Leonardo da Vinci secret: Mona Lisa's hidden detail discovered by high-tech camera
Posted on 09/24/2020 6:46:55 PM PDT by nickcarraway
LEONARDO DA VINCI's masterpiece the Mona Lisa has captivated art lovers for centuries - but now, a scientist who analysed every inch and layer of the famous portrait has discovered hidden details beneath the painter's brushstrokes.
The early 16th Century painting is arguably one of da Vinci’s most famous works and currently resides in the Louvre, in Paris. It’s estimated that 80 percent of their annual 10.2 million visitors attend to see the Mona Lisa. Scientist Pascal Cotte was asked to digitise the painting using a specialist camera, which was able to capture hidden layers beneath the portrait. From his multispectral analysis, he discovered a number of surprising details that could shatter previously held beliefs about the remarkable work.
The early 16th Century painting is arguably one of da Vinci’s most famous works and currently resides in the Louvre, in Paris. It’s estimated that 80 percent of their annual 10.2 million visitors attend to see the Mona Lisa. Scientist Pascal Cotte was asked to digitise the painting using a specialist camera, which was able to capture hidden layers beneath the portrait. From his multispectral analysis, he discovered a number of surprising details that could shatter previously held beliefs about the remarkable work.
Mr Cotte spent a decade analysing more than 1,650 images, which give intricate insight into the Mona Lisa and how da Vinci was able to create it.
He used his pioneering Layer Amplification Method (LAM) on images taken by a multispectral camera that was able to detect light reflected on 13 wavelengths – to capture the interaction between light and matter.
In the layers, he discovered a technique called spolvero had been used, which would have allowed the Italian Renaissance painter to transfer a sketch to his wooden canvas using charcoal dust.
The markings, which suggest the piece was not entirely freehand, had been discovered in other da Vinci works too.
Beneath the Mona Lisa, spolvero marks were found along the hairline and the hand, although that is not the only thing he discovered.
Just to the right of her forehead he noticed what appeared to be the top of a hairpin – a small detail that presents more questions about the work.
Mr Cotte told Express.co.uk: “This hairpin in the sky just to the right of Mona Lisa's head cannot belong to a portrait of a person because in the city of Florence this was not the fashion at the time.
“People had to be dressed in certain ways to denote their profession and for nobility respecting the colours.
“It is not possible for Mona Lisa to have hair like this, it was impossible of the time in the city of Florence.”
Mr Cotte claims this type of hairpin is more typically used for an “unreal woman like a Goddess”, as an allegory for justice or goodness, or in a painting of the Virgin Mary.
The reason for the hairpin, which was marked freehand in charcoal, will remain a mystery but it is speculated that it could have been part of another project entirely.
Mr Cotte suspects two previous works could have preceded the final Mona Lisa observed by the public today.
The spolvero marks along the forehead reveal that da Vinci did change the position of the woman’s head and her hand.
Nice to see it studied, but this has the mountain-out-of-a-molehill vibe.
Back then canvas was expensive and was reused over and over. It’s is not surprising there are pictures underneath pictures...................
Let’s not go splitting hairpins over this.
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