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.

[Revolting cat!]

[Ditter]

I was actually pretty good with portraits but I got tired of the models in class saying “do I really look like that?”

“yes you do, you really do have a big ugly nose and strange looking eyes”. Even the instructor painted you that way!

[Daffynition]

[Daffynition]

Great *My Space* image;)

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Some art galleries. Never once saw the original Elvis or Dale Earnhardt Sr. on black velvet at any of them.

I own the original Mona Lisa wallet size. At least that what the guy who sold it to me told me.

[Revolting cat!]

[PieroC]

Nice work

[PieroC]

Nice work

[PieroC]

Nice work

[Overtaxed]

I thought the Doctor wrote “This is a Fake” on the Mona Lisa canvasses with a Sharpie.

[Daffynition]

That needs an Adonis DNA test! Winning!

[Yardstick]

Now that is just too cool.

[Erasmus]

That’s the mooooooooooooooona Lisa.

[Slings and Arrows]

Painted with tiger’s blood.

[snowsislander]

Thanks for the useful link.

**....the painting was re-examined in 2011 and found to have actually been painted on walnut wood.**

So the Prado Mona Lisa was painted on walnut?

Now that's interesting. Walnut, according to Mona Lisa: Inside the Painting, was actually Leonardo's preferred wood for painting, though the piece of poplar used for the Louvre's Mona Lisa was of course an outstanding instance of that wood.

[Ditter]

That is exactly what some of the models looked like! Some of them were street bums and ladies down on their luck. One of them couldn't model in the month of December because she worked as Mrs. Clause. Not what you would call lookers in anybodys book. :D

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks Daffynition. I couldn't find the article (actually chapter in a book around here), but there's another painting, in a private collection somewhere in England, that has been attributed to da Vinci, and it fact, has been alleged to be the original painting by him of that name. In 1911 the Mona Lisa was heisted from the Louvre by Vincenzo Peruggia. Related: Mona Lisa -- Heidelberg discovery confirms identity. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[Cincinna]

H/T Sunken Civ Thanks!   

What is the French connection to the Mona Lisa?   

The Mona Lisa, also known as La Gioconda or La Joconde, is the Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. It was painted by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is a very small painting in oil on a poplar panel, completed circa 1503–1519 and bought by François I,  King of France.   It is now the property of the French State and it is on permanent display at the Musée du Louvre in Paris.

The painting is a half-length portrait and depicts a seated woman, Lisa del Giocondo, whose facial expression has been frequently described as enigmatic. 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. The image is widely recognised, caricatured, and sought out by visitors to the Louvre, and it is considered the most famous painting in the world.

[Lancey Howard]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5YIo48j5rQ

[afraidfortherepublic]

#1f looks like she is hiding some delicious secret. #2 just looks sad.