March 09, 2013
"Mona Lisa - The Most Valuable Painting in the World"
Master French Sculptor Leonardo da Vinci delineates an example of his finest work in the Masterpiece known as “The Mona Lisa” Painting. Or what is also considered to be the most valuable painting in the world. I asked a few collectibles experts recently what would the Mona Lisa Painting sell for if it was offered at a large public auction? One of them said over a billion, the other said billions. So, I asked them why if has never sold close to that price. One of the responses I received was, money is no object to some individuals, especially since there are now well over 1,000 billionaires in the world. Many times wealthy individuals just want to have what no one else can have, especially something that is so rare and famous. Also, there are numerous large investment funds and companies with billions of dollars behind them that it wouldn’t be surprising to see them buy the Mona Lisa if it it was ever up for sale.
Now back to the Mona Lisa Painting, Da Vinci began to design the painting circa 1500 but it wasn’t completed until 1519. To this day, the Mona Lisa Painting has surprisingly survived for over 510 years and it is undoubtedly, the most significant and most valuable work of art in the entire world!
Mysterious Clues Surround the Mona Lisa Painting
There remain many hidden clues and unknown details about the provenance of the painting. For instance, over the past five decades there have been numerous interpretations made of the true identity of the woman portrayed in the painting. Some scholars suggest that it depicts da Vinci and that he drew himself as a woman in the painting.
Some of the reasons that the painting is so mysterious is that there is very little information about this significant piece of art, including its provenance or who it actually depicts. One thing we are certain is that da Vinci, one of the world’s most prestigious and most talented artist of all time, considered this his masterpiece. The painting unquestionably has a lot of mystique and for centuries different people have interpreted the portrait differently.
Surprisingly it only measures 21 by 30 inches or about the size of a cereal box. Some believe the illustrations is that of a woman from the renaissance age. Whatever the case is, her image remains as one of the most controversial images in existence. Some also believe it could have been Da Vinci’s girlfriend depicted on this art piece.
Da Vinci called it his true masterpiece indicating it was his finest work of art he had ever done. The color and appearance make it stand out unlike most ordinary paintings. It is said to be a very memorable painting because once you see it, it will probably remain in your mind for a very long time. Interestingly, if people are familiar with one famous painting most of the time their answer will be the Mona Lisa. Unlike a coin or other famous collectibles. If you ask a coin collector what the most famous coin or expensive coin in the world you will get different answers. Some will say it’s a 1943 copper penny, while others will say it’s an 1804 Dollar, etc. When it comes to paintings, hands down there is no painting that even comes close to the familiarity and recognition of the Mona Lisa.
Her name originates from two Egyptian goddesses, one male and the other female. The da Vinci code is also a very famous quote suggesting that their are hidden messages encrypted within the sketch. it is said that there are secret art dots layered within the crevices of the painting created when originally being painted to form optical illusions. Some say that her smile indicates she’s hiding something.
The painting shows a woman now called Mona Lisa dressed in Florentine fashion, something popular in that era. She is sitting on a visionary landscape with mountains in the background. The portrait also shows soft shaded brushing techniques that were used by Da Vinci when meticulously sketching this piece of art. When looking at the master piece, it shows continuous and consistent gradual interaction between the light and shades within the portrait.
On August 21, 1911 someone stole the Mona Lisa from the Salon Carre in the Louvre. It turned out that an eployee of the Museum Louvre stole it by hiding it in a room closet and later walked out with it under his coat when the museum was closed. Two years later, it was misteriously discovered in a hotel in Florence.
In 1956, a vandal splashed acid on the painting ruining a portion towards the bottom of the painting. Months later, on December 30, 1956 a different vandal by the name of Ungaza Villesgas threw a rock at it and also damaged the left elbows. It was later repainted and the damage is no longer visible. At least two other instances visitors have tried to damage it but fortunately, for many years the painting has resided inside a bullet proof glass.