Mona Lisa

Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' is not just a painting; it's a global icon, widely celebrated as the most famous, visited, and written-about artwork in history. Painted between 1503 and 1506, though Leonardo may have continued refining it until 1517, this half-length portrait is an archetypal masterpiece of the High Renaissance. It's traditionally believed to depict Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, commissioned possibly to celebrate their new home or the birth of their second son. The painting's renown stems from several novel qualities, most notably the subject's enigmatic smile, the monumentality of its composition, Leonardo's subtle modeling of forms (sfumato), and the atmospheric illusionism of the landscape. Its fame was dramatically amplified by its 1911 theft from the Louvre, an event that generated unprecedented publicity and cemented its place in popular culture, inspiring songs, films, and countless parodies. This oil on white poplar panel painting was acquired by King Francis I of France after Leonardo's death in 1519 and has been a prized possession of the French Republic ever since, typically displayed at the Louvre.