Logo

Did Leonardo da Vinci paint two Mona Lisas? Where are they?

10.06.2025 09:51

Did Leonardo da Vinci paint two Mona Lisas? Where are they?

La Joconde nue:

Evidently there was a market for erotic paintings. The American art historian David Brown, curator of Italian Renaissance paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, has suggested that da Vinci painted a saucy parody of the Mona Lisa for his patron Giuliano de Medici, and that the Salai version is a copy.

There is only one Mona Lisa, at the Louvre, fully credited to Leonardo. However, there are several Mona Lisa look-alikes from his studio, some of them quite saucy. The one most similar to the Louvre one is the Prado Mona Lisa, a copy made simultaneously in Leonardo's workshop while he painted the Mona Lisa, probably made by an apprentice(s):

Dollar General Sees Greater-Than-Expected Growth as Higher-Income Consumers Seek Value - PYMNTS.com

Then there are the ‘meza nuda’ paintings from his workshop, often referred to as Monna Vannas.

Obviously, the original Mona Lisa also inspired some cheeky versions of her.

Another version of the above exists, attributed to Salaj:

Otsuka tops Vera Therapeutics in kidney disease study showdown - statnews.com

Source: Chantilly, Musée Condé, France.

While overall similar, there are differences in the shape of the face, the background and other details.

For the one below, art experts suggest that it contains touches indicating that Leonardo contributed to it.

Scientists have discovered a hidden city 140,000 years old at the bottom of the ocean. - Farmingdale Observer

Source: St Petersburg. Hermitage, Russia.

Donna Nuda:

Source: Louvre, Paris, France.

How would you respond to Rep. Nancy Mace's claim that the GOP platform is more in line with what the American people want compared to the left?