Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?

Every year, millions of people voyage to the Louvre, nestled in the heart of Paris, to gaze upon the Mona Lisa whose mysterious appearance enchanted the world for decades on end. What is it though, that makes this humble painting from the 16th century such a cultural phenomenon? Several things are attributed to the popularity of the Mona Lisa, from the artistry itself to certain events that amplified its importance in pop culture. 

Artistic Technique & Style

Instead of the typical full figure pose employed in conventional Italian portraits of its time, the Mona Lisa is captured in a ¾ pose instead. This style later affected other artists, who drew inspiration from this form of posing. Da Vinci also deviated from the norm in terms of female portraits, as the Mona Lisa directly gazes into the viewer’s eyes which is a feature typically only used in male portraits. Another visible difference is the lack of ornateness in her appearance. Whereas typical portraits of nobles at this time focus on flaunting as much wealth as possible through clothing and backgrounds, the Mona Lisa is clothed simply yet elegantly, which draws attention to her expression instead. 

It isn’t just art utilised in this masterpiece though; Leonardo Da Vinci incorporates math into it in the form of the Golden Ratio, also known as the Fibonacci Sequence. This stems from the Perfect Rectangle, which forms a ratio of 1.618 between each successive Fibonacci number. A spiral is then formed via touching each side in the Perfect Rectangle, which occurs in various parts of nature, best exemplified by the nautilus shell. The painting is framed specifically in this way by Da Vinci, which allows for a shift in focus of the painting, subtly guiding the viewer to her enigmatic eyes.

Inclusive Identity of the Sitter

While the Mona Lisa’s mysterious and contemplating gaze is a contributing factor to its success, the mystery of her identity is also captivating. The most plausible theory is that she is Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine merchant named Francesco del Giocondo. This would make sense, considering an alternate name for the Mona Lisa is La Gioconda. While there was a note about the commission of the portrait found in 2005, it remains a mystery why Da Vinci never gave it to the Giocondo family. Instead, he took it with him to France, and may have eventually given it to his apprentice Salai after his death.

Others suggest that the elusive Mona Lisa was a princess of the name Isabella of Naples. Historians performed x-ray scans of the painting, and compared Da Vinci’s sketch of the painting with his other depictions of her, and found resemblance between them. The sombre change in style and simplicity in clothing also points towards her mourning her husband as a widow.

Another theory is that the Mona Lisa is modelled after Da Vinci’s favourite pupil, Gian Giacomo Caprotti, dressed as a woman. He would have been in his twenties at that time, matching the sitter’s features. Gian was also Da Vinci’s lover, which would make him an appropriate subject for painting youthful and seductive features that the painting possesses. As he has appeared in multiple other Da Vinci paintings, historians are able to see the resemblance between Gian’s facial features and the Mona Lisa’s. Considering the Mona Lisa has somewhat androgynous features, this is another theory that some may accept.

Several historians also believe that perhaps that the answer is simpler than it seems; the Mona Lisa was created by Da Vinci in his imagination, taking bits and pieces from other people as inspiration. 

by Sienna S.

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