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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1503-1519

Mona Lisa

Leonardo da Vinci · c. 1503-1519

A half-length portrait of a Florentine lady, painted and reworked by Leonardo da Vinci over many years, now the world's most famous painting.

Painted by Leonardo himself, it is the clearest surviving example of his mature portrait technique.

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Painting of a woman with long dark hair and a subtle smile, seated with her hands folded on an armrest, in front of a hazy landscape with winding paths, a river, and mountains.
Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, c. 1503-1519. Louvre, Paris.

About this source

What it is

The Mona Lisa is an oil painting on a poplar panel made by Leonardo da Vinci, begun around 1503. It is traditionally said to show Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a Florentine silk merchant. Leonardo kept reworking it for years and it is now in the Louvre in Paris.

Why it matters

Leonardo never delivered this portrait to its original owners, instead keeping and perfecting it. It shows his famous technique of soft, hazy shading called sfumato and his skill at suggesting mood and inner life rather than just appearance.

Look closer

  • What makes the sitter's expression seem mysterious or changing?
  • Why might Leonardo have kept reworking this painting instead of handing it over?
  • What does the hazy landscape behind her add to the mood of the picture?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Leonardo da Vinci on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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