Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is arguably the most famous painting in the world. Painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1519, it depicts a half-length portrait of a woman widely believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo. The painting is renowned for its subject's enigmatic expression, which has fascinated viewers for over five centuries.

Leonardo employed his revolutionary sfumato technique, creating soft, imperceptible transitions between colors and tones that give the figure an almost lifelike quality. The atmospheric landscape behind the sitter, with its winding paths and misty bridges, adds to the painting's dreamlike quality. The work demonstrates Leonardo's mastery of oil painting and his deep understanding of human anatomy and psychology.

Acquired by King Francis I of France, the Mona Lisa has been a permanent fixture of the French royal collection and later the Louvre since the museum's opening. Today it hangs behind bulletproof glass in the Salle des États, visited by approximately 10 million people annually, making it the most visited artwork in the world.