La Gioconda (Mona Lisa)

The Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda, is a half-length portrait painting by Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506, and Leonardo's studies of the Mona Lisa and of the technical methods he used are themselves the subject of research.

The painting depicts a woman, believed to be Lisa del Giocondo, with an enigmatic smile that has captivated viewers for centuries. Its masterful use of sfumato, a technique of blurring sharp outlines, contributes to its lifelike and ethereal quality. The Mona Lisa is arguably the most famous painting in the world and is a quintessential example of High Renaissance portraiture.