MONA LISA

Many people believe me to be the most famous painting of all time. The man who painted me was certainly one of the most famous artists of all time. Leonardo da Vinci painted me during the Italian Renaissance. From 1502--the year he began painting me--until 1516, when he sold me in France to King Francois I, Leonardo kept me close by his side. He continued to work on me and perfect me throughout those years. Even though Leonardo never outwardly wrote a single word about me in his many journals, I am confident of the place I held in my artist's heart. Yes, Leonardo and I shared a SECRET. Look closely at me. You can still detect a hint of that ancient SECRET in my SMILE. Over the centuries, many great minds have struggled to learn the truth behind my SMILE. Some of their conclusions have been...well let's just say 'a bit boring'. (Here is a clue for you: Leonardo rarely did anything boring.) Others came very close to the truth....ah, but perhaps I have revealed too much here. You must do your own research, come to your own conclusions. One day, someone will put it all together.......In the meantime, today I am known as MONA LISA (or Monna Lisa). I reside at the Musee du Louvre in Paris, France. I have been studied, examined and even x-rayed! I have also been stolen and vandalized, but I have survived. Thanks to modern technology, I feel very safe and secure, now. So, if you are ever in the neighborhood, please drop by. You can be sure I will greet you with a SMILE!