🤔 Today's Trivia Question:

Who Painted the Mona Lisa?

Correct Answer: A) Leonardo da Vinci

 🎨 Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa: A Portrait of Mystery and Mastery

The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait painting by the renowned Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered one of the quintessential masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, it is famous for its subject's mysterious expression, the artist’s masterful composition, and the illusionistic quality that makes the figure appear almost lifelike. Painted in oil on a white poplar panel, the portrait is widely believed to depict Lisa del Giocondo, an Italian noblewoman.

The painting was completed between 1503 and 1517, though it was never delivered to the Giocondo family. After Leonardo’s death in 1519, King Francis I of France acquired the artwork, and since 1797 it has been displayed at the Louvre in Paris.

The Mona Lisa gained worldwide fame after its sensational theft in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia, an event that stirred public fascination and influenced many cultural depictions, including an opera and several films. The painting’s legacy grew, and it became the most visited and recognized work of art globally. Its insurance valuation in 1962 was a staggering $100 million, a sum that would equal $1 billion today, solidifying its status as one of the most valuable paintings in the world.