Mona Lisa, An iconic Portrait painted between 1503 and 1519 by Leonardo da Vinci, is undoubtedly the world’s most recognized artwork with a rich history. It was first owned by the French royal Louvre, who released it by the Revolutionary forces. Visitors from far-off areas come to see it.
Scholars researched that Mona Lisa is a portrait of an Italian lady Lisa del Giocondo. Her mysterious gaze and beautiful smile are the main attraction of this portrait. Unlike 16th-century typical artwork in which women are displayed by wearing extraordinary clothes and accessories, she is simple, grabbing attention to her face. Leonardo da Vinci skillfully created this portrait and he used multiple techniques in the painting which made it realistic.
Keeping aside the fame of this masterpiece…Have you ever noticed that Mona Lisa doesn’t have eyebrows? Do you know why? Let us tell you the secrets behind it!
Why does the Mona Lisa lack Eyebrows?
The reason for the disappearance of Mona Lisa’s eyebrows has been a subject of speculation among experts. After doing research; investigators found many reasons behind it but they were not able to find a definitive answer. Here we have mentioned some reasons that have been researched.
Restoration and Aging:
It is also possible that the eyebrows were initially painted by Leonardo, but they were unintentionally removed during the restoration process or due to other factors. Pascal Cotte a French engineer has researched deeply on Mona Lisa’s portrait and concluded Leonardo da Vinci originally painted Mona Lisa’s eyebrows. However, over time and due to various restoration effects, the eyebrows have eroded from the point where these are naked eyes now. Cotte’s study provided insights into the artwork and shows that there are blur traces around the left eyebrow that had long been coated by restoration work. So, it assumes that, over the centuries, the painting has undergone multiple restorations, which might have caused the loss of certain details, including the eyebrows. Additionally, the aging of the painting and the materials used might have contributed to the disappearance of the eyebrows.
Renaissance Fashion:
During the Renaissance period, it was the trend among women to remove their eyebrows. At that time women used to do this to make their appearance more attractive. So, women used to shave their eyebrows to follow that trend and to look more beautiful.
Leonardo da Vinci was not just an artist, he was a keen observer of his society. He always tried to reflect the trending fashions of that time. So, the painter may have decided to illustrate her without eyebrows to reflect the magnificent standards and fashion trends of that time.
Artistic Style:
Some art historians suggest that Leonardo da Vinci intentionally skipped the eyebrows to create a mysterious expression on the Mona Lisa’s face. The absence of eyebrows has enhanced her face’s beauty and highlighted her smile. It also conveys depth and reality in his art. This deliberate artistic choice was made to create a sense of ambiguity and mystery in the painting. The absence of eyebrows is giving a softening to Lisa’s expression and adds innocence to her face. Moreover, it also served the artwork with a timeless aura, making it difficult to guess the exact creation time of this wonderful artwork. Leonardo’s artistic reasoning behind this ambiguous feature is to reflect precision and innovation in his masterful works.
The Wrap-up
In the end, the exact reason why the Mona Lisa lacks eyebrows remains a mystery. Many historians researched and discovered many reasons behind it but no one is sure about one exact reason. Some of them reveal that eyebrows were removed due to restoration effects, some say that the painter intentionally skipped some features to make the portrait more attractive, and some discover that it was a trend at that time to remove eyebrows to look more beautiful. So, there are many reasons behind this artistic mystery; no one agrees on one definitive reason.
