After Leonardo da Vinci, 20th century

This image, among the most recognizable in the world, finds its source in Leonardo da Vinci's iconic portrait in the Musée du Louvre, the Mona Lisa, thought to depict Lisa Gherardini, the wife of the Florentine silk merchant Francesco Giocondo.¹ That original, painted on a poplar panel, was a mature work by Leonardo that represented the culmination of his artistic achievements. It went with him to France around 1517 and likely entered the collection of François I soon after. A testament to its timeless appeal, many replicas of the painting were made for centuries to follow. Comparable copies have recently sold at auction, including one at Sotheby's New York, 31 January 2019, lot 171 ($1,695,000)² and at Sotheby's Paris, 19 November 2019, lot 3 (€552,500).³ 

1.  Oil on poplar panel, 77 by 53 cm, Paris, Musée du Louvre, inv. no. 779.

2. Oil on canvas, 73.5 by 53.3 cm. 

3. Oil on canvas, 83.5 by 59.5 cm.