When was the Mona Lisa painted?
Date, dimensions, support and place of conservation: the precise answers, with an essential distinction between the beginning of the portrait and the long years during which Leonardo reworked it.
Started in Florence, then resumed until the end of Leonardo's life.
Panel measurements without its presentation device.
A thin board, not a canvas.
Denon Wing, Level 1, States Room.
1503 is the beginning, not the end
The Louvre dates La Mona Lisa from 1503 to 1519. Leonardo probably began the portrait of Lisa Gherardini in Florence around 1503, undoubtedly at the request of her husband Francesco del Giocondo. But he does not deliver the work and keeps it with him.
He took it back during his travels and took it to France in 1516. Louvre research describes an execution continued until his death in 1519, still unfinished in certain areas. Saying "painted in 1503" is therefore too short: this date designates the start of work.
Why does the date cover sixteen years?
Florence
Leonardo begins the portrait of Lisa Gherardini. A contemporary note from Agostino Vespucci supports this dating.
A preserved work
Portrait not given to sponsor. Leonardo continues to work on light, modeling and landscape.
Departure for France
Invited by François I, Leonardo took the panel with him to Clos Lucé.
Latest states
The painting was probably acquired by Francis I in 1518; Leonardo died the following year.
A small panel with an almost natural scale
The Louvre inventory sheet gives a height of 0.794 m and a width of 0.534 m, or approximately 79.4 × 53.4 cm. With its accessories and its device, the whole reaches approximately 101 × 77 cm.
These measurements explain a paradox: The Mona Lisa appears small in the huge States Hall, but the model is represented on a scale close enough to ours to create a direct relationship.
Why poplar rather than canvas?
In Florence, the poplar panel is a common support. Leonardo painted on a fine, carefully prepared board, whose stability still conditions conservation today.
Paint and varnish
Old oxidized varnishes today form a yellow filter which notably modifies the blue of the sky and darkens the bottom of the composition.
Oil on wood
Very thin layers allow Leonardo to attenuate contours and contrasts: this is the famous effect of sfumato.
What the copy reveals
It does not replace the original, but its restored condition illuminates the garment, the veil and certain common stages of workshop work.
Where to see The Mona Lisa at the Louvre?
The Mona Lisa is exhibited at the Louvre Museum, in the Salle des Estates: Denon wing, level 1, room 711. Since 2005, it has occupied the center of the room in a secure, air-conditioned display case.
This protection is not only for safety. Poplar wood reacts to variations in humidity and temperature. The panel is slightly convex and has an old crack of approximately 11 cm extending from the upper edge.
The different dates of the Mona Lisa
| Date | What she means | Recommended wording |
|---|---|---|
| 1503 | The probable beginning of the portrait in Florence. | "Started around 1503" |
| 1503 -1506 | An important first phase of execution, often repeated in the old cartels. | Use only if it is specified that it continued afterwards. |
| 1503 - 1519 | The overall duration retained by the current Louvre file. | "Painted and reworked around 1503 -1519" |
| 1518 | The very likely acquisition by Francis I. | This is not the creation date. |
| 1797 | The entry of the work into the rooms of the Louvre open to the public. | This is not the date of entry into the royal collections. |
See full analysis and reproduction
Discover the history of the smile, landscape and flight of 1911 in our comprehensive analysis, then explore the hand-painted reproduction in the store.
The technical sheet in brief
In what year was the Mona Lisa painted?
It was started around 1503 and reworked until 1519. A single year is therefore not enough to describe its execution.
Is the Mona Lisa painted on canvas?
No. It is painted in oil on a thin poplar board.
What are its dimensions?
Approximately 79.4 cm high by 53.4 cm wide for the panel.
Where exactly is it located?
At the Louvre Museum, Denon wing, level 1, room 711 known as the Salle des Estates.
Why is it kept behind glass?
For safety, but also to maintain stable temperature and humidity around the wooden panel.
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