The Mona Lisa with her secret smile is the most debated painting in the world. Even a lay man who has no sense of art history knows about the Mona Lisa painting. Some people like the Mona Lisa because of the secrets hidden behind it. Some are enthralled by Mona Lisa's secretive smile. But historians and art experts read much more into this world renowned painting than mere aesthetics. A varied crowd of people gather at the Louvre museum in Paris to see this painting all the time.
The Mona Lisa is also famous because it is rumoured to be legendary painter Leonardo Da Vinci's favourite work. In fact, he carried it wherever he went. This painting's proximity to its creator has given rise to many conspiracy theories. These conspiracy theories range from the identity of the woman in the painting to the presence of secret clues in the Mona Lisa.
Mona Lisa's secret has been debated for many centuries. The painting has survived for 500 years after Leonardo Da Vinci died. But the conspiracy theories about Mona Lisa and the secret clues in it have caught on after Dan Brown's novel 'Da Vinci Code' was published. This best selling historic fiction novel raised a lot of controversial questions about the identity of Mona Lisa and the secret of her smile.
Here are some of the hottest conspiracy theories that have been propounded upon the Mona Lisa.
The Mysterious Smile
Most people find Mona Lisa's smile very mysterious. She seems to be smiling and yet her eyes are sad. It is the smile that led the conspiracy theorist to deduce that there are secret clues in the Mona Lisa.
Was Mona Lisa Pregnant?
Mona Lisa's tummy does have hint of a baby bump and she is sitting with her hands folded to hide it. And the original Lisa del Giocondo was indeed pregnant with her second child when she was painted!
Mona Lisa Was A Man
Some theorists have found the stature of Mona Lisa overtly manly. The fact that she has no hint of bosom has led many people to believe that Mona Lisa was actually an effeminate man.
Mona Lisa Was Leonardo's Mom
Some historical testimonies also suggest that Leonardo might have painted the Mona Lisa in likeness of his mother, Caterina Da Vinci.
Mona Lisa Was Da Vinci Himself!
Some theorists also believe that Mona Lisa might have been a young and beardless version of Leonardo Da Vinci himself. The painting has amazing similarities with his self portrait.
Amon And Elisa: Men And Woman
Some historians have also claimed that Mona Lisa is a combination of a man and woman. The Latin words Amon and Elisa combine to form Mona Lisa. That makes Mona Lisa a hermaphrodite.
Why No Eyebrows?
Mona Lisa looks strange because she has absolutely no facial hair. Even her eyebrows are plucked clean. Some historians say that it was customary for noble women to shave their eyebrows in the 16th century though.
The Golden Triangle
Some theorists believe that the Mona Lisa is perfect in terms of symmetry. It forms the ancient symbol of the chalice that is an indirect hint to the mystical holy grail. Dan brown has elaborated about this theory in his bestseller book, 'Da Vinci Code'.