Nude sketch of Mona Lisa may have been found in France
The Monna Vanna charcoal is likely to have been drawn, at least in part, by Leonardo da Vinci
A charcoal sketch of a nude woman bears a “striking” resemblance to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and experts believe the artist is responsible for at least part of the work.
The Monna Vanna portrait, situated at the Conde Museum in Chantilly, northern France since 1862, was previously attributed to da Vinci's studio, rather than directly to the artist. But scientists at the Louvre museum in Paris have examined the sketch and believe the artist may have worked directly on the piece.
“The drawing has a quality in the way the face and hands are rendered that is truly remarkable. It is not a pale copy,” curator Mathieu Deldicque told AFP, adding: “We are looking at something which was worked on in parallel with the Mona Lisa at the end of Leonardo’s life. It is almost certainly a preparatory work for an oil painting.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While it may have been created as a preparatory sketch for the final version of the Mona Lisa, a few details show that the piece was not authored entirely by da Vinci, experts say.
The BBC points out that while the hands and body are almost identical, and the portraits are almost the same size, hatching on the top of the drawing near Monna Vanna's head was sketched by a right-handed person while da Vinci was left handed.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'United States of Anxiety'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Langdale Chase Hotel: a cosy nook in the Lake District
The Week Recommends This Victorian villa has breathtaking views and expansive gardens
By Natasha Langan Published
-
Orkney's war on stoats
In the Spotlight A coordinated stoat cull on the Scottish islands has proved successful – and conservationists aren't slowing down
By Abby Wilson Published
-
Sport on TV guide: Christmas 2022 and New Year listings
Speed Read Enjoy a feast of sporting action with football, darts, rugby union, racing, NFL and NBA
By Mike Starling Published
-
House of the Dragon: what to expect from the Game of Thrones prequel
Speed Read Ten-part series, set 200 years before GoT, will show the incestuous decline of Targaryen
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
One in 20 young Americans identify as trans or non-binary
Speed Read New research suggests that 44% of US adults know someone who is transgender
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Turner Prize 2022: a ‘vintage’ shortlist?
Speed Read All four artists look towards ‘growth, revival and reinvention’ in their work
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
What’s on TV this Christmas? The best holiday television
Speed Read From films and documentaries to musicals for all the family
By The Week Staff Published
-
Coco vision: up close to Chanel opticals
Speed Read Parisian luxury house adds opticals to digital offering
By The Week Staff Published
-
Abba returns: how the Swedish supergroup and their ‘Abba-tars’ are taking a chance on a reunion
Speed Read From next May, digital avatars of the foursome will be performing concerts in east London
By The Week Staff Published
-
‘Turning down her smut setting’: how Nigella Lawson is cleaning up her recipes
Speed Read Last week, the TV cook announced she was axing the word ‘slut’ from her recipe for Slut Red Raspberries in Chardonnay Jelly
By The Week Staff Published