Few paintings have a smile people still argue about over dinner, and the Mona Lisa started most of those arguments. Leonardo da Vinci began the portrait in Florence in 1503, and the painting now hangs in the Louvre in Paris, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher); much of what gets repeated about her is myth, and the documented record is shorter than most people expect.
Artist: Leonardo da Vinci · Period painted: Early 1500s (The History of Art (art history site)) · Medium: Oil on poplar panel · Location: Louvre, Paris
Quick snapshot
- Leonardo da Vinci painted it in oil on poplar panel, dated 1503–1519 by the Louvre (The History of Art, citing Louvre records)
- He began it in Florence in 1503 and still had it when he died in 1519 (Encyclopaedia Britannica, reference publisher)
- Britannica finds no records of a commission from Francesco del Giocondo, and the sitter has never been conclusively identified (Britannica (feature on fame))
- Vasari named the sitter in 1550, roughly 31 years after Leonardo died, according to the Wikipedia for Schools mirror (education copy of Wikipedia)
- Agostino Vespucci wrote a margin note in October 1503 (The History of Art, citing Heidelberg University) (JSTOR Daily (academic publisher’s magazine))
- Heidelberg publicly announced the note on 2008-01-14, according to the Wikipedia for Schools mirror (JSTOR Daily (academic publisher’s magazine))
- Vincenzo Peruggia stole the painting from the Louvre on 21 August 1911 (JSTOR Daily (academic publisher’s magazine))
- Sources disagree on whether the Vespucci note surfaced in 2005 or 2008, according to Wikipedia (encyclopedia)
- The arrival date at the Louvre is disputed, with accounts citing 1793, 1797, or about 1800 (Curiosity Engine (museum artifact guide))
- A claimed second version, the Isleworth Mona Lisa, remains unverified (Today I Found Out (trivia blog))
The implication: the snapshot keeps Louvre dates apart from attributed claims, so the sitter and timeline gaps stay visible to the reader.
Eight data points cover most of what can be checked, and the two sitter dates are the only ones that need a qualifier.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist | Leonardo da Vinci |
| Medium | Oil on poplar wood panel |
| Period painted | 1503–1519, dated by the Louvre |
| Location | Louvre, Paris |
| Commonly identified sitter | Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo |
| Sitter birth year (commonly cited) | 1479, Florence |
| Sitter death year (one secondary source) | 1542 (Kidzfeed (children’s education site)) |
| Theft | 21 August 1911, from the Louvre |
Is Mona Lisa a real person?
The sitter is most often identified as Lisa Gherardini, a real Florentine woman who was born in 1479 and married Francesco del Giocondo in 1495, according to The Art Newspaper (art news outlet).
“The sitter’s identity has not been definitively proven.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica editorial, reference publisher
What does the name Mona Lisa mean?
- The Italian title La Gioconda and the French title La Joconde both derive from the Giocondo surname, according to the Louvre (national museum).
Is Mona Lisa his wife?
- The documented identification names her as the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, not of Leonardo. Italian Renaissance Art (art history site) reports that Leonardo never delivered the painting to the Giocondo family.
- The claim that Leonardo was her lover is a speculative theory, not a documented fact.
“Nothing in the archives nor in Leonardo’s voluminous writings conclusively connects Leonardo with the Giocondo family.”
Jack M. Greenstein, art historian (2004 paper, quoted via Today I Found Out)
Antonio de Beatis, who saw Leonardo’s work in 1517, recorded a portrait of a Florentine woman painted at Giuliano de’ Medici’s request, which opens a competing reading of the sitter (The Art Newspaper, art news outlet).
How did Mona Lisa die?
No documented source in the research establishes how Lisa Gherardini died. Kidzfeed (children’s education site) gives 1542 as her death year, but that date rests on one secondary source.
The implication: Lisa Gherardini is the strongest candidate on record, but she is an attribution, so writers should say “commonly identified as” rather than stating the identity as settled.
What is the Mona Lisa painting famous for?
The fame starts with technique. Leonardo used sfumato, a glazing method that softens contours into a smoky haze, and the Louvre (national museum) credits that method for the face’s soft edges.
Its reputation was also shaped by events outside the studio, starting with the theft of 21 August 1911 (JSTOR Daily, academic publisher’s magazine).
Who painted the Mona Lisa?
Leonardo da Vinci painted it in oil on poplar panel. The Louvre dates the portrait 1503 to 1519, and it was still unfinished when Leonardo died.
“Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa… Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, known as La Joconde.”
Musée du Louvre, national museum
Who legally owns the Mona Lisa?
Encyclopaedia Britannica says the painting passed from the French royal collection to the property of the French people during the Revolution (1787–99). Aussie Brief (news site) reports that the French state owns it through the national museum collection and that it is not for sale.
The arrival date at the Louvre is contested. Sources cite 1793, 1797, or about 1800, so any article that names one year as settled is overstating the record.
Why did Mona Lisa not smile?
- Sigmund Freud linked the smile to a recovered memory of Leonardo’s mother, and Lillian Schwartz of Bell Labs proposed a self-portrait. According to Wikipedia (encyclopedia), both ideas remain speculation.
Treat smile theories as commentary, not evidence.
The pattern: the smile debate rests on interpretation, so the strongest documented facts about the painting sit in the sections above.
Related reading: Georgia O’Keeffe paintings and legacy · painting guide in London
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Mona Lisa displayed?
The painting hangs in the Louvre in Paris, in the Salle des États of the Denon Wing, behind bulletproof glass (The History of Art, citing Louvre).
How big is the Mona Lisa?
The painting measures 79.4 by 53.4 cm and carries Louvre inventory number INV 779; MR 316 (The History of Art, citing Louvre).
How much is the Mona Lisa worth?
The research supplied contains no valuation. Aussie Brief (news site) says the painting is owned by the French state and is not for sale.
Is there a copy of the Mona Lisa?
A 2012 claim by the Mona Lisa Foundation of a second version, the Isleworth Mona Lisa, remains unverified, and scholars favour the Louvre painting as the original (Today I Found Out, trivia blog).
Did Leonardo da Vinci keep the Mona Lisa until he died?
Encyclopaedia Britannica places the painting in Leonardo’s studio when he died in 1519. Italian Renaissance Art reports that he never delivered it to the Giocondo family.
