5 Enigmatic Secrets of the 'Mona Lisa'

The Mona Lisa, created by Leonardo da Vinci during the early 1500s, is widely regarded as the most iconic painting globally. However, despite the extensive knowledge we have about this artwork, several unanswered questions persist. Here are five enduring mysteries that continue to surround the Mona Lisa.

1. Did Leonardo da Vinci assign a specific title to this painting?

The widespread recognition of the title Mona Lisa overshadows a critical detail: there is no proof that Leonardo ever referred to it by this name. One of the earliest references comes from the art historian Giorgio Vasari, who mentioned it in his biography of Leonardo within Lives of the Most Eminent Italian Architects, Painters, and Sculptors, often referred to as Lives of the Artists (1550). Vasari wrote, “Leonardo agreed to paint, for Francesco del Giocondo, the portrait of Mona Lisa, his wife.” This account marks the earliest known mention of the now-legendary title, though Vasari does not assert that this was the painting's official name, instead using it as a general description (“the portrait of Mona Lisa, his wife”).

The Mona part of the title is actually a misspelling of Monna, an Italian word used during that era to refer to a woman of high standing (a shortened form of mia donna, meaning “my lady” in English). Leonardo never directly referenced the painting in his personal notes, leaving it a mystery as to what title, if any, he might have personally assigned to it.

2. What is the real location of the landscape depicted in the background of the Mona Lisa?

In the Mona Lisa, the subject is positioned before a scenic backdrop of trees, winding paths, and far-off mountain peaks. The exact location of this setting, however, remains unclear. Some theories propose that the background is purely fictional, not meant to represent any real place. On the other hand, several arguments point to actual locations, such as the town of Bobbio in northern Italy, which features a bridge resembling the one in the painting, and others suggest the Arno River valley in Tuscany.

3. Why did Giorgio Vasari claim the Mona Lisa was incomplete?

Another enigma tied to the painting arises from the discrepancy between Vasari’s account in Lives of the Artists and the artwork as it stands today. A notable inconsistency is that Vasari states Leonardo never finished the painting: “After laboring on it for four years, he abandoned it unfinished.” However, the version displayed at the Louvre appears fully realized, with intricate details in both the landscape and the woman’s portrayal. One theory suggests that any incomplete aspects were later finalized by others, explaining its current state. Still, it seems improbable that the French royal court—which acquired the painting—would alter a piece by such a celebrated artist.

4. Why are only the edges of columns visible on either side of the Mona Lisa?

One of the most peculiar aspects of the painting is the inclusion of the bases of columns on both sides, without displaying the full columns. For years, this led to the assumption that the artwork had been trimmed, with parts of it lost over time (similar to other renowned paintings like Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, which was cut down in the 18th century to facilitate its display in a museum).

In the early 1990s, art historian Frank Zöllner inspected the Mona Lisa without its frame and determined that it had not been altered [PDF]. Leonardo painted the portrait on wood, not canvas, making it easier to confirm that the original material remained intact once the frame was taken off. The reason behind Leonardo’s decision to only depict the edges of the columns, rather than fully including or excluding them, remains a mystery.

5. Is it possible that Leonardo da Vinci painted multiple versions of the Mona Lisa?

A widely held belief about the Mona Lisa is that Leonardo might have created more than one rendition of it. The painting is also referred to by its Italian name, La Gioconda (meaning The Smiling One). The artist Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo, in the late 16th century, stated that “the two most exquisite and significant portraits by Leonardo are the Mona Lisa and the Gioconda.” This implies that, at the time, they were considered distinct works rather than different titles for the same piece.

The idea of another version of the portrait is further supported by a well-known sketch by Raphael, created during his visit to Leonardo’s studio. This sketch differs in certain details from the Louvre painting and distinctly features two complete columns in the background.

Following his analysis of the Louvre painting’s unaltered state in the 1990s, Zöllner proposed that Leonardo might have painted a second version of the artwork, one that included the full columns [PDF]. Several other paintings have been proposed as this alternate Gioconda, with the most notable being the “Isleworth Mona Lisa,” though none have been definitively proven to date.