France has a fantastic historical legacy and the most diverse nature of any European country. Its capital, Paris, is a very significant and prominent city. This magnificent place is on the bucket list of every fashionista, foodie, and romantic lover. It embraces one of the world's most important museums, the mesmerizing Louvre Museum. Tourists cannot visit Paris without stopping by this palace, where pieces of art from all over the world are exhibited. Among these masterpieces is the famous Mona Lisa. This fabulous Leonardo da Vinci oil painting is also known as La Gioconda. Here are the top 10 things to know about the famous Mona Lisa painting.

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10 The Cake Is Not The First Occurrence

Last week's incident was not the first one. Various people have attempted to deface da Vinci's famous work. 1956 was particularly the most disastrous year because a person hurled acid at the picture, while another hit it with a stone in two different incidents. Although the damage was minor, it was nonetheless evident. However, it did not stop there. In 1974, the Mona Lisa painting was sprayed, and in 2009, a coffee cup was thrown at it. Therefore, bulletproof glass was added to deter future occurrences.

9 The Oil Painting Became Renowned As A Result Of A Theft

Although the iconic artwork had long been regarded as a dazzling masterpiece, it was not until it was taken in 1911 that it caught the people's attention. The crime was reported in newspapers all over the world. When the marvelous Mona Lisa was ultimately retrieved at the Louvre Museum two years after the incident, the entire globe erupted in joy.

8 Picasso Was The Suspected Thief

The investigation for the Mona Lisa's thief was massive before Peruggia was apprehended. Suspicion was quickly directed at a group of "art rebels," including Pablo Picasso and Guillaume Apollinaire. They were well-known for their outspoken opposition to the type of art on show at museums such as the Louvre. The suspicion was heightened when it was revealed that two stolen objects from the museum were located in Picasso's house. The painter’s friend was even detained for a short time. Both individuals were soon found innocent.

7 Da Vinci May Have Not Finished His Painting

Leonardo da Vinci began painting Mona Lisa in the first 10 years of the fifteenth century. However, he was still putting his final touches on it between 1516 and 1517. By that time, he started suffering from his hand that got paralyzed. Therefore, it is believed that he did not finish his painting and for that reason, Mona Lisa does not have eyebrows. The previous theory created a debate because some historians mention that in the 15th-century Italian women plucked their eyebrows. In 2007, Pascale Cotte, a French Engineer, discovered that Mona Lisa had eyebrows that faded with time.

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6 Mona Lisa Duplicates

Da Vinci’s students and other painters have excellently tried to duplicate the iconic painting resulting in more than a dozen of perfect reproductions. Tourists can even find one in the Prado Museum in Spain. This copy of the Mona Lisa is the only famous one that was painted while Leonardo was still alive. The replica has the same details and probably similar colors as the original before its early restorations.

5 A Self-Portrait

The identity of the marvelous Gioconda is among the painting's most intriguing mysteries. One notion claims that the artwork is a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci! Therefore, the inquisitive Lillian Schwartz, an American artist, conducted a study and discovered facial similarities between Mona Lisa and Man in Red Chalk, da Vinci's self-portrait. Nowadays, experts and the Italian National Committee for Cultural Heritage are trying to rebuild the painter’s face using highly advanced technology to solve this enigma.

4 Highest Insurance Value

The Mona Lisa is registered in the Guinness Book for having the highest insurance value for a painting. In fact, $100 million were paid to the insurance company in the 1960s, before the painting’s tour. The previously mentioned amount of money is now approximately equivalent to $870 million. It is difficult to visualize another artwork ever surpassing this cost.

3 Mona Lisa Is Painted On Wood

Since the fourteenth century, artists have had access to canvas; However, several famous Renaissance masters favored wood for their little fascinating works. Da Vinci was one of them, so he opted for the wood plank to paint legendary work. Based on his previous wonderful artwork, the painter used wet plaster for his masterpieces making the poplar plank easy to handle.

2 Mona Lisa Before Louvre Museum

Leonardo da Vinci finished the amazing Mona Lisa painting at King Francois I’s Fontainebleau palace. It remained there as a royal collection for at least a century. Then, Louis XIV took it to the fabulous Palace of Versailles. Later, Napoleon hung it in his grandiose bedroom in Tuileries. Finally, in 1804, the masterpiece was moved to its current location where a special room is dedicated only to it.

1 Mona Lisa’s Emotions

There are debates and studies about Mona Lisa's emotions. Some tourists see her happy, others disgusted or angry and even fearful. Recent studies have shown that it all depends on the state of mind of the viewer. Nevertheless, the translation of La Gioconda, the initial name of the Mona Lisa painting, means the smiling lady, and Leonardo's portrait is centered around this idea which makes the piece so perfect.