Oil on wood 77 cm × 53 cm (30 in × 21 in)
1452-1519, Louvre, Paris, France

The famous portrait that hangs in the Louvre in Paris has undergone infra-red analysis to give the art world more insight into one of the world’s most renowned paintings.

Mona Lisa’s iconic smile was based on Leonardo Da Vinci’s probable gay lover, an art historian has claimed. Following his examinations, Silvano Vinceti believes the artwork is an amalgamation of two models: a rich Florentine merchant’s wife, Lisa Gherardini, and da Vinci’s apprentice Gian Giacomo Caprotti, known to the artist as Salai, or Little Devil.

Popular theories about the Mona Lisa abound, with some art lovers claiming that a lost original featured the model nude. Others believe that the portrait once had eyebrows and eyelashes, while some are convinced that da Vinci created multiple versions of the painting.

For now, the Mona Lisa remains as enigmatic and mysterious as her smile.