Every year private collectors around the world spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the acquisition of works of art, after which many outstanding works disappear forever from free viewing. Fortunately, most of the truly priceless paintings are kept in world-famous museums, are not subject to sale, and are regularly exhibited for public viewing. Among these paintings is the most famous world-view of the , which is undoubtedly the "Portrait of Madame Lisa del Giocondo", which is permanently stored in the Paris Louvre .
The creation of the work, as well as the future fate, are covered with a thick layer of riddles, which, most likely, will not be solved. However, scientists and enthusiasts do not abandon attempts to sort out at least some of them, and also to restore the true goals and motives that made the famous inventor and painter Leonard da Vinci write this masterpiece.
Time of writing - 1503 - 1519, the prototype of the creation was Lisa Gerardini. Giorgio Vasari, considered one of the personal biographers of a genius, noted in his notes that he spent about 4 years writing Da Vinci, while the work remained unfinished;True, many researchers are sure that the masterpiece is quite logically completed. The picture is made on a poplar board, its dimensions are 76.8 cm x 53 cm.
The most famous picture of the world is not without reason considered the most mysterious - most art critics today doubt what really is depicted on this canvas. One of the mysteries is that when exposed to ultraviolet or infrared radiation, this picture looks completely different. The original portrait of Mona Lisa( which was discovered using an ultra-modern special camera) is hidden beneath numerous layers of paint, and is completely unlike the portrait available today. On one of the first images( quite possibly not the only one), Madonna's face is wider, her eyes are completely different, and her smile is much brighter.
Interesting fact, also reflected in biographical notes - during the creation of the canvas da Vinci convened a huge number of buffoons jesters and court minstrels, who were supposed to entertain the model and maintain a special atmosphere. Today, many scientists argue that this is what helped the artist to create such an exquisite canvas, at the same time, noting that the use of such techniques was completely uncharacteristic for the painter.
Another mystery is that after writing, a portrait of Mona Lisa, was left by Leonardo da Vinci, and after a while was transferred to Francis I - the French king. Why, completing the portrait, the artist did not give it to the customer, it is still unknown today. It was suggested that the picture may not be depicted by Liza del Giocondo - the number of possible prototypes of pretenders( and even applicants) for the role of model( sitter), the opinion of which was expressed by experienced art historians, is surprising. Thus, they include Isabella of Aragon, daughter of the Milanese Duke Caterina Sforza;Isabel Galanda;Dame with an ermine - Cecilia Gallerani, Constance Avalos( in favor of this version says her nickname - La Gioconda, Merry);the mistress of Giuliano Medici - Pachifiku Brandano;a young man in a woman's robe. There is also a version that Mona Lisa is a self-portrait of Da Vinci himself, and also that the artist portrayed the "collective" image of the ideal woman, according to his own views. Note that the version with Lisa del Giocondo is the most plausible, because in the notes of one of the Florentine officials was found a record that "Da Vinci is now working on several paintings, one of them is a portrait of Lisa Gerardini.
Many people are surprised at the lack of eyelashes and eyebrows at Mona Lisa - various guesses and assumptions are also put forward about this. Some scientists believe that in the XV-XVI centuries, the removal of eyelashes and eyebrows was considered a tribute to fashion, however, other critics argue that the eyebrows and eyelashes were applied so finely that after a few centuries they simply erased.
Despite the huge number of puzzles( and maybe thanks to them), the most famous picture of the world for more than six centuries excites the minds of art critics, all connoisseurs of beauty, as well as ordinary inhabitants. However, it does not stop to stay Mona Lisa one of the most amazing and impressive works created by mankind in its entire history.