Student Question
How old was Mona Lisa when Leonardo da Vinci painted her?
Quick answer:
The Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci, likely depicts Lisa Gherardini at around 24 years old. Born in 1479, she sat for the portrait between 1503 and 1506, when da Vinci was in Florence. Although the exact duration she posed is unknown, it is assumed she sat for the painting in 1503, aligning with her age of approximately 24 at that time.
It’s difficult to give an exact age, but we can estimate.
The Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci, depicts Lisa (Gherardini) del Giocondo, the third wife of a wealthy merchant in Florence, Italy.
We know she was born in 1479. We also know the portrait itself had to have been painted sometime between 1503 and 1506. da Vinci, who had been a mapmaker in the Italian military, only returned to Florence in 1503, and by 1506 he had already left for Milan. Although we’re not quite sure how long the painting took, the model would have only needed to be present in the beginning. Assuming that Lisa del Giocondo sat for the portrait in 1503, this would put her age at around 24.
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