Speculations about Mona Lisa Speculations about Mona Lisa The 16th-century portrait Mona Lisa, or "La Gioconda" ("La Joconde"), painted in oil on a poplar panel by Leonardo da Vinci, has been the subject of a considerable deal of speculation. It has for a long time been argued that after Leonardo's death the painting was cut down by having part of the panel at both sides removed. Early copies depict columns on both sides of the figure. Only the edges of the bases can be seen in the original. However, some art historians, such as Martin Kemp, now argue that the painting has not been
Isleworth Mona Lisa Louvre painting. For these reasons, several people Pulitzer consulted believed that the hands and face of the portrait were done by Leonardo, but the rest may have been finished by another or others. During the first part of the 20th century, a number of experts supported the attribution of the most significant sections of the "Isleworth Mona Lisa" to Leonardo da Vinci: Hugh Blaker, Paul Konody, John Eyre, Commendatore Cecconi, Dr. Arduino Colasanti, Ludovico Spiridon, Enrico San Martino di Valperga, Adolfo Venturi, A.C. Chappelow, and Henry Pulitzer. The authenticity of the "Isleworth Mona Lisa" is disputed by a minority of