Mona Lisa (La Gioconda)
Painting on poplar wood panel • Leonardo da Vinci
Style & Movement
High Renaissance
Medium & Technique
Oil on poplar panel; utilizing sfumato (soft transitions between colors and tones) and many translucent glazes to create depth and lifelike skin tones.
Creation Period
Circa 1503–1506, with potential continued work until 1517.
Dimensions & Format
77 cm × 53 cm (30 in × 21 in); Portrait format.
Subject Description
A portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The subject is seated in a pyramid composition against an imaginary, hazy landscape. Notable for her enigmatic expression, the lack of eyebrows/eyelashes (consistent with the fashion or later cleaning), and a winding path and bridge in the background.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good (considering age), but fragile. The poplar panel has suffered some warping and there is a significant vertical crack extending from the top.
Estimated Market Value
Indeterminate / Invaluable; insurance value estimated at over $900 million (adjusted for inflation).
Auction Estimate
Not applicable; the work is legally considered 'inalienable' French heritage and cannot be sold.
Provenance History
Acquired by King Francis I of France; subsequently held in the French Royal Collection; moved to the Palace of Versailles; permanently housed in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, since 1797.
Art Historical Significance
Arguably the most famous painting in the world. It redefined portraiture through its psychological depth and innovative use of sfumato. It serves as the quintessential example of High Renaissance mastery.
Notable Features
The use of an aerial perspective in the landscape; the 'unbreakable' eye contact with the viewer; the bridge in the background (Ponte Buriano); and the absence of a visible signature (typical of Leonardo).
Condition Issues
Extensive craquelure (surface cracking), yellowing of protective varnish, a structural crack in the wood panel (stabilized), and slight darkening of pigments over centuries.
Conservation Recommendations
Displayed in a climate-controlled, bulletproof glass case with non-reflective coating. Periodic monitoring of the wood panel's stability is required; cleaning is currently avoided due to the risks to the delicate glazes.