Mona Lisa’s famously enigmatic smile has fascinated viewers for centuries. Among her first admirers was King François I, who invited Leonardo da Vinci to France and bought the painting from him in 1518. This is how the world’s most famous painting entered the royal collections that have been shown at the Louvre since the French Revolution.

Feb 7, 2025 · Mona Lisa, oil painting on a poplar wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci, probably the world’s most famous painting. It was painted sometime between 1503 and 1519, when Leonardo was living in Florence, and it now hangs in the Louvre Museum, Paris, where it remained an object of pilgrimage in the 21st century.

The Mona Lisa (/ ˌ m oʊ n ə ˈ l iː s ə / MOH-nə LEE-sə; Italian: la Gioconda [la dʒoˈkonda] or Monna Lisa [ˈmɔnna ˈliːza]; French: la Joconde [la ʒɔkɔ̃d]) is a half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci.

Five centuries after Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa (1503–19), the portrait hangs behind bulletproof glass within the Louvre Museum and draws thousands of jostling spectators each day.

The Mona Lisa is much more than just a painting, it's a cultural icon. Learn how Leonardo da Vinci created this iconic image and why it's so famous.

Aug 4, 2024 · Leonardo da Vinci, Portrait of Mona Lisa del Giocondo, 1503-1506, Louvre, Paris, France. Detail. The Mona Lisa is an icon and masterpiece featured in numerous movies, television shows, and music videos. It is famous for being Leonardo da Vinci’s favorite painting that he carried until he died.

The Mona Lisa painting is one of the most emblematic portraits in the history of art, where is located at the Louvre. Painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century, it joined the collections of the court of France before being added to the works on display at the Louvre Museum.

Jan 23, 2025 · Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Mona Lisa, the world’s most famous, recognizable, and copied artwork, has a storied history. Painted between 1503 and 1519, it was owned by French royalty for centuries.

Jan 28, 2025 · Crowd of tourists with their phones in hand, taking photos of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa inside the Louvre Museum in Paris, France on June 7, 2024. Antoine Boureau/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images

Jan 28, 2025 · Speaking in front of Leonardo da Vinci’s 16-century masterpiece itself, Mr. Macron also said that the Louvre would create a new entrance in its easternmost facade, near the Seine River, to ...