The Mona Lisa Mystery 

The funny thing is I wouldn't be surprised if we brought him back and he said " both where painted by my students. I had more important things to do"

Sean Pertwee could narrate a HR policy and procedures manual and make it sound mysterious.

Fell asleep to this 5 nights in a row. Mystery? 10/10. Nerd factor? 10/10. Unintentional ASMR? 11/10

Seems to me that the evidence is telling us the design may have been a sort of work-study exercise where Leonardo taught his students principles he needed them to know.

The idea that the second painting rests hidden in a vault feels like a crime. Art, without being seen, has no purpose.

I like the idea that while experimenting with canvas for Giacondo's portrait he painted the unfinished version and then years later, using his refined techniques to create the Louvre version. A quotation that I got online some time back from Leornado (allegedly) seems to fit the bill: "Art is never finished, only abandoned."

Back in art history in high school, i remember being taught that Leonardo had something like 7 Mona Lisa's spread around his home, studio, and travel packs, that he kind of worked on each over time, improving them until he reached the perfection of the Louvre version.

Did anyone think that Leonardo wanted to fulfill his promise of the portrait to the family so he started painting a second one to send to them with Mona Lisa aged slightly because it had been years later. Sometimes when people get toward the end of their life they think of the things they never finished and try to get things done.

I got to see an amazing exhibit of Leonardo's notebooks and diagrams in Montreal in the late 80s. He waa so much more than a portrait painter.

20:45 i‘m slightly disappointed that none of the costume designers gave that actress a veil. if you look closely at the Mona Lisa paintings you can see the lady portrayed wearing a delicate piece of cloth over her hair

Douglas Adams wrote a Doctor Who episode about multiple Mona Lisa paintings in 1979

It's said that he carried the painting everywhere he went, evidently it was special to him

Oooh i just started watching this, Art, Mystery, History, and Leonardo, what more is needed? Wonderful.

personally, i've never seen the mona lisa as this amazing piece of artwork. i'll admit, i've never seen it person so my opinion is just that, an opinion, but when i compare it to some of his other works, even drawings, i find them to be much higher quality.

One thing is certain, unlike several abandoned and unfinished works by the somewhat vagabond artist, the Mona Lisa was finished. The painting was certainly started by Leonardo Da Vinci. But it is not possible to say whether he himself finished the painting.

46:34 explaining Leonardo da Vinci with the Ponte Vecchio in the background is a feast for the eyes 😍 bravo

A very fascinating film documentary. I love the detail of the history of these people.

Fantastic series DW! Awesome production!

It's fascinating how contemporary experts claim to have a profound understanding of a man who lived about 500 years ago, arguably more than those who were his contemporaries. Leonardo da Vinci was an artist with innovative ideas about machinery that he largely kept to himself and rarely shared. After his passing, even his apprentice discarded many of his notebooks, seeing no value in them. Yet, today's "scholars" believe they can decipher every thought that crossed his mind with each stroke of his brush. Like many brilliant minds, Leonardo was likely prone to distraction and quickly lost interest once he had figured out a concept, moving on to the next idea without completing the previous project. This trait is common among creative geniuses who excel in conceptualizing but may not follow through to completion. The experts who claim to thoroughly understand him are the same ones who find shapes in the stars and animals in the clouds, attempting to convince themselves and others of their existence.

there is also a Mona Lisa by da Vinci in Prado, Madrid ;)

Leonardo looks like Sean Connery at the beginning of The Rock 😄😄😄

History of art is as fascinating as intriguing!!!! Is beautiful 👏

The Mona Lisa has always puzzled me. It may have represented the pinnacle of artistic technique of its era, yet I fail to find her portrayal appealing. To me, she appears quite ordinary and seems disinterested (I imagine she would be, if she indeed was a real person posing for the painting). Her fame and appreciation seemed minimal until the painting's theft in 1911. There are other paintings of women that I find far more captivating, such as "The Girl with the Pearl Earring."

Crucial, yet missing information? The film contains a rather detailed discussion about missing eye lashes & brows from the Louvre Mona Lisa. However, there isn't a single word on this topic regarding the other, unfinished painting. This seems like a significant omission. In fact, without some declaration that the "unfinished" version DOES depict those features, the entire discussion seems quite pointless & irrelevant to me. Anyone else have any thoughts, opinions or perspectives about this?

It was with him at the end of his life. I've read before that there are records of him having the painting with him whenever he relocated. And other mentions of him destroying one and starting over.

Very interesting. My uncle was an artist,who painted prtraits and many temples in South India,going to those places. He would have been so very interested!

Great DW docu! Big thanks!

Fascinating! Thanks 🙏

An eerie new chapter in a story we all thought we knew.

It's my belief that, like some artists,, Leonardo was a procrastinator at certain times (most-likely when pressured by lack of time or lack of money). He probably started the younger version within the same year as he was commissioned, but was unable to complete it in the manner he so wished. As time passed, and both artist and subject grew older, Leonardo re-painted his subject on a fresh canvas by first using the original painting as the sitting subject, and then filling-in the altered details with a sitting of the lady herself (which would have been the appropriate way to do it. No need to sit through an entire sitting twice.) Why no record?? Because they most-likely had an agreement of sorts, which did not include an exchange of money.

One thing I question is: the background of the Mona Lisa is unfinished. I believe da Vinci intentionally left in this somewhat transparent blurred condition for two reasons..First the misty background focuses our attention on the face of the Mona Lisa. Secondly when they speak of Leonardo's later life focusing on subtle transparent glazes, that individual brush strokes are no longer visible and how important the revelation of misty-like light was in revealing form to him. I put forth the theory that he attempted to capture the misty background of the Mona Lisa (which is indeed very thin paint) in heavier, and therefore more stable, paint. And that, very misty quality, led him into further investigations. I must acknowledge that elusive background has always fascinated me, perhaps even more than the enigmatic smile on the portrait itself.

Truly excellent program! In it I learned how the Master created the alluring effect of the Mona Lisa’s eyes following mine as I walked up to it when exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Da Vinci achieved this thrilling effect by the repeated application of fine thin layers of the unique varnish he created to enhance the portrait’s eyes. Testimony to his genius and painstaking work. Viewing the old girl from a distance behind thick bullet proof glass at the Louvre today would be disappointing !

What’s the point of watching this program and we don’t have a clear cut answer if both paintings were the works of Leonardo.

Thank you for your Exquisite presentation ❤🎉

I like the fact that the general population are in admiration in front of an Art piece. It brings an avenue of culture into the lives of average people. I do not share any emotion personally in front of that painting. I do admire,on the other hand, sculptures by Michelangelo, or paintings by Turner.

Thank you, amazing documentary ;-)

Since the mona lisa is not signed and there is no trace of a commission , how do we know she is even painted by da Vinci?

These stories always end with , “gee I don’t know.”

A genuine Mona Lisa mystery in 2024? Bah! And yet... incredible! Thank you.

I wasn't aware of the histogram evidence, and it's intriguing. In the same way that computer textual analysis has been able to untangle the authorship of Shakespeare's disputed works, this technique seems to hold the promise of untangling the origin of many disputed paintings. But then we hear the restorer claiming that the state of preservation of the Isleworth version is virtually impossible. It's all very confusing...

A great show about the 2 Mona Lisa's but it casually mentions for just a moment the 3rd one in Madrid. Wish it covered more of that to balance it out.

This video hinted at, but ultimately dodged the question of where MLII spent 400 years. Fine art authentication has, as one of its main pillars, the question of chain of ownership and custody from creation to present day. It seems highly unlikely that a fine portrait by one of the world's greatest artists, would spend 400 years entirely hidden, then show up unexpectedly in provincial England. If it existed for 400 years _somebody_ owned it, and surely at least _some_ of it's owners would have hung it on their wall. 🤔

Thank you. It was very interesting.

Incredible doc, congrats

When I visited Shanghai in 2016, the second Mona Lisa was on exhibit there. It's very beautiful, and I got to spend more time than I could if I went to the Louvre. Only a few people were there so it felt like a private showing. Silly me, I should have taken a selfie.

All the opinions presented in this video, It seems to suggest that the Isleworth Mona Lisa is the also thr work of Da VInci especially considering the fact that Raphael drew a sketch of the Mona Lisa he saw at Leonardo's Studio with 2 columns, and Physicist John Asmus is 99% certain that the Isleworth Mona Lisa and the Mona Lisa at the Louvre were done by the same Artist

Lovely doc!!!!!!❤ thamks for this!!!! I like the fact that we may never know her secrets!!!!❤ I think it's supposed to be that way!❤

🎨🔍 Unraveling the enigma of the Mona Lisa! Join the investigation into one of art's greatest mysteries. Let's delve into the secrets behind her enigmatic smile! 🕵‍♂🖼

In every painted portrait the presence of the painter appears, it can be clearly seen using the senses, not just the eyes. Those who authenticate a painting should definitely paint, to experience this, in my opinion.🎨🖌️

Fascinating!

Amazing info

Leonardo painted portrait like works always using the camera obscura. To show Leonardo standing behind a canvas is incorrect. "Enlightenment" in art literally means "using sun light" and that was possible specifically when using the first photographic equipment developed - camera obscura. VERY IMPORTANT... and not in the video!!

Leonardo was left-handed, surely his brush strokes will be a tell tale sign as if he had done any other Mona Lisas.

These things are so precious and so at risk for loss as time goes by that anything created in the presence and studio of DaVinci should be considered just as important and as the work done by the master himself.

i feel that Da Vinci used the Isleworth as a testing bed for new techniques when he was trying out canvas painting and the Mona Lisa was his finished piece after carrying it around for years OR the Isleworth was a copy by one of his students, if this is the case he might have used the Mona Lisa as a teaching base for students and workers, which would be why he carried it around for years

I still don't get why people find the painting so great..

I can't prevent to feel the damage done to the Artwork being tested with scraping. 😢

Painted at least 5 versions Myself. Can see two now without turning My head. My Best I call 'Mon Lisa' Mano Lisa Is stupendous!

Funny thing about the Mona Lisa, when I was growing up I remember a clear controversy over it, how she was not smiling and people really thought that was weird! Like any time you heard about Mona Lisa her smile was mentioned, or lack thereof I suppose. But now, she's smiling. Clearly. Easy to see. She's clearly smiling. It's not the Mona Lisa with a straight face that I remember.

I'm certainly no art expert, but he mentioned that each artist had their own preferred recipes for mixing their pigment. Was Da Vinci's recipe not known? Could they not simply test a sample of one painting recipe to the other? Too simple? 🤔🤨

It is a myth propagated by the art market and academia that no one could ever paint as well as Leonardo, Rembrandt (etc etc). There are scores, if not hundreds, of people who can do so at any one time. Many artists have the fame they do merely because they were the first to paint in a certain manner - this never means that they are also the last who are able to do so.

It seems like going after each painting differently is great. The hint is having everything set up. The same gives less variables which may have irritated some other painters because of its consistency and therefore it couldn't recreate his work.

My cousin Ray Ray got the 3rd one. Thrifted it during his European tour back in 1998.

Breathless commentary! Dramatic music! I'm not a teenage boy. Actually I'm all grown up. In fact I'm too old for this juvenile presentation.

Maybe Raphael painted the 2nd one?!

Absolutely genuine

Personally, I think the answer was answered in the early part of this video. Someone made the comment "it looks like a younger version of the subject of the Mona Lisa", and I think it was. Why not? Why wouldn't he choose to go back at a later date and try to recreate his earlier work just because? A lot of artist do just that. I would imagine the woman in the paint would have been more than happy to sit again for the painting, making it possible. As for why the younger looking version is less ravaged by time, probably due to it being left with the subject of the painting, someone who would have cherished the painting and made sure there was little to no damage allowed, while the second painting was not for her but for Leonardo. Which means she or her husband probably didn't commissioned the second one, so Leonardo therefore kept it. I mean the video points out that via forensic study, the paintings are almost certainly done by the same person, so Leonardo doing 2 paints of the exact same person, 20 years apart in the exact same setting makes perfect sense.

The Mona Lisa isn't even all that good... It's litterally just a painting but, people go crazy over it. Lame...

So nothing… we don’t know and that’s it. Bravo…

If you look at a lot of Canaletto Paintings,a lot of the people in the pictures of different locations have the same characters in them,which were painted by Canaletto's assista nts,so it wasn't just Leonardo getting others assisting him.

The work is impressive - especially considering it was made by a turtle!

Proof it‘s fake: No eyebrows, no lashes. While both has been removed in early cleanings at the Louvre-ML, the other one hasn‘t been cleaned but is in perfect condition. Who would believe that Leonardo (or any of his lads) would ever have painted the picture of a woman and forget to add her brows and lashes. A joke.

Interesting stuff. 🖼🎨🖌

From way back when there were still fascinating and captivating science and history etc. programmes on TV with depth and real content presented by great hosts instead of the often very superficial, silly and dumbed down stuff that we are mostly getting these days 😊

I think 'Isleworth' is not Izzellworth, but 'Ailworth' or Eyelworth

Sean Connery, such an artist!

Perfectly preserved majesty that needs no explanation really. He practiced and then perfected. Plenty of artists do.

I feel Da Vinci drew young Mona first than in years, he finished her as we see her now as a matured woman.

there are at least 2, possibly more, works that da Vinci decided to approach twice. the Virgin of the Rocks. St Anne with the Virgin and Child has two versions, one unfinished. why not a Gioconda?

Is that Sean Connery has Leonardo Davinci?

To me it looks like she’s trying to be serious but is young so she is about to break into a smile. Another way I’ve seen it is that she looks like she is smirking at you.

Amazing! Perhaps there are two paintings of Mona Lisa by the same artist Leonardo! He was a scientist after all experimenting with different glazes. I am a painter who has presented some paintings at the Met. in NY and an inventor with US Patents. I have sometimes used two of the same paintings with mixtures and glazes to see the outcome! Thanks to this information that I never knew existed. Victor Roland Vargas Mousaa

Did Leonardo use modern paintbrushes? Come on DW if talking about a master of precision, at least apply some yourself as well! 10:10

Factually, there are 3 Madonna della Rocca by Leonardo and the only one that is 100 % by his hand is tye one innthe National gallery

What a very interesting video. I enjoyed it very much. Leonardo was so talented in so many ways. An artist, inventor, and possibly an author. Who knows what paintings are out there that we don’t know about that he had something to do with them.

I'm Mona Lisa. I look just like her. I was so embarrassed growing up being told that. Mona Lisa is ugly. I've learned to love what I look like though. I wonder why I look so much like her.

How do I block this channel? This user releases false information and misinformation.

this was a surprisingly good watch

A 'second' Mona Lisa? Aren't there eight or so altogether? Must watch this when I finish work.

interesting da Vinci is painting on stretched canvas. The Mona Lisa (as described) was on a wood panel.

similarly, scientific research work is always done by graduate students and post-docs, even though the full professional is the grant principal investigator and guides the direction of the work

I remember from my youth the smile being less pronounced than painting of today I use to stare at the pic examining the smile

Was there in the Musee Louvre looking at the painting just a week ago. The viewing distance from the Mona Lisa painting has increased significantly over the years. I didn't measure the distance but, belt type stanchion barriers are now keeping spectators at least 13 feet /4 meters away from the work. The wall that the painting hangs on now has been painted a darkish blueish color.

to me it just seems like a demonstration of the difference in using a cooler palette (original) and warmer palette ('second' mona lisa). It would explain the brighter complexion on her face, youth, the nicer smile. Whilst the original seems grey and sad and aging. Also, most aspects of the two paintings are very similar, such as the positioning of the hair, her pose, her garment, further suggesting that this was probably used to demonstrate and compare certain techniques and styles.

I actually prefer the alternative version. Would love to see it too

24:08ish Nice Touch.The background portrait is a DaVinci. St. John

"City of death" from the tom baker doctor who Era, makes it allll cleeaarrr.

Honestly, if there was a recorded ten year difference in the time he was working on the Mona Lisa, I would believe that the second painting is just a painting he made of the same woman ten years earlier

There are multiple Mona Lisa paintings. One of them hangs in Musée des beaux-arts de la ville de Quimper. It's a small beautiful museum in Quimper, Brittany. Well worth visiting. PS this version was painted by one of Leonardo's students.

Amazing puzzle 🤔