While the “Salvator Mundi” painting by Leonardo sold for a record-breaking price of $450.3 million, doubts about its authenticity persist. Now, the “Isleworth Mona Lisa” is gaining attention as it goes on display in Turin, Italy.
The Mona Lisa Foundation in Zurich, representing the anonymous owners, contends that this painting is the original Mona Lisa, created by Leonardo as the first version of his iconic work. They argue that it depicts a younger Lisa than the one featured in the Louvre and that Leonardo carried it with him during his final years at the chateau of Amboise.
The Mona Lisa’s fascination has been enduring, with its fame dating back to the 19th century and even earlier. While some attribute its global recognition to the 1911 theft that made headlines worldwide, it was already an object of obsession in the 19th century. The painting’s allure spans centuries, with 16th-century writer Giorgio Vasari describing it as if it had a pulse.
The claim that the “Isleworth Mona Lisa” is the original version of Leonardo’s masterpiece adds a new layer of intrigue to the enduring fascination with this iconic artwork.