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What is Mona Lisa's Identity and Why is she Smiling in the Painting?

What is Mona Lisa’s Identity and what's her Smile all about? Do you know the secrets behind the Mona Lisa painting?


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Paris’ Musée du Louvre attracts an average of 6,000,000 individuals on a yearly basis all because of Leonardo Da Vinci's well known painting and that is none other than the Mona Lisa. Da Vinci began to paint the famous lady in 1503 and finally finished the portrait in 1507.

After then, the painter’s skills have been questioned several times but the fact remains that we know so little about that smiling lady in his world acclaimed painting.

Mona Lisa’s Identity

Often called as La Joconde (the lighthearted woman) by French individuals and La Gioconda by Italians, this woman is believed to be Francesco del Giocondo’s third spouse Lisa del Giocondo based on an Italian government clerk’ s confirmation in 1503.

However, a few experts believe that Mona Lisa is Isabella of Aragon instead. Isabella is the Duchess of Milan whose family has kept Da Vinci as their painter for more than a decade.

Another theory claims that Mona Lisa is neither the Duchess of Milan nor the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. It states that the portrait displays the face of Giuliano de' Medici’s mistress.

Some experts also believe that Mona Lisa is Leonardo Da Vinci’s female version. That is because the latest technology shows that the features of the two individuals certainly have a lot in common.

On the other hand, according to the painter’s biography in 1550, Mona is related to the word “madonna” (Italian) which means “madam” in English. Thus, Mona Lisa is basically equivalent to "Madam Lisa."

Mona Lisa’s Smile

Mona Lisa’s smile has inspired most individuals but it has also destroyed the dream of a few people. For example, French artist Luc Maspero committed suicide in 1852 all because he still doesn’t have the answer to the mystery of that smile.

Experts believe that if someone wants to fully comprehend the meaning behind Mona Lisa’s smile, then he or she should get to know one of Da Vinci’s ways of painting called sfumato. This method means "smoky” or “vanished” in Italian. Portraits which are created using this technique are often blurry allowing people to have different interpretations of the image.

The eyes of Mona Lisa have the most vivid colors in Da Vinci’s famous painting while shadows were placed in her mouth instead. Thus, our less than accurate peripheral vision creates the illusion that she is smiling.

However, if you let your fovea vision focus on the lady’s mouth, you will say that she is not smiling at all for that kind of vision doesn’t recognize shadows.

Thus, the mystery of Mona Lisa’s smile is simply brought about by the fact that we don’t have the same type of vision.
Oct 28th, 2012 at 7:13 PM
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The theory of Mona Lisa being a portrait of Isabella of Aragon was advanced by Robert Payne in 1979 (in 2003 it was repeated by Maike Vogt-Lüerssen). I'm afraid you will find too many inconsistencies and unclear or fictitious components in it ('Leonardo and Isabella had a love affair, they married secretly, they had several children ...').
The 'Isabella of Aragon theory' is not founded on facts.
Jun 29th, 2013 at 5:43 PM
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