| Picture shows a reproduction of the Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo (Mona Lisa). The Mona Lisa, or "la Gioconda", is arguably the most famous painting in the world. Its fame rests, in particular, on the elusive, mysterious smile on the woman's face, rendered perhaps by the subtle shadows at the edges of the mouth and eyes. The shadowy quality for which the work is renowned came to be called "Sfumato" or Leonardo's smoke. Leonardo knew exactly the nature of the smile he wanted since by then he had performed many anatomical dissections, and the study of facial muscles appear in his anatomical notes. The name Mona Lisa came about because of a spelling error! The original name of the painting was Monna Lisa. Monna, in Italian, was a common shortening of Madonna, meaning "my lady". Why he chose to paint her is still a mystery. |
