospheric landscape. Its subtle expression, composition, and history have made it one of the world’s best-known paintings.
Lisa del Giocondo : A Florentine woman traditionally identified as the sitter in Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Her identity is supported by a 1503 note by Agostino Vespucci linking Leonardo to a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo.
Francesco del Giocondo : A Florentine silk merchant whose wife Lisa is traditionally identified as the sitter in the Mona Lisa. He is commonly proposed as the person who commissioned the portrait of his wife.
Mona Lisa theft of 1911 : The 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre by Italian worker Vincenzo Peruggia and its recovery in 1913. The disappearance and international search turned an admired painting into a global news story.
Isleworth Mona Lisa : A painting of a woman resembling the Mona Lisa, claimed by some to be an earlier version by Leonardo. Its disputed attribution and proposed earlier date contrast with the Louvre painting’s established provenance.
Mona Lisa smile : The subtle, shifting expression created by the painted contours of the Mona Lisa’s mouth and eyes. The smile’s ambiguity has become the painting’s most persistent subject of debate.
Sfumato : A painting technique that blends tones and colors through imperceptible transitions, softening edges and contours. Leonardo used it around the face and hands to create the portrait’s elusive expression.
Agostino Vespucci : A Florentine official and scholar whose 1503 marginal note mentions Leonardo painting a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo. His note is early documentary evidence connecting Leonardo, a portrait, and Lisa del Giocondo.
Mona Lisa vandalism : A series of attacks on the Mona Lisa, including acid damage in 1956 and thrown objects in later decades. Repeated attacks led to protective barriers and heightened security around the painting.
Prado Mona Lisa : A near-contemporary copy of the Mona Lisa in Madrid’s Prado Museum, probably made by a pupil in Leonardo’s workshop. Its clearer landscape and restored color offer a comparison with the Louvre painting’s softened surface.
Art theft : The unlawful taking of artworks from museums, galleries, private collections, or archaeological sites. The 1911 theft made the painting’s disappearance a defining episode in its public history.
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