Leonardo da Vinci’s Isleworth Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world. Art historians and other experts have analyzed and studied it for centuries. One of the most debated topics is the age difference between the Isleworth Mona Lisa and the Louvre Mona Lisa. This article will take an in-depth look at the age difference between the two paintings.
What Is The Isleworth Mona Lisa?
The Isleworth Mona Lisa is a painting of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. It got its name from Isleworth, London, where Hugh Blaker had taken it to his studio after rediscovering it. It is thought to be an inspiration for Leonardo da Vinci’s second Mona Lisa, which hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Who Was Lisa del Giocondo?
Lisa del Giocondo was born in Florence, Italy, in 1479. She married Francesco del Gicondo in 1495, and the couple had five children together. Lisa was known for her beauty and intelligence and was a popular figure in Florence society. Leonardo da Vinci is believed to have painted Lisa’s portrait with 150 observations of her over three years. The painting was never finished, and it is thought that da Vinci only ever showed the work to a few close friends. Many scholars believe that Lisa’s expression in the painting is serenity and contentment, likely due to her happy marriage and life.
Who Commissioned The Painting?
Lisa’s husband, Francesco del Gicondo, is believed to have commissioned the painting as a gift for Lisa. He likely wanted to give her the portrait to show his love and appreciation for her. Francesco del Gicondo was a wealthy silk merchant who could afford Leonardo da Vinci’s high prices. He also may have commissioned the painting to celebrate the birth of their second son, Andrea. It is unclear why Leonardo da Vinci never finished the painting, but it is thought that he was not satisfied with his work.
Why Is Lisa del Giocondo so important?
Lisa del Giocondo is crucial because she was the original inspiration for the Mona Lisa. The Isleworth Mona Lisa is the earliest version of the painting, and it is believed that Leonardo da Vinci based the famous Mona Lisa on this version. While the Louvre’s Mona Lisa is more prominent, the Isleworth Mona Lisa is a significant piece of art history.
When Was The Portrait Painted?
The precise date of the portrait is unknown, but it is thought to have been painted between 1503 and 1506. In 1513, under the patronage of Giuliano de Medici in Rome, Leonardo worked on the Louvre ‘Mona Lisa‘, using the ‘Isleworth Mona Lisa‘ portrait of Lisa del Giocondo as a model. She also modeled for his painting ‘The Madonna of the Yarnwinder‘ and other artists like Andrea del Sarto, Marco d’Oggiono, and Francesco Melzi.
The Regression Project
Leonardo likely completed the Louvre Mona Lisa in 1516. The youthful image he painted would then have had to have been “age-progressed,” reflecting how Leonardo, based on the earlier version, imagined that Lisa Del Giocondo would have looked approximately 11-12 years after he first posed her. Such a progression challenge would have been in line with his genius and the desire to test the limits of what he could achieve.
The Mona Lisa Foundation conducted a unique and innovative experiment to test this. The parameters of the project were clear, assuming the earlier version of the Mona Lisa was painted in 1503-1506 and assuming the Louvre Mona Lisa was painted in 1513-1516, this would present an age difference between the portraits of 11-12 years. Using the famous Louvre Mona Lisa as the basis, the idea was proposed to regress the woman’s age to see what she might have looked like 11-12 years earlier.
To maintain the project’s integrity, the only image the regression artists were given to work with was a high-resolution photograph of the Louvre Mona Lisa. The artist was given no prior knowledge of an earlier Mona Lisa or any other paintings. He turned the painting into a digital photograph and then manipulated it to produce an image of the subject 11-12 years earlier. After he had the results of the age regression, the artist was given high-resolution scans of the Isleworth Mona Lisa to compare the two for the first time.
The age comparison was successful, stunning even. But this further proved not only the age difference between the paintings but also helped establish that the Isleworth Mona Lisa is the earlier version of the Louvre Mona Lisa and later helped to inspire its painting.
Final Thoughts
It is fascinating to think about the age difference of the Isleworth Mona Lisa and the Louvre Mona Lisa. It is also intriguing to think about how one painting inspired the other. The two paintings are a reminder of the talent and genius of Leonardo da Vinci. They are also a reminder of the power of art to transcend time.
