Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa between 1503 and 1506, spending four years on the portrait of Mona Lisa del Giocondo, whose mysterious smile has captivated viewers for centuries. The half-length portrait depicts the 24-year old wife of a wealthy Florentine silk merchant and is renowned for its atmospheric illusionism and subtle modeling of forms. It is now on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it was stolen in 1911 but recovered.

1. Mona Lisa
By: Amir Abdullah

2. • Leonardo da Vinci was a genius of the renaissance
period. His skills were legendary at painter, architect,
engineer, mathematician and philosopher but he is
perhaps best known for his paintings especially that
of the Mona Lisa. The name of the subject of this
wonderful painting was believed to be of Mona Lisa
del Gioconda. Mona Lisa was the wife of Francesco
di Bartolommeo Giocondo diZ anobi del. Mona Lisa
was believed to be 24 years old at the time her
portrait was painted. Her enigmatic smile has
captured the imagination of people for centuries.

3. • The Mona Lisa was a portrait

4. • 1503 and was finished by 1506

5. • The Mona Lisa can be seen in the Louvre Museum
which is in Paris , France
• Da Vinci started to work at this painting in 1503
• He spent four years on the portrait
• It is painted on 77 x 53 cm poplar wood
• He never sold the portrait
• It has been suggested that the portrait of the Mona
Lisa is in fact Leonardo's female version of himself

6. • August 22, 1911 - Mona Lisa was stolen but soon
recovered
• In 1956 an acid attempt damaged the lower half of the
painting, the restoration took several years

7. The painting is a half-length portrait and depicts a woman
whose facial expression is frequently described as
enigmatic. Others believe that the slight smile is an
indication that the subject is hiding a secret. The
ambiguity of the subject's expression, the monumentality
of the composition, and the subtle modeling of forms and
atmospheric illusionism were novel qualities that have
contributed to the continuing fascination and study of the
work

8. By: Amir Abdullah