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January 14, 2012

Uncovering the identity of Mona Lisa

by John Mason

For decades historians, oil painters, artists and art partisan are puzzled on the true identity of Mona Lisa the object of Leonardo da Vinci’s world’s famous painting. The painting is a work of art of a person who has a particularly magnificent and delicate smile that has captured the eyes of the people for many years up until now.

This painting of Leonardo da Vinci is also one of the most duplicated paintings of all time. there were theories proposed by numerous analysts on the identity of a lady. Some people say that the woman was Leonardo da Vinci’s mother, others declared that this was his wife and the most preposterous of all concepts and claim is that it was Leonardo da Vinci himself.

All of these hypotheses are without basis. What they only have are mere speculations and unsubstantiated claim by early historians. The last and most believable concept was that the topic of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting is an image of a young Florentine woman since this painting was done in the city of Florence.

Latest study projects conducted by Heidelburg University dismiss all these hypotheses and ultimately unearth the real identity of the girl behind Leonardo da Vinci’s painting. The woman in the painting is Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo an affiliate of a noble family.

Leonardo wasn’t only the best painter of his time but he could be a wanted painter. Folk of nobility turns to Leonardo da Vinci to have their portrait painted, it was that only the Mona Lisa painting achieved celebrity. This significant discovery is a large contribution by historians of this day, now we do not have to question who that woman in the painting is and speculations of every kind ends with this discovery. Knowing the true identity of Mona Lisa will help us to realise more on the culture of their time and how beautiful the ladies are during Leonardo da Vinci’s time.

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October 23, 2010

The Mona Lisa — How Can The World’s Most Famous Painting Also Be The Most Mysterious?

by Alton Rush

Easily the most famous painting of all time, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is also one of the world’s great mysteries.

If you have read the book or seen the movie version of The da Vinci Code (and chances are pretty good that you have) then you have some small idea of the questions and myths that surround the painting.

But when it comes to The Mona Lisa, history does not need a hack mystery writer to make it interesting. What is know and unknown about the masterpiece is every bit as interesting as any fictional story could hope to be.

Facts are Stranger Than Fiction

First off, Mona Lisa is not the name of the painting. At least it is not the name given to it by its painter, da Vinci.

The fact is that we really don’t know what he called it — if he named it at all. He refused to give the painting’s name upon completing it in 1507 after 4 years of working on it.

The Italian name “Mona Lisa” — which means Madam Lisa — was applied to it by the painter Giorgio Vasari in 1550. He was his belief that the portrait was of Lisa Gherardini, young wife of a wealthy Florence silk merchant.

It’s Mine, All Mine!

In a strange move, da Vinci kept the painting for himself. Whoever commissioned the painting never received it. It’s not even known for sure that anyone actually did commission it. Leonardo was a commercial artist who paid the bills by painting — so this is quite a strange move.

Historic records show that da Vinci took Mona with him everywhere he went and that he often “retouched” it over and over until his death in 1519.

Great Art Lives

After Leonardo’s death, the King of France bought the painting and it stayed in the royal family for more than 200 years. During the French Revolution the masterpiece was moved to its current home, The Louvre.

It has remained there ever since…except for a short time when Napoleon “borrowed” it — and hung it in his bedroom!

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March 31, 2010

Topic: leonardo da vinci,leonardo da vinci paintings - Leonardo or Michelangelo: who is the greatest? (Guardian Unlimited)

We might think it absurd to look at such supreme human treasures and ask which artist is best â” but that was what the Florentine republic tried to establish, by getting them to work at public expense on competitive battle paintings, Leonardo’s Battle of Anghiari and Michelangelo’s Battle of Cascina , for the Great Council Hall of the civic palace. And this attracts the punters at the Louvre or the Accademia in the same way as the crowds might throng to get a fleeting glimpse of Tom Cruise on the red carpet or of a jaded reality TV start falling out of a nightclub. But, on the upside, it means I’ve spent quite a time looking at the other paintings in that room, while waiting, hopelessly, for the crowds to abate sufficiently to try an approach - and, last time I went, there was a series of four paintings of (generic) philosophers high up on the wall to the left (looking at LG) - one with a book, one with a pen, one ” avec lunettes ” - well worth a look, as it looks like a dissolute bloke in sunglasses gazing down on the throng. But then I stood in the middle of the dining hall from the point where the viewer was meant to be - and the whole painting came alive, it seemed to dance with life and depth.

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March 30, 2010

Viewpoint: Innovation and ‘U’ (The Michigan Daily)(leonardo da vinci,leonardo da vinci paintings)

The TED event taking place in April at the University seeks to open people up to this multidisciplinary pursuit. The aim is to offer attendees a chance to discover new ideas and push the boundaries of their own intellect. This is why we have decided to bring TED to the Universityâ” to unleash the collective talent and creativity it has incubated for so long. The audience will be composed of a diverse, yet curated, mix of 300 students, professors and thought leaders from the University and beyond. Because in return for a bit of risk, we promise to showcase 20 of the most fascinating and engaging minds the University and Ann Arbor have to offer. Just imagine an aerospace engineering student enabling us to dream beyond our planet, a design professor displaying the incredible things you can do with basic materials, an MBA student discussing the power of simplicity in solving the most pertinent issues our world faces and a Wolverine athlete discussing his brief brush with fame.

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