Abstract
A recent computer-aided study identified the model immortalized in Leonardo da Vinci's celebratedMona Lisa to be none other than the artist himself. A follow-up investigation empolying similar techniques identifies the subject of asecond “Hidden”Mona Lisa by the same artist. Analysis of photographic and x-ray images indicates that Leonardo first created a sketch of Isabella, Duchess of Aragon, which he later painted over with theMona Lisa, using himself as the model.
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The subject has been variously described as holding a palm or lily. A more recent investigation suggests that the stemlike object is a laurel instead. Since the laurel was widely employed as a symbol of royalty in that period, this identification serves to reinforce the high rank of the subject.
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Schwartz, L.F.F. The Mona Lisa identification: Evidence from a computer analysis. The Visual Computer 4, 40–48 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01901079
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01901079