Fascinating insight into probably the most famous painting in the world, and how different ages have interpreted the sitter and given the portrait particular significance.
Especially interesting are photographs of Mona Lisa cartoons and ephemera, which enable you to realise exactly how overexposed this image is. This doesn’t really focus overmuch on the different theories about the creation of the painting – there are ample other places to look for those.
It’s about how the painting has been displayed, criticised, reacted to, stolen and turned into a global icon. A biography of a work of art whose history, is far more intriguing than the painting itself. The mystery is not the smile, but why it has affected generations of people so powerfully.
This book won’t do anything to reduce the Mona Lisa hype, but it does at least allow us to put in context.