“Unlocking the Enigma: Discover the Hidden Mysteries Behind the Mona Lisa’s Smile”
The portrait in the Louvre and the one displayed by the Foundation do bear a striking resemblance, in fact. The composition and the subject of both works are very similar, and one could argue that the lady portrayed in the newly revealed painting is the same as the one hanging about in the Louvre – although the one residing in Switzerland appears to be somewhat younger.
Isbouts claimed that 16th century records suggest that Leonardo may have in fact painted two variations of the portrait, with the ‘Second Mona Lisa’ being an incomplete version. The existence of two Mona Lisas would explain the discrepancy we mentioned earlier, i.e. the differing accounts on who actually owned the portrait after Da Vinci’s death.
Furthermore, the professor explained how a scientific analysis proved that Leonardo’s hand had been at work on both pictures: ‘The histograms [digital graphs of the colours used] show that in terms of the ‘handwriting’ of the painting, how he applies the paint, [it] is exactly identical.’
The BBC counterbalanced Isbouts’ views by speaking to Martin Kemp, professor of art history at the University of Oxford, and one of the top experts of Leonardo worldwide.
Professor Kemp quoted the results of infrared examination carried out on both works of art. The analysis performed on the Louvre Mona Lisa tells a story of hesitation, corrections, and evolution. In other words: Leonardo gradually adjusted his work as he painted, layer after layer, painting over certain details until he reached the final, perfected result. On the other hand, the infrared scan of the Second Mona Lisa ‘is just tediously exact and is clearly the kind of drawing that’s made when you’re copying something rather than generating it.’
