Mona’s secrets

Da Vinci The Genius: An Inspirational Exhibition at the Singapore Science Centre featured a section on Leonardo Da Vinci’s greatest masterpiece - the Mona Lisa. Apparently, some scientist took high tech photos of the painting which enabled them to separate various visible an invisible spectra or wavelengths revealing Mona’s various layers hidden by time. The results were fascinating and were called Mona Lisa’s 25 secrets. Here are some of the interesting ones:

1. Mona Lisa did have eye brows.

2. Da Vinci changed the position of Mona’s left index and middle fingers. And not all fingers were finished.

3. Mona Lisa wore lace. Da Vinci first painted the landscape and then painted the veil on top of the landscape layer.

4. Blotches on the corner of Mona’s left eye and chin were actually due to varnish accidents and not because Mona had xanthomas, as previously thought.

5. Mona Lisa was initially painted nude. And she started out as a man. For unknown reasons, Da Vinci then decided to give her breasts, painted over her naked body and gave her a lacy dress.

6. The left elbow was damaged because someone threw a rock at the painting in 1956.

I made up #5.