Portrait of Mona Lisa (1479-1528) by Leonardo DA VINCI (b. 1452, Vinci, Republic of Florence [now in Italy]--d. May 2, 1519, Cloux, Fr.), also known as La Gioconda , the wife of Francesco del Giocondo; 1503-06 (150 Kb); Oil on wood, 77 x 53 cm (30 x 20 7/8 in); Musee du Louvre, Paris

This figure of a woman, dressed in the Florentine fashion of her day and seated in a visionary, mountainous landscape, is a remarkable instance of Leonardo's sfumato technique of soft, heavily shaded modeling. The Mona Lisa's enigmatic expression, which seems both alluring and aloof, has given the portrait universal fame.

The above paragraphs are from the La Joconde essay on Mona Lisa. You can read the full essay at WebMuseum.

It seems I'm not the first artist to be inspired by this painting. Here's a couple of sites that are completely devoted to La Gioconda:

Mona Lisa Images for a Modern World
or a Giocondaphiliac's Delight :
an evolving paper posted for discussion and entertainment
by Robert A. Baron

www.monalisamania.com

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