The secret of the smile of the mysterious picture… Why did it take 12 years to create Mona Lisa's lips?
The Mona Lisa painting was hung in the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1804. But even till the 19th century, there was not much crowd to see it. Then on 21 August 1911, the fate of the painting changed. On this day, the painting was stolen from the museum, after which Mona Lisa became famous all over the country.
It took 14 years to make the Mona Lisa painting.Image Credit: Pixabay
Mona Lisa created by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous paintings in the world. Every day lakhs of people visit the Louvre Museum in Paris to see this painting. But it was not always like this. When Mona Lisa disappeared on 21 August 1911, no one even noticed for a whole day that the painting had been stolen. Let us know what is the secret of the smile of this painting.
Mona Lisa is one of the first paintings in which a sitting subject is shown in front of an imaginary landscape. The painting has been appreciated in the art world since the beginning. But there is a different kind of craze about its smile. It attracts everyone. Interestingly, Leonardo da Vinci took 12 years to create only the lips of Mona Lisa.
Why did it take 12 years to create Mona Lisa's lips?
Leonardo da Vinci, born in Italy, started painting Mona Lisa in 1503. It was completed in 1517 after 14 years. It is also said that Leonardo da Vinci did not complete this picture. After his death in 1519, his colleagues completed it.
Why did Mona Lisa take so long? Some people say that Da Vinci used to do many things at the same time. Da Vinci was known for starting, stopping and starting again and leaving work incomplete and doing many things at the same time. Apart from being a painter, he was also a sculptor, architect, musician, engineer and scientist.
The secret of Mona Lisa's smile?
Many people wonder on seeing Mona Lisa's lips - is she laughing, or is she smiling ironically. Leonardo's biographer Giorgio Vasari has written that when Leonardo used to paint, he used to call singers and musicians to keep Madam Lisa happy, so that the sadness that painters often show in their paintings does not appear on her face. But some people believe that she is sad.
According to the report, a doctor from Japan had said about the painting that the secret of Mona Lisa's smile is the two broken teeth in her upper jaw. Because of this, her upper lip appears pressed on one side, which we unknowingly consider as Mona Lisa's smile.
According to some scientists, Mona Lisa's mysterious smile depends on which part of the eye sees it first. They believe that our eyes are sending mixed signals to the brain. Dr. Luis Martinez says that Mona Lisa's smile depends on which cells in the retina capture the image and through which channel the image is going to the brain.
How was the Mona Lisa painting stolen?
Mona Lisa's painting was stolen on 21 August 1911. One of these thieves was an employee in the museum. The thieves believed that since Leonardo da Vinci was from Italy, this painting must be in Italy. At the same time, the museum guard thought that Mona Lisa's painting must have been taken somewhere for artwork. When the painting was not seen even the next day, the guard got suspicious. He inquired from people and it was confirmed that the painting had been stolen. In the evening, the police also confirmed this news.
The police expected that the thief would call for ransom within 48 hours, but even after 2 days, the police did not receive any ransom call. The theft of the Mona Lisa painting became such a big news that the French Cabinet called a meeting on this matter.
The painting was searched everywhere. A big reward was also announced for the person who found the painting. The police distributed 6 thousand posters of Mona Lisa among the people. But the painting was not found for two years. Then with the help of an art dealer, the police finally caught the thief. When the painting returned, lakhs of people visited the Louvre Museum. According to a statistic, more than one lakh people visited the museum in two days just to see Mona Lisa.