Mona Lisa – What lies beneath

Long story (by Suzanne Daley in Saturday's New York Times) short about the Prado's copy (above) of the Mona Lisa (below):

"It turns out that the Prado's Mona Lisa is not just any 500-year-old copy. It was most likely painted by someone who was sitting right next to Leonardo da Vinci, trying to duplicate his every brush stroke, as he produced his famous lady with the enigmatic smile."

"When Leonardo adjusted the size of the Mona Lisa's head or corrected her hands or slimmed her bosom or lowered her bodice, so did whoever was painting the Prado's Mona Lisa."

"The copy, now restored, offers details that are obscured in the original Mona Lisa. For instance, the copy shows an armrest where none can be seen in the original, and reflectographs show a much clearer image of her waistline."

"There is no doubt, however, that the Prado painting was not a copy made by Leonardo himself. While the corrections are identical, the lines are not."

"The Prado's Mona Lisa is on loan to the Louvre until June."

Caption for the graphic above: "A layer of black paint covered the background of the copy of the Mona Lisa (left). The black layer was removed during a recent restoration, revealing a preserved background (right)."