The most recognized painting in the world is the Mona Lisa, on display in the Louvre Museum since 1797.
It is one of the most stunning historical paintings, famous because of the millions of theories, stories, and techniques attached to it!
Visitors planning to explore Leonardo’s most popular artwork must know all about its history, facts, techniques used, and the location of the painting in the Museum.
In this article, we’ll discover everything you need to know about the Mona Lisa to have a guided tour experience of the painting without a guide!
Describing the Painting
The Mona Lisa, also known as La Gioconda, depicts the sitting three-quarter portrait of a wealthy Florentine woman, named Lisa del Giocondo.
Behind her is a beautiful green landscape, with a flowing river at the center, surrounded by pathways and a dull horizon in the distance.
Her hands are folded in her lap, and her face looks straight while she smiles at the viewer.
There is a clear divide between the hazy background and the intricate details of the woman’s face, which makes it the center of attention when you look at the painting.
The portrait was the first of its kind to have a magical hazy background with a simple figure in the foreground.
It is a relatively small painting, 77 cm long and 53 cm wide.
Its width was previously 55 cm, but it has shrunk over the years because of aging since it is over 500 years old.
You can also see a sketch of the Mona Lisa made by Raphael inside the Louvre!
Most visitors believe the Mona Lisa had no eyebrows, but researchers find traces of them painted on.
Read further to learn more about Leonardo’s painting techniques used in such a masterpiece!
Where is the painting on display in the Louvre?
You will find La Gioconda on display in the Denon Wing, which houses most of the famous Louvre Museum artworks.
It is displayed in the biggest room of the Wing, the Salle des Etats, also called the Hall of States, with other 16th-century Venetian paintings.
The room was specially designed by Lorenzo Piqueras with a glass roof, allowing the diffusion of sharp unnatural lighting to look like natural light at all times of the day.
Some of the best artworks of the Louvre are in this room, including the Wedding at Cana painting!
The room has an antique look, and the Mona Lisa painting Louvre is surrounded by a dark navy wall that makes it pop out.
What is the Best Time & Day to explore the Hall of States?
The Hall of States is open from 9 am to 6 pm on Mondays, Thursdays, and weekends.
It is open longer on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 am to 8 pm and is closed on Tuesdays.
The Hall is least crowded in the mornings from 9 am to 10 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm, especially on Mondays and Thursdays!
You will also find less crowds in the hall an hour before the museum closes.
We don’t recommend exploring this Hall on the first Friday of the month since entry to the Museum is free after 6 pm on this day.
Check out our Best time to visit the Louvre article to discover in which months the Louvre Musuem is the least crowded!
Since most visitors come mainly to see this painting, they can stand and admire it only for 30 seconds during peak hours.
The best way to get to the painting is to take the Porte des Lions Entrance, which leads directly to the Denon Wing!
Louvre Museum Tickets to see La Gioconda
You must have tickets to explore all rooms of the Louvre Museum, except for the first Friday of every month after 6 pm.
The standard Louvre skip-the-line tickets with access to the Denon Wing and other parts of the Louvre cost €25 for visitors 18 to 99 years old.
This ticket is valid till the Musuem closes from your time slot booked, allowing you to explore many other rooms as well!
You can also enjoy being a part of an experience dedicated only to seeing the painting, along with complete guidance to get to the artwork, which can be difficult to locate in the crowded Wing.
The Louvre Mona Lisa Tickets allow you to skip all entry queues and follow a host directly to the artwork with an audio guide for €65 for adults between 18 and 99 years.
Kids between the ages of 3 and 17 can enjoy this experience for a discounted price of €33, while those below 3 can enter for free!
You can also take a 2-hour guided tour of the Louvre Museum, including a detailed look at the Mona Lisa, for €84 for visitors between 18 and 99 years.
Kids below 18 years can take the tour for a discounted price of €69!
How much is the Mona Lisa worth?
The painting is considered the most expensive art piece in the world market, priced at a shocking amount of €796 million!
It costs US$860 but is considered priceless because of its popularity and historical significance.
Since the French Government owns the painting, is it impossible to buy it?
Not only this, but the painting brings an incredible amount of profit to the Louvre, as it attracts over 30,000 visitors daily!
The painting reached France when it was given to King Francis I after Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519.
Leonardo Da Vinci’s Artistic Techniques Used in the Artwork
Da Vinci mainly used two techniques to paint the masterpiece to see at the Louvre today.
The first technique is Sfumato, directly translating to evaporated or vanished, invented by Leonardo.
Sfumato involves creating soft transitions between different shades and colors, which makes the piece appear much more realistic, even though it is hazy.
He used much of this technique to shade the colors on Mona Lisa’s face and clothing.
Leonardo also used the aerial perspective technique to make the background of the painting look hazy while the foreground stands out with a sharp outline.
He added more transparent layers of paint to her face, veil, and clothes to make her appear more glowy than the background.
Vinci also uses atmospheric perspective for his background to create depth and make the background dull as you look further into the scenery behind the woman.
He also avoided adding outlines for the plants and other natural elements behind to magnify the hazy appearance of the piece!
Art students can learn so much about new techniques, playing with light and shadows, and depth to use in their creations from this painting.
History & Restorations
Leonardo da Vinci painted the masterpiece between 1503 and 1506, which began as a charcoal sketch.
When Leonardo died in 1519, the painting fell into the hands of King Francis I, as the painter was a part of his court. It remained with the royal family for many centuries.
During Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign, the painting was in his private chambers for four years.
The painting finally arrived at the Louvre Museum in the 19th century!
However, on 21st August 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia, a Museum worker, stole the painting, which caused the popularity of the piece to skyrocket.
He and his companion hid inside a closet and stole the piece once the Louvre closed to the public.
It disappeared for two years and was discovered in Vincenzo’s house stashed in the false bottom of a trunk!
During WWII, to keep the hands of the Nazis off the painting, it moved from house to house in the countryside of France.
The painting returned to the Musuem in 1945, once the threat of the war had come to an end.
A bulletproof case was added to the Mona Lisa painting as it was the subject of many attacks in 1956, which caused a small damage to the left elbow of the woman.
The painting had to deal with other acts of vandalism in 1974 when it was sprayed with red paint in Tokyo for an exhibition.
In 2009, someone threw a mug at the piece in the Louvre.
The Controversies Behind the Painting
One of the funniest controversies about the painting is that it is a self-portrait of Leonardo himself!
Some visitors believe that the woman in the painting bears a close resemblance to the painter.
Most other visitors only focus on the smile, interpreting her feelings and adding other scientific theories behind the fact that most visitors see it differently.
While some say it appears eerie and looks wider than normal others say it is a fake smile that hides a deeper meaning
However, researchers say that the distance between the viewer and the painting provides a new perspective of the woman from all angles.
So if you stand far away, you might see her face as normal, but if you stand closer to the frame, it appears too wide.
There is also a belief that the piece is not smiling, and Leonardo created an illusion called “the Uncatchable Smile,” so it looks like she is smiling when the piece is looked at from a distance.
Fun facts about the Mona Lisa
Some less-known facts about the famous La Gioconda painting that will blow your mind are:
- There are speculations that Leonardo was unable to complete the painting because of his paralyzed hand.
- Pablo Picasso was the main suspect in the theft of the painting in 1911.
- Mona Lisa has a box filled with fan mail from people who admire the piece at the Louvre!
- She inspired a fashion trend in the past when women applied yellow dusting powder on their faces and necks to match her appearance. They also tried to imitate her smile! It was called La Jaconde look.
- Even though it is called the Mona Lisa, that is not the actual lady’s name in the painting. It means “My Lady Lisa.”
Contents
FAQs on the Louvre’s Mona Lisa
1. Who Painted the Mona Lisa?
Leonardo da Vinci painted it between 1503 and 1506.
2. Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?
The painting is so famous because of Leonardo’s brilliant technique that makes the woman’s expression appear different from all angles.
3. Why is it called the Mona Lisa?
The name translated to My Little Lady. Researchers believed the painting was a commission for Lisa del Giocondo’s husband, so it was a nickname.
4. Why is the painting so controversial?
Visitors suspect the painting is a portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, as the woman’s features resemble him.
5. What is the worth of the best painting in the Louvre?
The Mona Lisa costs US$860 but cannot be purchased since the French Government owns it.
6. Where is Leonardo da Vinci’s La Gioconda in the Louvre?
The painting is in the Denon Wing at the Hall of States, also called Salle des Etats.
7. What is the best time to see the painting?
he Denon Wing is the least crowded from 9 am to 10 am and 3 pm to 5 pm on weekdays. The Museum is the least crowded from 9 am to 10 am on weekends.
8. What is the symbolism of the painting?
La Giocondo can also be translated as the joyous woman, representing happiness. The painting also depicted the ideal woman who was charming and beautiful, and beyond the reach of everyone.