Leonardo da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa (La Gioconda) around 1503, completing it sometime around 1519. The portrait, believed to depict Lisa Gherardini, wife of a Florentine merchant, is celebrated for its mastery of sfumato technique, the subject's enigmatic smile, and the atmospheric landscape background. The painting exemplifies Renaissance ideals of art and science converging. It has hung in the Louvre Museum in Paris since the French Revolution and attracts millions of visitors annually, standing as the most recognized painting in the world.
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