Description
Her enigmatic smile and timeless charm have inspired academic study and artistic imitation for more than five centuries. But the story behind Leonardo da Vinci's beguiling portrait runs even deeper than it appears.
Da Vinci's 15th-century masterpiece is one of the most recognisable works of art in the world, yet there is far more to it than that sublime smile.
For one thing, it is speculated that the woman in the portrait is pregnant, given the way her arms are folded over her stomach and the veil draped over her shoulders, which pregnant women often wore during the Italian Renaissance.
But the most recent findings concern her eyes. In 2011, Italian researcher Silvano Vinceti claimed to have found microscopically painted letters and numbers within them. He told the Associated Press that the "L" above her right eye likely represents the artist's name.
The meaning of the "S" visible in her left eye and the number "72" beneath the arched bridge in the background is less clear. Vinceti believes the "S" may refer to a woman from the Sforza family, who ruled Milan, meaning the woman in the painting may not be Lisa Gherardini, as has long been believed.
As for the "72", Vinceti argues it could stem from the significance of numbers in both Christianity and Judaism. For example, "7" refers to the creation of the world, while "2" could refer to the duality of man and woman.
The Mona Lisa ranks no. 1 on the list of famous paintings