The thief hid the painting underneath his painter's smock and left the museum. In 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris by a former employee who believed it belonged in Italy. Yet, the subject's clothing is rather simple and ordinary and neither her gown nor the scarf around her neck indicates her aristocratic standing. The fine dark veil that covers Mona Lisa's hair is often believed to be a mourning veil, a piece of clothing worn to symbolize social status. It's possible that this work was commissioned to mark one of two events - the purchase of a house in 1503 or the birth of the family's second son in 1502 after the death of their daughter three years earlier. However, despite the fact that little is known about the commissioning of the Mona Lisa, how long it took to complete or payment for the work, an early biography of Leonardo claims that it was indeed painted for Francesco del Giocondo and is a portrait of his wife. While most people agreed that it was Mona Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a Florentine silk merchant, a lot of people proposed it was, in fact, a self-portrait, and the facial features resemble a later self-portrait by Leonardo. After the painting was produced there were questions raised about the identity of the sitter. The artist carried the Mona Lisa with him until he died and was clearly aware of its significance. The Mona Lisa is also known as Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, or La Gioconda and as well as being one of Leonardo da Vinci's favorite paintings, it remains the most famous artwork in the world. The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |