Mona Lisa’s ‘twin sister’ discovered in Spain’s Prado art museum

TorontoStar.com ^ | Feb 01 2012 | Sinikka Tarvainen

[Daffynition]

MADRID—Spain’s Prado art museum said Wednesday it had discovered an unusual copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s “La Gioconda,” painted by one of the master’s pupils at the same time that the original was being completed.

The copy had been on display at the Madrid art museum for years without experts being aware of its importance.

A routine restoration led experts to discover that the dark background behind the female figure popularly known as Mona Lisa had been added afterward and that it covered an Italian landscape similar to that in da Vinci’s original.

[fieldmarshaldj]

[Daffynition]

[Daffynition]

No Etch-a-Sketch. :)

[Daffynition]

Yes, it's remarkable, the way the Mona Lisa's eyes seem to follow you around the room. :)

[Chainmail]

"A woman is only appealing if she gets herself up like a hooker?",

In this case, all the makeup in the world wouldn't help. The ancient lady in question is thick, heavy-boned with small, close-set eyes, a small mouth and somewhat over graced with nose.

"Beauty" as a somewhat subjective value over time, is usually linked to symmetry and proportions and the Mona Lisa is at the far end of that spectrum.

Any number of ancient sculptors had that idea down fairly well, for example, the Venus de Milo..

[Daffynition]

That's the copy from the Hermitage, no? :)

[Daffynition]

If Raphael received the commission...

[count-your-change]

Maybe I coulda leasa that painting for a lot of mona.

[Oztrich Boy]

[Erasmus]

“Now take your stiff fan-brush, and just touch it in your titanium white......like this........and now, just.....touch it on the tree.......and make a nice..........little......highlight.............there!”

[Erasmus]

The man with two heads. Little, and littler.

[Pravious]

I’m not exactly sure what you people are looking for. This is a PORTRAIT, not an abstract painting of a Goddess. It’s SUPPOSED to look like the person who’s being painted, right? Okay. This 500 year old woman wasn’t as “sexy” as, oh, I dunno, one of our emaciated-looking models... well, so what?

[Ditter]

I have seen the first one in person, WOW what a disappointment! Of these 2 I like the 2nd one better.

[Chainmail]

You are correct: the Mona Lisa is an excellent portrait that is probably a very good likeness of an unfortunate-looking woman.

I can see her as a Teamster, a Soviet shotput thrower perhaps but never as Mrs. Chainail, even with the assistance of wine, as one poster suggested.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Dunno, but I hear James Cameron has this one hanging in his den.

[Charles Henrickson]

[Charles Henrickson]

Doll her up a bit, and Laz would frame it.

[Lazamataz]

Here's my answer.... this song goes out to YOU, Mona Lisa, we all love you down at WLAZ....."When A Man Loves A Woman"..... the time is 10:30, and 57 degrees and partly cloudly at Hartfield airport.....All Hits, All The Time at WLAZ.....

[mikrofon]

[Daffynition]