The "Mona Lisa," painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1506, is an iconic masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. Depicting a woman believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, the painting is renowned for its enigmatic smile and meticulous detail. Leonardo's innovative use of sfumato creates a soft, atmospheric effect, while the subject's ambiguous expression has sparked centuries of interpretation. Stolen from the Louvre in 1911, the painting's subsequent recovery only added to its mystique, making it a cultural icon admired and referenced worldwide.
