seven late night thoughts with zoe

Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci

1503 – 1506

The famous Mona Lisa painting by Italian artist Leonardo Da Vinci has to be the most talked about and the most popular piece of art in the history of the world. The painting’s worth is estimated to approximately $867 million and resides in the famous Louvre museum in Paris where it has been since 1797.

The painting of a the woman, who was believed to be Lisa Gherardini, italian noblewoman and wife of Francesco Del Giocondo who commissioned Da Vinci for the painting, has been celebrated and studied by many for hundreds of years but gained popularity on a worldwide scale when in 1911 it was stolen from the Louvre Museum by a man who helped built glass case the painting was kept in and who believed the painting rightfully belonged to Italy, where it was originally painted. The man, who went by the name of Vincenzo Peruggia, went into the museum during its opening hour, hid in the broom closet and waited for closing hour before stealing the painting and hiding it under his coat before leaving the Museum. He then kept the painting in his apartment for two years before contacting Giovanni Poggi, an Italian museum owner. After many investigations and questionings of the public – even questionings of names we might see on this list (Pablo Picasso anyone?) – who were believed to be suspects in the crime, The Mona Lisa was finally returned to the Louvre museum and Peruggia was sentenced to six months in prison.

Now, this is only a snippet of the Mona Lisa’s story and many believe there’s a lot we’re still unsure about the painting. It was even thought that Da Vinci never actually finished the painting, hence why the woman in the painting is missing eyebrows and eyelashes. Others believe the woman in the painting isn’t Lisa Gherardini at all and some even believe the Mona Lisa is actually a self portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci himself. Like I said, there’s a lot we don’t know and with a painting that old it is likely we’ll never find the entire truth about the whos whats whys and whens but nonetheless, one thing we know for sure, is the impact the painting has had on modern day art and how, still to this day, it is admired and studied by more than one.

With all that being said, with all the unfathomable fame, worth and mysteries surrounding the masterpiece, let’s dive into the book I associate with Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

2017

The Last Magician by author Lisa Maxwell follows our main character Esta, a talented thief on a mission to go back in time and find an ancient book containing secrets on how to bring magic back to a world where it has been instinct for years. Esta goes on to face the unimaginable on her task to find the book and bring it where she believes it rightfully belongs. The Last Magician is filled with secrets you will want to uncover and characters you will fall in love with. Betrayal, romance, historical settings and intricate plots are on the agenda.

Just Like Mona Lisa, The Last Magician is filled with enigmas and secrets you’ll want to uncover the truth to. It follows a beautiful yet heartbreaking romance that you give you ”husband commissioning famous artist to paint his wife’s portrait” vibes and undoubtedly, like the painting a few years back, doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, just yet…

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