Art Explained: The Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci

The Mona Lisa is a painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, created in the early 16th century. The painting depicts a woman with a mysterious smile, seated in an Italian landscape with a distant view of a city in the background.


The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world, and is considered to be a masterpiece of Renaissance art. It is known for its use of light and shadow, as well as its subtle, enigmatic smile, which has made it the subject of much speculation and analysis over the years.


The painting was created for Francesco del Giocondo, a wealthy merchant in Florence, but was later acquired by King Francis I of France, who kept it in his palace at the Louvre. It remained there until the French Revolution, when it was briefly seized by the state and put on display in the Louvre. It was eventually returned to the royal collection, and has been on display at the Louvre ever since.


Today, the Mona Lisa is one of the most visited works of art in the world, with millions of people coming to the Louvre each year to see it. Despite its fame and popularity, the painting remains shrouded in mystery, with many questions still surrounding its meaning and significance.

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