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Is the Mona Lisa worth the hype?

You probably know one of the most famous (if not the most famous) paintings in the world - Mona Lisa. But… have you ever thought about why it is so popular? It may seem like a normal, ordinary portrait that every artist should be able to replicate. So why is it everywhere? What’s so special about that painting?



The history of Mona Lisa

Leonardo da Vinci started painting Mona Lisa in 1503 at the request of a Florentine businessman who wanted a portrait of his wife, Lisa Gherardini. Leonardo worked on the painting for over a decade and continued refining it until his death. However, that is not the whole story. One of the main reasons for the Mona Lisa’s fame is its rich and eventful history, not only the painting itself. After Leonardo’s death, King Francis I purchased the painting and began displaying it. Then in 1550, Giorgio Vasari (Italian scholar) published a biography of Italian Renaissance artists, including Leonardo. It contained a description of Mona Lisa as a “hypnotic imitation of life”. Later, over the years, Mona Lisa became one of the most desired pieces of art in the French Royal collection. It even hung in Napoleon Bonaparte’s bedroom. Then, when it went on public display in the Louvre Museum, it attracted guests who wanted to see once-private treasures of deposed aristocracy. During the 1800s, a series of European scholars further contributed to the growing fascination with the Mona Lisa, fixating heavily on the subject’s allure. She was described as “the embodiment of timeless feminine beauty”. By the 20th century, the portrait was an iconic piece in one of the world's most famous museums. Moreover, in 1911, in Paris, the Mona Lisa was stolen by an Italian museum employee, Vincenzo Peruggia, who believed the work should be returned to Italy. The theft led to unprecedented fame. It was a crucial moment when the Mona Lisa appeared in headlines around the world. After the work was recovered, it was already famous but in the coming years many attempted thefts followed, songs were written about it and many museum-goers attacked it with stones, paint, acid, and even teacups.



So... why exactly is she everywhere?

History is full of great paintings, so why does the Mona Lisa stand above them? It was just one of many good pieces of art from the Renaissance, so what is so special about it? As we can see from history, the Mona Lisa’s fame depends mostly on factors beyond the canvas. Many people wrote about her beauty and Leonardo’s artistic proficiency, which helped promote the piece. However, the biggest impact was the theft in 1911 – it caused her to appear on the front pages of newspapers worldwide. People went to the Louvre to see the blank space she left behind. 


National Gallery of Art. Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci. 1963, www.nga.gov/exhibitions/mona-lisa-leonardo-da-vinci. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
National Gallery of Art. Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci. 1963, www.nga.gov/exhibitions/mona-lisa-leonardo-da-vinci. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

Mona Lisa was created by one of the greatest minds that have ever lived. Leonardo da Vinci was not only an artist but also a scientist. In his notebook entries he wrote about physics, engineering and science. There were sketches of helicopters and parachutes or many other inventions he conceived of long before the rest of the world. Nevertheless, the Mona Lisa is also deeply rooted in scientific knowledge. Leonardo applied many illusions and artistic techniques in the portrait which affect our perception of the painting. For instance, the artist used an art technique called “sfumato”. The artist focuses on softening the transition between colours, mimicking an area beyond what the human eye is focusing on, or the out-of-focus plane. In simple terms, it means blurring specific parts of painting so it seems more live-like to us.


Take a look at Lisa’s smile and eyes. She is looking directly at us, which wasn’t popular in paintings back then. At that time women were usually posing passively. Unlike Mona Lisa, they were looking to the side. The Mona Lisa’s smile is mysterious and subtle, changing depending on the viewer’s perspective. If you look at her eyes you can see that she’s smiling. But now look at her mouth. She’s barely smirking, right? This demonstrates Leonardo da Vinci’s exceptional artistic skills, especially his mastery of shading and expression. The ambiguity of her smile has fascinated people for centuries, contributing greatly to the painting’s fame. 


Furthermore, the Mona Lisa’s background may seem a little bit off. If you look closely, you can see that the horizon is uneven. If Leonardo was an art genius, why would he make such a mistake? Surprisingly, it is not a mistake. It is an intentional optical technique. When the brain encounters conflicting visual information, like the two different horizon lines in the background, it shifts between them, trying to make sense of the image. In the Mona Lisa, both perspectives are possible, so the brain keeps reevaluating what it sees. This creates the illusion that the portrait is subtly changing or moving, adding to its mysterious and captivating effect. Remarkable, isn’t it?



Does the Mona Lisa deserve all the fame?

It’s said that the Mona Lisa took Leonardo da Vinci 16 years to create, but in reality it was a whole lifetime of engineering, mathematical, anatomical, scientific and artistic exploration. Mona Lisa was, in fact, Leonardo’s greatest invention. Many think that this is the best painting in the world. Her history is truly captivating and shows us why Mona Lisa is the most famous piece of art in the world. Yet, even if it wasn’t for the theft, I still believe she would be highly regarded. Her modernity and well-thought-out style were ahead of her time.

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