The document provides information about Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting the Mona Lisa, including that it was painted between 1504-1519, depicts Lisa Giocondo, and has been stolen and damaged several times throughout history, most notably in 1911 when it was stolen from the Louvre museum. The painting is renowned for its enigmatic subject's smile and techniques like sfumato that blur edges and aerial perspective that provide a sense of depth.

2. L.O. To experiment with creating mood
with colour
L.O. To sketch lightly

3. One of the Most Famous
Paintings in the World
The Mona Lisa – also known as La
Gioconda – is considered one of the most
famous paintings in the world.
It was painted in Florence, Italy, during
the Renaissance era between 1504 and
1519 by Italian artist, Leonardo da
Vinci. The subject of the painting is
unusual for the time as most paintings
were inspired by the Bible.
The painting is on display at the Louvre
Museum in Paris. It is 77cm 53cm.

4. Who Is She?
The identity of the woman with the
mysterious smile was unknown for
hundreds of years. It was one of da
Vinci’s favourite paintings and he kept
it with him every day until he died.
It is widely agreed that the woman was Lisa Giocondo. Her husband,
Francesco di Bartolomeo del Giocondo, was a wealthy silk merchant. He
commissioned da Vinci to paint a portrait of his wife.
Oil paintings were usually painted on canvas; however, the Mona Lisa is
painted on a cottonwood panel. This means that the painting has not
needed to be restored at all in six hundred years.
Lisa Giocondo

5. What do you notice
about this painting?
Click to see a larger image.
Talk
About It
Looking closely at the figure…
The Mona Lisa
The painting is covered in so
many layers of varnish; it now
looks rather dull and has a
yellow tinge. Originally, this
painting would have looked
brighter and more vibrant.

6. Analysis
It is said that the woman looks at
the viewer wherever they are in the
room. People believe her eyes follow
you around the room.
Her smile is enigmatic because da
Vinci used a technique called
sfumato. This is when sharp edges
are blurred by blending colours
together. This creates a shadow as
seen around the corners of the eyes
and mouth.
Click to see a close-up of her face.

7. Analysis
Da Vinci also made the background
appear hazy. This is called aerial
perspective, which gives the painting
depth. He was one of the first artists
to do this.
Click to see a close-up of the background.

8. Theft and Vandalism
The Mona Lisa has been stolen and attacked in acts of vandalism.
Police detained him two years
later when he tried to sell the
painting to a gallery in Florence,
Italy. The Mona Lisa was returned
undamaged to the Louvre.
In 1911, an ex-employee of the
Louvre stole the painting because
he believed it belonged in Italy.
He walked out with the painting
under his coat.
In 1956, a vandal threw acid on
the lower part of the painting.
In the same year, someone
threw a rock at it and a tiny
chip of paint was dislodged.
Since then, the Mona Lisa has been
kept behind bulletproof glass.

9. A Mona Mystery
Despite this, we
will never know
the secret behind
her smile.
The Mona Lisa continues to draw huge crowds,
who are eager to witness this mysterious painting.
It is the most
valuable painting
in the world.

10. Today, we are going to re-
create Da Vinci’s most
famous painting.
We need to consider the
shapes and lines in each
individual square.
Once we have completed
each square it will show the
Mona Lisa!

11. Use the grid sheet to help you focus on one square at a time, this will help
you look at each part and capture the details more easily.
Once you are happy with your outline of the Mona Lisa, you can use
colours to capture the mood of the painting. Think carefully about your
choice of colours.

12. We would love to see your very own
Mona Lisa creations!
You can email your art work to our Year
4 email address:
year_4@holytrinity.leeds.sch.uk