The Mona Lisa is an enigmatic portrait, with the question “Is she a real person?” being a major topic of discussion. Although the painting is a masterpiece, many people have questioned its authenticity. The face is sculpted with soft, subtle gradations of light and shadow and a very realistic appearance. During the Renaissance, artists often employed the technique of sfumato to create realistic skin tone. Da Vinci's use of this technique was a demonstration of his understanding of the skull underneath the skin. Several decades later, digital scans of the painting revealed that da Vinci had painted on bold eyebrows and eyelashes to the Mona Lisa. These details have faded over time and have become a focal point of decades of restoration work.
There are several theories that support the fact that Lisa was a real person, and it was a commission by Francesco del Giocondo. However, the Mona Lisa isn't sitting in front of a landscape. It's actually a portrait of a pregnant woman. Leonardo created the image based on a change in the ‘body of the Earth', which means that Lisa Gherardini was pregnant.
While the Mona Lisa was painted in Italy, many believe she is not a real person. It is believed that Giuliano de Medici commissioned Leonardo to create a second version. Today, the Mona Lisa is a symbol of the arts throughout the world and has inspired numerous studies and mockery. And yet, while her identity has been widely debated for centuries, there is still no definitive answer.
