“Isleworth Mona Lisa” is a popular name in the art world. This painting was found in England in a house at a place called Isleworth in 1913. Hence, it got the name Isleworth Mona Lisa.
To avoid confusion in this article, the old and famous Mona Lisa is referred as “Mona Lisa” and the new, young and our subject is referred as “Isleworth Mona Lisa”.
To the people who are unaware, here is a small introduction to this young lady. From the name, please don’t think it is the masterpiece (Mona Lisa) of Leonardo da Vinci that is hanging on Louvre museum’s wall in Paris for 400 years now. It is the painting of the same lady from the brush of Leonardo da Vinci, but more younger and more happier than the original one. There is a lot of debate among the historians and artists on this painting.
After 35 years of research and lot of examinations and tests like carbon-dating test and geometry analysis by Swiss-based Mona Lisa foundation, it was declared in September 2012 that the Isleworth Mona Lisa was also a painting of Leonardo da Vinci. (though some people are still not convinced)
Origin of Isleworth Mona Lisa
It might be known to many people that, Mona Lisa is a painting of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a Florentine silk merchant and was painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 to 1506. Later he sold it to King Francis I in 1516. Material used by Leonardo for this painting are poplar wood and oil.
It is revealed from the tests that “Isleworth Mona Lisa” was painted 10 to 20 years before “Mona Lisa” and Leonardo kept it for himself. It was bought by Blaker Huge in 1913 from Somerset noble family. Blaker Huge then presented it to his sister in 1936 before his death. She sold it to an American art collector, Henry Pulitzer in 1947. He left it to his girlfriend after his death. Upon her death it was bought and kept in Swiss bank vault for 40 years by Swiss consortium.
Differences between Mona Lisa and Isleworth Mona Lisa
Isleworth Mona Lisa looks younger and happier than Mona Lisa. From careful observations it was analyzed that though the geometry of the paintings (face, hands etc) are matching with Leonardo da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” (painting that study the geometry of young body), the neck of Isleworth Mona Lisa is not of a typical Leonardo style. It is assumed that it might be touched by some other painter.
Isleworth Mona Lisa painting is slightly larger and wider than the Mona Lisa painting (77cm x 53cm).
The wood he used for Isleworth Mona Lisa is of cheapest quality than that of Mona Lisa. It is known from the history that Leonardo was in bad financial stage during that period and he might be economized on the materials used for this painting.
Henry F. Pulitzer claimed that only the face and hands are done by Leonardo, while the rest is finished by some other painter.
Whatever may be the beliefs and arguments of art historians on Isleworth Mona Lisa, world gets to see another masterpiece painting of Leonardo da Vinci.
