Removing the mystery of the Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world, and she has been in the spotlight again recently as scientists attempt to identify who the subject really was – but have they crossed a line?

“There is some doubt as to whether analysing centuries-old bones can be conclusive and it seems unnecessary to disrupt her grave of an Italian noblewoman who died almost 500 years ago if this is the case”

Leonardo Da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa sometime in 1503 or 1504, taking until 1519 to complete what has become perhaps the most well-known painting in the world. In the 500 years since, the painting has come under questioning as art historians and scientists alike try to unlock her secrets.

The current line of inquiry is an attempt to figure out who Leonardo’s model was. It is widely accepted that she was Lisa del Giocondo – or Lisa Gherardini if using her maiden name. She was the wife of Italian silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, who supposedly commissioned the painting to celebrate the birth of their second child.

According to her recently discovered death certificate Lisa died in 1542 and was laid to rest in Saint Orsola convent in Florence – thought to be the home of her daughter Marietta – where she has rested for the last 469 years.

Her body will be exhumed from the abandoned Saint Orsola so art historian Silvano Vinceti can extract DNA from her skull and use it to rebuild her face using carbon dating, DNA analysis and forensic techniques. A group led by Vincenti has already constructed the faces of some artists on the basis of their skulls, and claim to have identified the bones of Italian Renaissance artist Caravaggio – and a possible cause of his mysterious death.

“We can put an end to a centuries-old dispute and also understand Leonardo’s relations to his models,” Vincenti said. “To him, painting also meant giving a physical representation to the inner traits of their personalities.”

While it is interesting to think that we may be able to use state-of-the-art scientific techniques to determine whether or not Lisa really was Leonardo’s model – a line has surely been crossed. There is some doubt as to whether analysing centuries-old bones can be conclusive and it seems unnecessary to disrupt her grave of an Italian noblewoman who died almost 500 years ago if this is the case.

And do we really need to need to dig up what are thought to be Lisa’s bones if her identity has already been confirmed? In 2005, a library expert from the University of Heidelberg discovered a note written by Agostino Vespucci in 1503 stating that Da Vinci was indeed painting Lisa del Giocondo.

It’s not the first time – and probably won’t be the last – the Mona Lisa has come under scientific scrutiny. Her enigmatic smile has often been the subject of enquiry – was she really smiling, and how was she feeling as she was painted? We will never know, but research from 2003 suggests the mysterious smile is so enigmatic it disappears the more you look at it because of the way the human eye processes visual information.

“The elusive quality of the Mona Lisa's smile can be explained by the fact that her smile is almost entirely in low spatial frequencies, and so is seen best by your peripheral vision,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone from Harvard University.

Whether or not Lisa was painted with eyebrows has been another cause for questioning, and in 2007 a 240 megapixel scan showed Lisa had eyebrows and eyelashes in Leonardo’s original painting – and was holding a blanket – all of which restoration has obliterated. In 2010, scientists used x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to determine the composition and thickness of each layer Da Vinci painted. It also provided new information on sfumato – the way in which Da Vinci and other Renaissance artists produced a delicate graduation in tones and colour across the canvas.

While science has proved to be useful in learning how Leonardo – and other painters – created their masterpieces, and the best ways to preserve them for future generations, but surely a line has been crossed when the bones of a woman who died almost 500 years are being dug up. Analysis of the bones will probably be inconclusive so we’ll be no closer to finding the answer, and maybe the fact that we’ll never know adds to the mystery surrounding the magnificent Mona Lisa.