A new hypothesis has emerged on the Daily Mail regarding the smile of the Mona Lisa which would once again link the painting painted by Leonardo to the city of Lecco
It is a period of excitement but also many news regarding La Gioconda, one of the pictorial works most famous and most studied in history. In fact, many theories on the interpretation of the work have emerged over the years from Italian scholars and beyond. One of the latest theses to emerge on the famous Mona Lisa was shared by the Daily Mail in an article that explained her smile.
New hypotheses on the Mona Lisa’s smile
The Daily Maila well-known British newspaper, published an article on new hypotheses regarding the famous work created by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1506. The Mona Lisa, in fact, would be a portrait of the famous Lisa Gherardini, wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo, from whom the name of the work “La Gioconda” was later derived.
On Saturday 18 May, the English newspaper published a new piece explaining the news interesting theories related to the Mona Lisa. In this case a new connection is suggested between Mona Lisa’s smile and the city of Lecco. The nature of this connection this time would be of linguistic nature given that it seems Leonardo da Vinci used a play on words. This new theory was exposed by the art historian Greg Sereda who connected the mountainous area located north of Lecco, where the Grigna Settentrionale and the Grigna Meridionale are located, with the word grinor smile.
“Grigna”, in fact, would be precisely the term that in the local dialect of Lecco would stand for sneer. This word, therefore, could be the secret to understanding the famous when emblematic smile of Mona Lisa. A theory supported by the fact that Leonardo was a very sharp and intelligent man who really liked these linguistic games.
The other links present between the Mona Lisa and the city of Lecco
The details that link the Mona Lisa to the city of Lecco, however, do not lie only in the play on words attributable to Grigna mountains. Given that numerous experts have repeatedly formulated theories on the landscape represented with attention to details and details behind the woman. Many had returned to the area to Tuscany. This happened because behind Mona Lisa you can see a low bridge, with several arches, which had been identified as the Buriano Bridge, which still crosses the Arno.
More recently, however, at numerous theories already exhibited was added that of Ann Pizzorusso, a geologist and historian of Renaissance art who combined her fields of expertise to present her thesis on where the work was painted. According to what Pizzorusso revealed to the Guardian, in fact, the background of the canvas could be traced back to city of Leccoin particular at the 14th century Ponte Azzone Visconti.
The method used by the geologist differs from that used in previous studies. The other scholars, in fact, to present their theories had based themselves on the presence of the bridge, on the study of the course of the river and on the surrounding nature, while Ann Pizzorusso changed perspective. Pizzorusso based her hypotheses by observing and studying the rock behind the woman. The greyish-white color of painted rocks by Leonardo da Vinci, in fact, it would be precisely the one typical of the limestone compositions present in the Lecco area.
