Oldest known copy of the ‘Mona Lisa’ (re)discovered in Spain

Conservators at the Prado in Madrid recently made an astonishing discovery. They announced yesterday that the painting assumed to be a replica of the Mona Lisa, had actually been painted by one of his key pupils, working alongside the master. The picture is more than just a studio copy – it changed as Leonardo developed his original composition.

The so-called “Mona Lisa of the Prado” has long been in the museum’s collection, tucked away in its vaults and displayed only occasionally, its significance not fully understood. The experts thought it was painted by some Dutch artist because they assumed it was painted on oak (a wood not used by Florentine painters), but actually it was painted on walnut. In size, it is close to that of the original: the Louvre’s painting is 77cm x 53cm and the Prado’s copy 76cm x 57cm.

Although part of the Royal Collection and recognized as a copy of the Mona Lisa, the background had been painted over in black for unknown reasons sometime in the late 18th century, therefore ruining the aesthetic and disguising its importance. As the later paint layers were stripped away, the appearance of a Tuscan landscape in remarkable condition and of such striking resemblance to the original led to further investigations being made.

Infrared tests yielded an even bigger surprise: Sketch marks known as underdrawings mirrored those on Leonardo’s panel, suggesting that the painter of the replica had worked alongside the Renaissance master. Among the many apprentices da Vinci took under his wing throughout his career, he had particularly close relationships with aspiring artists Francesco Melzi and Andrea Salai; the latter even inherited the “Mona Lisa” after his mentor’s death. Experts have named both men as potential painters of the Prado copy.

The replica provides clearer details of features obscured in the original, notably frilly edging on the neckline of Mona Lisa’s garment, a sheer veil draped across her left shoulder, arm and elbow, and a sharper depiction of the spindles of the chair in which she is seated. The original Mona Lisa has lost a lot of its colour, which is why it has that dark-brown, honeyed quality to it. The deterioration is probably down to Leonardo’s painstaking technique, which involved building up the paint in infinitely thin layers, over a matter of years; it is also covered by layers of varnish that have badly discoloured, making the woman appear much older than her true age. Because of its fragility, cleaning and restoration has long been considered to be too risky. Art historians believe the Prado’s Mona Lisa reveals her as she would have looked at the time – a radiant young woman in her early 20s.

 

The “Mona Lisa” is believed to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy cloth merchant, Francesco del Giocondo, who lived in Florence around the start of the 16th century. The Prado plans to display its find this month before sending it to Paris to hang side by side with the original, at a Leonardo exhibit in March.