Buzz
Art is often viewed as a personal experience, in contrast to science's reliance on clear-cut facts. However, a group of neuroscientists claim to have uncovered a definitive answer regarding Leonardo da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa. Their research suggests the woman in the painting is presenting a forced smile.
In a study published in the journal Cortex, a team of researchers from the U.S. and Europe aimed to explore the enigmatic smile of the painting's subject, believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of the man who commissioned the portrait. To analyze her expression, they created altered images of Mona Lisa's face by splitting it in half and mirroring one side to generate full smiles. Then, 42 participants were asked to categorize the emotions conveyed by these altered images, choosing from six options. The results showed that 39 participants identified the left side as expressing happiness, while none of them described the right side as happy. Instead, most deemed it neutral, and five even thought it expressed disgust.
Conclusion? The smile's happiness was evident only on the left side, making it asymmetrical and 'non-genuine.'
Building on their observation that the Mona Lisa's face seems devoid of expression around the cheeks and eyes, the researchers hypothesized that the woman in the painting might be conveying insincerity. They suggest that Leonardo likely took his model's neutral expression and subtly added a smirk on the left side. Perhaps Gherardini struggled to maintain a contented face throughout the lengthy sittings. They also propose that Leonardo might have been aware that an asymmetrical smile was often perceived as fake and deliberately chose to depict it to provoke a stronger reaction from viewers.
Of course, it's also possible that none of these theories are accurate. Like many masterpieces, its true meaning might remain a mystery for at least another five centuries.
