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Did Leonardo da Vinci paint two Mona Lisas? Where are they?

Last Updated: 20.06.2025 00:47

Did Leonardo da Vinci paint two Mona Lisas? Where are they?

Evidently there was a market for erotic paintings. The American art historian David Brown, curator of Italian Renaissance paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, has suggested that da Vinci painted a saucy parody of the Mona Lisa for his patron Giuliano de Medici, and that the Salai version is a copy.

Obviously, the original Mona Lisa also inspired some cheeky versions of her.

There is only one Mona Lisa, at the Louvre, fully credited to Leonardo. However, there are several Mona Lisa look-alikes from his studio, some of them quite saucy. The one most similar to the Louvre one is the Prado Mona Lisa, a copy made simultaneously in Leonardo's workshop while he painted the Mona Lisa, probably made by an apprentice(s):

I caught my husband of 20 years looking at inappropriate pics of women on TikTok or Instagram. I'm not sure., but when I told him he got mad and made excuses of why they popped up. I then told him how I've snuck on his phone and saw what he's been looking at . We had a horrible big fight. I asked him why did he even marry me when I see the type he likes . Nothing like me, I'm petite, blonde and blue eyes. These women are dark haired dark eyed and have curvy bodies, large breasts, etc. I just don't feel the same about him after this. I can't get over this

Source: Louvre, Paris, France.

Source: St Petersburg. Hermitage, Russia.

Source: Chantilly, Musée Condé, France.

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Donna Nuda:

For the one below, art experts suggest that it contains touches indicating that Leonardo contributed to it.

While overall similar, there are differences in the shape of the face, the background and other details.

In Italy, how do people greet each other when they meet for the first time (e.g., on the street)? What's a good response to that greeting if you're not from Italy or don't speak Italian fluently yet?

La Joconde nue:

Another version of the above exists, attributed to Salaj:

Then there are the ‘meza nuda’ paintings from his workshop, often referred to as Monna Vannas.

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