The centuries old mystery that surrounds the origins of The Mona Lisa and her mischievous half-smile may be one step closer to being uncovered. Researchers at the Louvre Museum in Paris have reevaluated the Monna Vanna, a nude charcoal sketch of a woman, and they believe that it was done “at least in part” by Leonardo da Vinci.
The Mona Lisa, also known as La Gioconda, is one of the most iconic and recognizable pieces of art in the world. Created by Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), it is thought to have been modelled after Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a cloth merchant.
In contrast, the Monna Vanna was dubbed the “nude Mona Lisa” and was previously thought to have been the work of da Vinci’s student, Andrea Salai. Since 1862, the Monna Vanna was housed inconspicuously at the Condé Museum at the Palace of Chantilly, just north of Paris. However, some 150 years later, fresh analysis by art experts point out the striking similarities between the two pieces.
As noted by Mathieu Deldicque, curator of the Condé Museum the two works are:
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Almost identical in their representation of the hands and bodies
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Almost the same size
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Produced on mediums that come from the same area
“We are looking at something which was worked on in parallel with the Mona Lisa at the end of Leonardo’s life,” Deldicque in the Washington Post. “It is almost certainly a preparatory work for an oil painting.”
Furthermore, Louvre conservation expert Bruno Mottin has stated that he believes the Monna Vanna dates back to the start of the 16th century, well within Leonardo’s lifetime. The aforementioned work of art also has small punctures surrounding the figure, suggesting that it may have been used to trace onto canvas.
With the story making the rounds on the Internet, one Redditor combined the Mona Lisa and Monna Vanna to create a composite image, as shown below:
Nevertheless, despite the evidence uncovered thus far, inconsistencies exist. The hatching at the top of the Monna Vanna, for example, indicates that it was done by someone right-handed; Leonardo is believed to be left-handed, showing perhaps that the Monna Vanna may have done by a student, with Leonardo himself helping to touch up the piece.
Whatever the case may be, the work of researchers is far from over. “There are two mysteries,” Deldicque said in an interview with the Post. “The author, and the meaning of this nude Mona Lisa.”
Information obtained from:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41436057
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/09/nude-mona-lisa-monna-vanna-da-vinci/
https://www.vice.com/en_nz/article/evpm9z/this-500-year-old-sketch-could-be-a-nude-mona-lisa-vgtrn
Images obtained from:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Monna_Vanna%2C_Cartoon%2C_musee_Conde.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/F9pl6Af.png